anyone else have trouble with MM acrylic drying on side of your cup?

Patrick - the water/alcohol/retarder mix is what you use for your thinner?  I can't remember now if I have ever tried alcohol with MM paints.

The retarder is another thing to buy, yes, but it really does make the airbrushing process go predictably much more efficiently and with consistent results. I've used Golden and Liquitex, don't see much difference. I think lacquer thinner makes it dry faster in all respects, I use it only for cleaning. For some time I tried the usual fixes, dish soap, water, alcohol, windshield washer fluid and retarder, I've settled on water/alcohol and retarder used with Tamiya and MM acrylic. Alcohol for initial cleaning, lacquer thinner for final cleanup. While spraying, the occasional Q-tip and alcohol or lacquer thinner swipe at the tip helps a great deal, for me. I have used Tamiya brand thinner, both lacquer and normal in the past, but it's pricey, small quantity and no more effective than what I'm seeing for results now. You probably are aware, the temperature in your spray area can really affect the drying of any paint medium. I tend to keep my temp at about 70 degrees or slightly less.

Patrick in Oregon    

I find that it dries to touch very quickly, but I don't have much issue with it drying in the siphon bottle.   Sometimes I have a small issue with tip drying, but nothing that a moistened Q-Tip can't fix.

MM acrylic does dry pretty fast and you do need to swab the needle with a thinner-dipped q-tip.  I use a couple drops of Future Floor polish and 1-2 Drops of liquitex flow aid.  It helps reduce clogging and makes the MM acryl dry harder so its less likely to pull up if you have to mask over it.  Pretty much all acrylics will dry fast, Tamiya will clog the tip eventually just not as fast a Vallejo or MM Acryl.  

MM Acrylic dries fast. I scrub out my airbrush cup with windex and 91% rubbing alcohol. I use thier thinner plus a retarder from Liquitex. Its still a pain in the rear, so I pretty much no longer use it. I do like their flat clear, which works ok because its just general coverage, and I can finish spraying a model with it while only having to clear the tip once or twice. In no way would it ever be my go to paint. There's a video on youtube of Master Man Floyd Werner doing mottle camo on a 109 using MM acrylic. He's constantly cleaning the tip and dumping in retarder. His results are good (because He's god...) but it just looks like a total pain.

I usually just wet a facial tissue with acetone and wipe the inside/outside (yeah, I'm sometimes sloppy) with it. Works for me YMMV.

Simple solution. Buy Model Master Acryl Thinner. It has a retarder in it.

Same question as Hokey.  Will any retarder I find at Hobby Lobby work?  What (exactly) do you all use?

Thanks!

I too use MM and notice cup drying. Does MM make their version of retarder or what do u recommend?

You should add a couple of drops of retarder to MM Acryl, it does have a tendancy to dry pretty fast be it AB or brushed.