What's the difference in Vallejo

Good question - i'm not sure but i want to know the answer too.

If you have a look at my thread a few posts down within this section, you'll see i've only started to try Vallejo Model Air this week and have had a bunch of questions on thinning.

I didn't buy the thinner as i assumed the Model Air would be thin enough, but it's not in my opinion. I did buy the airbrush cleaner though, as it was recommended to use after flushing out all the paint.

The salesperson indicated the airbrush cleaner contains a small amount of lubricant which can assist with lubricating the airbrush. Certainly, when you put a dab on your finger, if feels a bit slimy/slippery, more than just like alcohol thinner does.

I have never used lubricant in my a/b prior to this, so thought i might as well try something new. I might just add a little longevity to the a/b, or at least lighten the weight of my pockets...

Medium is basically the binder and all the other ingredients except the paint pigment.  That is why it is white.  The theory as I understand it behind the medium is that the acrylic paint cures in long polymers.  When you add distilled water or another thinner you are "messing" with the chemical makeup of those polymers.  If you thin the paint enough those polymer chains can "break" and then the paint can do weird things.  Thinner is just that, it thins with no other benefit.

Medium will thin the paint and help preserve the base color.  I don't know how far you can go and how close the thinned paint is to the paint with medium added and smaller amounts.  I do know that I use Golden's Acrylic medium with both Vallejo Model Air and Model Color to thin it down.

You can go to either Golden's website or Liquitex has the same kind of thing.  I found that the only to get it "right" for me was to experiment with different mixes.  Here is my current formula for what it is worth:

• 2 drops of Flo-Aid
• add medium as desired
• add paint
• stir the bowl and look for the correct consistency
• Spray at 18psi using a .2mm or .3mm needle

Light colors like RLM04, RLM76, etc need no medium (or maybe just one drop) while the RLM66, Model Color Black, etc need about a 30/70 medium to paint mix.  Hope this helps but probably just makes it worse:)

John

Thanks,  it makes sense.

John, as long as you are here, let me share another cool thing about Golden's Medium.

You can make your own Acrylic paints with it, there are sets of boxed Gauche Acrylic paints in Tubes at places like Hobby Lobby. I got them to tint and mix colors in hobby paints, before I found almost all without mixing. I kept them and one day tested them. You can the thick paint in those tubes with Golden and make a model paint for yourself.

Granted, you would have to mix almost every single color,,,,,but, one little squeeze of that paint mixes with a LOT of Golden before you get any "bad coverage issues"

just be sure you don't have Oils or Enamels in the tubes,,,,Gauche is what you want.

Rex