New to airbrushes, need thinner advice.

JailCop

Hey guys, I got the Testors mini compressor/Aztek airbrush kit, as seen below, and I need some advice on what to use to thin the various paints I use.  Right now, my stash includes white cap testors enamels, some model master enamels, tamiya acrylics, Model master acrylics, and Mr. Color laquer based arcrylics.  So, please enlighten me as to what you use and/or what you feel is best for each:

Testors/MM enamels:?

Tamiya acrylics:?

MM Acrylics:?

Mr. Color:?

 

Thanks guys!  Pic of the kit below.

Congrats on the new stuff.

Here is what I use:

Testors/MM enamels: Testors Air Brush thinner in the black can

Tamiya acrylics: Tamiya Thinner

MM Acrylics: Testors Acrylic thinner or alcohol, or windex, or future

Mr. Color: Mr. Leveler Thinner

Thanks for the fast reply!  With the alcohol, do you mean just straight isopropyl  alcohol from the pharmacy?  And what is in the Tamiya thinner that makes the difference for you?

Yeap just standard alcohol will work either the 70 or 90% percent stuff. 

I find the Tamiya thinner seems to keep the paint from drying at the tip so much. I also use the Mr. Leveler Thinner with the Tamiya and it gives a great translucent finish without making it too runny

I know my LHS doesn't have the Tamiya thinner or the Mr. Leveler, where online might I find it?

I suspect the usual places would have it. Give Sprue Brothers a try.  They have some in stock here.

spruebrothers.com has everything you need. 

iso alcohol works well with thinning tamiya paints if you add a retarder to it. i was told ethyl thins it better then iso. i think tamiya uses ethyl in their thinner. X-20.

While you can use paint store thinner, I do have slightly better results using the Testors Airbrush thinner.  Some folks complain about the cost. I don't find it that expensive if I buy the half pint cans and only use it for thinning the paint, not for cleaning.

I currently am finishing a model where I was out of thinner and my LHS did not have the airbrush cleaner. I used mineral spirits and the job came out okay, but I still prefer the Testors stuff.

Do not use generic "paint thinner" these days.  Go to a good hardware store and buy something that says either mineral spirits or turpentine.  There is some synthetic stuff being sold as paint thinner and while it is slightly cheaper, it is junk- has a lot of dissolved solids in it. I won't even use it to clean the airbrush or regular brushes any more- it contaminates them.  The stuff is not water clear- it is somewhat milky. Do not use!

The best thinner for Tamiya acrylics that I have used is Ethyl alcohol 70%

I wouldn't waste my money on Tamiya's thinner.