More thinner questions

I don't use enamel that much, only now and then. I use thinner from Walmart that works very good with the Testors enamel paints, I use and for cleaning brushes as well. This is the same exact one I use. I use the Testors bottle to decant it, it takes less space on my work bench. It even smells like the Testors.

I used the cheap generic odorless paint thinner from Walmart. It is called Odorless Paint Thinner if I recall... not anything more fancy than that.

I use the stuff by the pint full with oils and enamels to on the rare occasion that I use them.

Hi Rich!

I used to use Testor's airbrush thinner for years until I got sick and tired of paying so much to get so little.  I went to my local Home Depot and picked up a container of low odor mineral spirits.  It comes in a tan and blue metal container.  It has worked flawlessly for me and it lasts me for a couple of years.

Hope that helps!

Eric

i do agree! thinner ins't cheap for what you get. 

just plain old mineral spirits about $7.99 a gallon

if you have trouble getting out,try Amazon.com they sell everything and free shipping on orders over $25.00

Garden vareity mineral spirits for enamel everysince i have used those. Never ever had a detrimental effect to the styrene whatsoever. Believe us, its ok... And cheap too

Richard

Okay, I'll be the odd man out here.  Lets say you buy the 8 ounce can of Testors thinner. It is what- about a buck an ounce? If you use it only for thinning, not for cleaning, then look at the cost of the paint, and thinning 1:1 that doesn't come to all that much- certainly the paint cost even with the Testors thinner is far, far less than the cost of the kit or the PE.  I get many models painted from that 8 ounce can.

Makes a lot of sense Don, but, only if one is going to use it as a thinner agent. If I can get a one size fits all product, I'll be saving a lot more $$$ with a generic brand. Most of my modeling is done with acrylics, but I use the same paint thinner above for occasional airbrushing, cleaning the airbrush, oil washes and cleaning the tools involved. Now lets add that to the ''IF'' my paint of choice was enamel. If I was using Testors thinner for AB only and a generic one for cleaning, in my humble opinion, it would be even more expensive than using the cheap mineral spirit for everything.

I picked up some of the generic Walmart thinner.  A quart for $5.  That makes it about 1/8 the cost of Model Master thinner.  Works great as a brush cleaner too.  Very good stuff.  I usually just use alcohol for Acrylics on the rare occaison that I use them.

I use the Testors thinner for painting only. Generic thinners seem to congeal the paint before I can even spray it on. Some people have said before that they use Laquer thinner for painting. The problem with that gloss paints either semm to take forever to cure or they never actually cure at all. One thing I can agree with is Testors being so over priced on their thinner.

El Taino

Makes a lot of sense Don, but, only if one is going to use it as a thinner agent. If I can get a one size fits all product, I'll be saving a lot more $$$ with a generic brand. Most of my modeling is done with acrylics, but I use the same paint thinner above for occasional airbrushing, cleaning the airbrush, oil washes and cleaning the tools involved. Now lets add that to the ''IF'' my paint of choice was enamel. If I was using Testors thinner for AB only and a generic one for cleaning, in my humble opinion, it would be even more expensive than using the cheap mineral spirit for everything.

Yes, it is a bit more expensive than using the generic for everything.  However, I do find slight differences in the airbrush jobs when using the generic vs the Testors.  Not a lot, but it does seem to go on a little smoother and thinner.  And, again, when you actually look at the cost of the thinned paint, it is not a lot more expensive.  Again, figure roughly a 1:1 thinning, and the cost of the paint bottle, and see how much  you are actually increasing the cost of your paint by using the Testors vs the generic.  An 8 ounce can does a number of models.  In fact, the whole cost of paint AND thinner is a minor cost of building models these days, compared to the cost of the kit, and PE and resin aftermarket accessories.

I  use the Testors thinner to brush paint some areas as well. It works both ways, airbrushing and hand painting. Cleanup is the cheapy  mineral spirit and laquer thinner method. I use the laquer as my final cleanup stage with both methods of painting.

Don has a point there in case you agree with him that the testors thinner gives better results. The costs, if used for thinning alone and generic for cleaning, are negligable in that case.

Me on the other hand find that i have used both the brands own thinner and your run of the mill white spirits and never noticed any significant change in behavior... I do however honestly have to admit i have next to no experience with those cute little square testors bottles as here in my part of europe the revell paints are common practice.

On a holiday in the US last year i worked on a model using these testors paints and they brushed on with white spirit in a very similar mannar as does the revell paint. 

Richard

I absolutely agree with Don, he does have a very valid point. But as the saying goes around here (and among Photoshop users), different modelers, different needs. Even when I was a full-time enamel user, I didn't find any problems with generic thinners used with my enamels. So, I was getting the best of both worlds, generic thinner was and is (to me) a one-for-all- solvent. Mileage might vary

You also have to figure in the cost of airbrush cleaning, cleaning the jars, and getting all the overspray off your hands lol...  I really wish Testors would sell the stuff in bulk 1 gallon jugs for a reasonable price.  A gallon of the generic stuff would be like $20, I'd be willing to pay $25 o $30 for a gallon of Testors MM.

