Multiple color questions :)

1.)  Can't answer the mixing ratios, as eveyone has their preference as to what works best for them and their airbrush.

2.)  Yes to the distilled water for thinning acrylics.  Again, test first to be certain it is compatible.

3.)  You can purchase enamels, but they can't be shipped by air.  So if ordering from overseas, that means the slow boat.

regards,

Jack

I thin my enamels anywhere from half and half to one third paint two thirds thinner. In any mixture, I am not very exact about it-enamel is fairly tolerant to mix ratios.  I use half and half normally, only going with more thinner when I am using gloss paint and want a really glossy finish.

Wut? Wait... you used lighter fluid for thinning? Yikes!

Yes, It was a pretty known alternative back then. 95-97 when I was most active.

Why buy Tamiya X-20A to thin acrylic when you can buy a gallon of distilled water for $1? Same analogy.  :)

Because I don't like to skimp,the manufacturers stuff works better.I have been using Tamiya Lacquer Thinner for Tamiya,and Vallejo Thinner for Vallejo with good results.

elation

Yes, It was a pretty known alternative back then. 95-97 when I was most active.

Why buy Tamiya X-20A to thin acrylic when you can buy a gallon of distilled water for $1? Same analogy.  :)

 Because you get way better performance when using the Manufacturer's own thinner. Tamiya X 20A contains a retarder and helps the paint level out. Water is a poor thinner for any acrylic paint.  

 

 

 

I am sure brand name prodcuts perform better, no doubt.

But that's what I used when I was a teenager.

One of the first articles i read in FSM when i was getting into airbrushing in 2005 spoke of using lighter fluid. 

From memory, i think it was Matthew Usher building an Fw-190, where he used homemade stencils and a single action paasche H for the desert cam splotching.  (I think...could be confusing articles though).

In any event, i thought lighter fluid was for use with acrylics, not enamels. When you think about it, lighter fluid evaporates very quickly, much like metho and the other alcohol based acrylic thinners. I didn't think it was used with enamels (but i've never tried).

cml

In any event, i thought lighter fluid was for use with acrylics, not enamels. When you think about it, lighter fluid evaporates very quickly, much like metho and the other alcohol based acrylic thinners. I didn't think it was used with enamels (but i've never tried).

Lighter fluid (which, I believe is mostly naptha) is said to give enamels a flatter sheen.

For the majority of enamel model paints, it's just as easy and cheaper to use mineral spirits or mineral turpentine as a thinner.

While you can use water to thin most acrylics, it's the least desirable option. I have found that water reduces the gloss on Tamiya gloss acrylics, leaving an eggshell sheen on the paint. It also increases the surface tension of alcohol-based acrylics (like Tamiya and Gunze Aqueous Hobby Color) and increases the risk of beading and running. I generally thin Tamiya and Gunze acrylics with methylated spirits, Tamiya X-20A acrylic thinner or Tamiya lacquer thinner, depending on what I'm trying to achieve. When airbrushing with gloss Tamiya acrylics, I always use proprietary thinners (X-20A or Tamiya lacquer thinner) as they give a better gloss finish than denatured or ispopropyl alcohol.

Having said that, I do thin with distilled water when brush painting with Vallejo ModelColor.