paint thinning advice

You can use distilled water, rubbing alcohol or the manufacturers thinners. Alcohol is cheap, get the 90% blend as it facilitates faster drying. 50/50 sounds good, my particular mixture is TLAR=That Looks About Right. I mix in my airbrushes paint cup or siphon jar. Thinner goes in first then I add enough paint to the TLAR specs, adjusting as necessary. Been doing it this way for nearly 30 years, don't intend to change. The only time I premix in a separate container is when I am custom mixing for a huge project I cannot have various shades of the color in the finish.

I know Triarius will have something to add to this. 

HawkeyeHobbies wrote:

I know Triarius will have something to add to this.

Yep, eye of toad, wing of bat, and dried spider brains…

For Tamiya, approximately 50/50 is a good starting point, and you want to use 90% isopropyl alcohol or Tamiya thinner. It's a good idea to use an acrylic retarder if you use the alcohol. Tamiya thinner already has it.

For all paints, the best advice I've ever been given was "the consistency of 2% milk." This in conjunction with Gerald's TLAR principle will serve you well. It doesn't have to be scientifically precise. However, many beginners find it helpful to measure with a greater or lesser degree of precision, as it gives them more control—you know how much paint and reducer (the proper term for solvent used to reduce viscosity for spraying)  you put in, so you always have a reference point. (Being an ex lab rat, I was and still am overly precise in my measurements, but my stopping point is TLAR. There is no substitute for practice and experience. You might want to practice on a paint hulk or a large sheet of scrap before trying it on a model. Don't practice on paper or cardboard, as they are absorbent and don't take paint like plastic does.

I always mix in a separate container, as that allows me to strain out any clumps or dried paint that may have gotten into the paint. The frustration of a clogged air brush and a ruined paint job are worth the extra step. I also find that it's easier to insure thorough mixing outside of the airbrush cup.

Experiment and find what works for you. YMMV. 

Gerald, Ross,

Thanks for the quick response & great advice.  I feel better about my chances for a good result on my 1st airbrushed model now.  I was planning on doing some test patterns on cardboard but using a junk model sounds like a much better idea to get a better feel for it. 

Many thanks,

1SG D 

You can use car windshield washer fluid for Tamiya. I use it all the time and it works great. Around $2-3 per gallon...can't beat that.

JViguers wrote:

You can use car windshield washer fluid for Tamiya. I use it all the time and it works great. Around $2-3 per gallon...can't beat that.

I keep seeing this. I think I'll try to find some MSDS's and find out what's in it besides isopropyl alcohol and blue/pink/green/whatever dye.

Windshield washer fluids are a mixture of alcohol, glycol, and other deicing compounds like those used to deice aircraft. The have chemical additives to retard their evaporation as well as cleaning solvents to remove the road grime. I've used them in the past with success, the key is to only use it in a well ventilated area.  WWF has some of the same chemicals that were in the condemed pet and human foodstuffs that we were importing from China.

MSDS can be found online. Or if you go to a local store where the product can be purchased, chances are they have them on file. The hardware store I managed did, some of our customers were required to have copies on file of the products they used within their facilities, so we had to provide them.