Don Stauffer

 

El Taino:

 

Makes a lot of sense Don, but, only if one is going to use it as a thinner agent. If I can get a one size fits all product, I'll be saving a lot more $$$ with a generic brand. Most of my modeling is done with acrylics, but I use the same paint thinner above for occasional airbrushing, cleaning the airbrush, oil washes and cleaning the tools involved. Now lets add that to the ''IF'' my paint of choice was enamel. If I was using Testors thinner for AB only and a generic one for cleaning, in my humble opinion, it would be even more expensive than using the cheap mineral spirit for everything.

 

 

Yes, it is a bit more expensive than using the generic for everything.  However, I do find slight differences in the airbrush jobs when using the generic vs the Testors.  Not a lot, but it does seem to go on a little smoother and thinner.  And, again, when you actually look at the cost of the thinned paint, it is not a lot more expensive.  Again, figure roughly a 1:1 thinning, and the cost of the paint bottle, and see how much  you are actually increasing the cost of your paint by using the Testors vs the generic.  An 8 ounce can does a number of models.  In fact, the whole cost of paint AND thinner is a minor cost of building models these days, compared to the cost of the kit, and PE and resin aftermarket accessories.

I did a few test sprays and I have noticed that the Walmart stuff works great, but...  If you thin at 1:1, then it can get a bit prickly.  If however, you thin at something like .8:1 .8 thinner to 1 part paint, it works very very well.  Nice and smooth and no bubbles.  It just takes a bit longer to dry.

El Taino

I absolutely agree with Don, he does have a very valid point. But as the saying goes around here (and among Photoshop users), different modelers, different needs. Even when I was a full-time enamel user, I didn't find any problems with generic thinners used with my enamels. So, I was getting the best of both worlds, generic thinner was and is (to me) a one-for-all- solvent. Mileage might vary

kermit

 I do however honestly have to admit i have next to no experience with those cute little square testors bottles as here in my part of europe the revell paints are common practice.

Richard

While the Testors Model Master paints in the bigger bottles are nice and just a tad cheaper, there is one big advantage that sometimes causes me to buy the little square bottles.  Like many of us, I am not always scrupulous about wiping lid and jar threads, and frequently get stuck caps.  I can hold the square bottles in a pair of pliers while I use another pair on the cap.  Pliers do not work well on the round bottles. In fact, I cut a piece of 1/8 aluminum with a notch just bigger than those bottles.  When I have a stuck cap, I hold the cap with my bench pliers and place the bottle in the notch in the plate fastened to my workbench.  Takes the caps off very nicely :-)

Don,

I had the same problem with the bottles i used for my siphon fed airbrush. The lids used to get really stuck every time i left em for a week or so.

Found out that you can use a jar opener for round bottles such as yours and mine. Easily come by at the household department of the walmart or such shops. The look like weird pliers and meant to be used to open bigger jars but they work on smaller ones as well 

Richard

Those jar openers work great.  I always had problems opening the Testors metal 8oz. can lids.  They simply wouldn't come off, even using the jar openers.  Onlu the ones with the cap in the center of the can top though.  The old cans with the cap on one end of the can top worked a bit better.

kermit

Don,

I had the same problem with the bottles i used for my siphon fed airbrush. The lids used to get really stuck every time i left em for a week or so.

Found out that you can use a jar opener for round bottles such as yours and mine. Easily come by at the household department of the walmart or such shops. The look like weird pliers and meant to be used to open bigger jars but they work on smaller ones as well 

Richard

Brings up an interesting point about thinning ratios.  I hear various thinning ratios being bandied about as ideal  but since I reuse the unused paint in the AB cup (yes, I'm cheap), it would mess up subsequent thinning ratios sooo... I go by the "feel" of the now thinned paint in the bottle.  I do use MM thinner for my enamels, expensive yes but it lasts a long time since it is only used for thinning.  I use the Wally World brand for cleaning. 

randypandy831

i do agree! thinner ins't cheap for what you get. 

Hmmm Im in two minds tbh, I have always used Tamiya branded stuff. Acrylic paint and thinned with their X20 thinner. I can get one of the larger bottles for only six bucks and you dont need to use much.

For cleaning my airbrush I blow out with water, sweet as.

Mix 20 to 30% Lacquer Thinner with 70 to 80% Mineral Spirits and you have invented Model Master Thinner.

Add a splash of Xylene to flavor.

Sparrowhyperion

You also have to figure in the cost of airbrush cleaning, cleaning the jars, and getting all the overspray off your hands lol...  I really wish Testors would sell the stuff in bulk 1 gallon jugs for a reasonable price.  A gallon of the generic stuff would be like $20, I'd be willing to pay $25 o $30 for a gallon of Testors MM.

 

I have been talking about using the Testors thinner for thinning paint only- using generic for cleaning.  The cost of cleaning using the generic is minimal compared to other costs n modeling.  I have never found any advantage to using the Testors thinner for cleaning.

I have to throw in with Don on this one.  I had a bad experience with Mineral Spirits and Zinc Chromate.  Now I only use Mineral Spirits for cleaning and the manufacturers thinner for thinning in my airbrush and haven't had a problem since.  Regards,

Michael B.

What the hell sort of paint are you guys using to paint with!!??  Juessh

Reasoned

 I hear various thinning ratios being bandied about as ideal  but since I reuse the unused paint in the AB cup

Not a good idea to keep thinned paint as it becomes unstable. Hate to see you ruin an expensive paint job because of something as cheap as the paint.