Tamiya Paint thinner alternatives.

Edited:

I've used isopropyl alcohol (I want to say 90% but can't remember off the top of my head, I'll have to look at the bottle when I get home) with good results.  It does make the paint dry fairly quickly however. 

I prefer to use Tamiya's thinner, and am still working off the original bottle I bought about 3 years ago.  I've found I get better finishes with Tamiya's thinner as well.

Scott and others have reported using denatured (ethyl alcohol made unpotable with additives) alcohol with success, however, my testing indicates that ethyl alcohol is incompatible with Tamiya acrylics. I prefer to use 90 percent isopropyl alcohol as my primary reducer, with a very small amount of acrylic retarder (about 0.1 cc per 2 cc of reduced paint.)

Triarius wrote:

Scott and others have reported using denatured (ethyl alcohol made unpotable with additives) alcohol with success, however, my testing indicates that ethyl alcohol is incompatible with Tamiya acrylics. I prefer to use 90 percent isopropyl alcohol as my primary reducer, with a very small amount of acrylic retarder (about 0.1 cc per 2 cc of reduced paint.)

Now that I think about it, I believe it's 90% isopropyl alcohol that I tried.  Sorry, I'll be home in a couple hours so I'll check the bottle then.

Thanks for the tips so far, that's what I seem to remember.  I'll keep checking back.

 

Jon

Triarius wrote:

Scott and others have reported using denatured (ethyl alcohol made unpotable with additives) alcohol with success, however, my testing indicates that ethyl alcohol is incompatible with Tamiya acrylics. I prefer to use 90 percent isopropyl alcohol as my primary reducer, with a very small amount of acrylic retarder (about 0.1 cc per 2 cc of reduced paint.)

Ross,

I don't seem to have any problem using denatured alcohol. However, I'll qualify that by saying that what I'm calling denatured alcohol is what we call methylated spirits (which is basically a methyl/ethyl blend + aforementioned additives) here in Aus. I do add a drop or two of retarder to my mix though.

Phil_H wrote:

Triarius wrote: Scott and others have reported using denatured (ethyl alcohol made unpotable with additives) alcohol with success, however, my testing indicates that ethyl alcohol is incompatible with Tamiya acrylics. I prefer to use 90 percent isopropyl alcohol as my primary reducer, with a very small amount of acrylic retarder (about 0.1 cc per 2 cc of reduced paint.) Ross, I don't seem to have any problem using denatured alcohol. However, I'll qualify that by saying that what I'm calling denatured alcohol is what we call methylated spirits (which is basically a methyl/ethyl blend + aforementioned additives) here in Aus. I do add a drop or two of retarder to my mix though.

I've not tried methyl with it, as it is a restricted chemical over here (or was when I was doing the testing). It is entirely possible that methyl is compatible with Tamiya acrylics, and when used as a cosolvent with ethyl results in a compatible blend. If I can get some methyl, I'll test it.

A word of caution about paint-solvent compatibility: Paint formulations change, and what may have been compatible with the last bottle may not be compatible with the next. 

The bottle I used was 70% Isopropyl alcohol.  Like I mentioned earlier, I much prefer Tamiya's thinner. 

I've been told (here, in the forums, can't remember by whom) that Tamiya thinner is mostly isopropyl alcohol with a retarder already added.

One of the problems with 70% isopropyl is the water used to dilute it. The 70% stuff is made by diluting the 90% stuff with local water at a regional bottling plant, in most cases. The local water, while potable, may contain all sorts of dissolved material that can play havoc with the paint. That's why I specify 90%. But you can blend your own 70% stuff for reducing from 90% if you use deionized or distilled water. In fact, I sometimes do this in the winter when it's very dry.