I thin Tamiya similarly like crocket does, only I use a 50/50 mix of distilled water and 70% alcohol with dish soap added in. The dish soap acts as a retarder, reduces surface tention in the airbrush and greatly improves brush painting application. To clean my airbrsuh, I simply pour Windex in the color cup of my Iwata and swipe a Q-tip around, and spray it out. I repeat this until completely clean. To avoid using a oil-based primer, I thin the first color coat paint with Laquer thinner...yes you read right, laquer thinner. It thins Tamiya acrylic superbly, sprays like silk and most importatly- bonds to the styrene super strong like an automotive enamel, permitting the use of masking tapes without fear of lifting or flaking The subsequent color coats are thinned with my normal water/ alcohol mix. I never thought I'd be switching to an acrylic with any luck, but man am I sold on Tamiya! So far, the best modeling acrylic for my 1/72nd scale modern jets! Below are a list of my supplies for Tamiya acrylic:
1. Paints: Tamiya (all colors)
2. Paint references: Flyttblocksv Urban Fredrickson's color matching reference
3. Thinner: 50% alcohol + 50% Distilled water + dish soap(retarder)
4. Airbrush & Tool Cleaner: Windex
5. Special Thinner: Laquer thinner (for thinning Tamiya acrylic for super strong adhesion) primer color coat only. (2:1 mix)
6. Clear coats
(a) Gloss: Future floor finish
(b) Flat: Delta Ceramcoat, Matt interior varnish (waterbased, low odor, non-toxic)
(c) Satin: Delta Ceramcoat, satin interior varnish (waterbased, low odor, non-toxic)
7. Washes: Tamiya heavily thinned with water with dishsoap added (Sudge-wash)
8. Airbrush: Iwata Revolution HP-CR (general spraying), Iwata HP-C (detailing and camo outlining)
Greg Williams
Owner/ Manager
Modern Hobbies LLC
Indianapolis, IN.
IPMS #44084