Homemade Acrylic paint thinner

[mrversatile]

I have been working with different acrylics lately and they all seem to recommend different thinners with 90% rubbing alcohol being the common additive. This usually works but as you know the problem with acrylics is that they dry too quickly and block the airbrush, especially at higher pressures. Whilst researching the subject I came across an interesting post in which the poster makes his own thinner which works with most paint brands. The mixture is as follows: 60% distilled water, 30% alcohol (90%), 5% Future (as a flow enhancer) or actual "Flow Enhancer," and 5% Paint Retarder. I mixed up a batch and used it for Model Master Acryl and K4 acrylics and worked beautifully in both. In the MM it even thinned a very thickened paint found when opening for the first time. It was like a thick goop out of the bottle, but I got it thinned enough to shoot perfectly. The K4 paints where used to freehand the camo on my tiger so thinning for detailing was a must. Again it worked beautifully. I haven't used it yet for Tamiya paints but I wouldn't anticipate a problem. These ratios can be adjusted to taste of course and nothing is written in stone.

[JimD]

Don't use anything with alcohol in it on Vallejo, Italeri, Model Air, or basically any of the paints in the squeeze top bottles...unless you want to make glue

90% alcohol with some windshield washer fluid or a dedicated retarder will thin the synthetics nicely (Ramiya and Aqueous).

I did the whole mix your own thinner thing a couple years ago and while I found combos that worked for all the paints I use I don't think its that cost prohibitive to use recommend thinners compared to the problems you may have. Lacqure thinner, enamel thinner, and distilled water is all I need for Tamiya, Gunze, MM Enamel and the Vallejo style paints. And I use lacquer 99% of the time

Oh...and I would recommend avoiding MM Acryl entirely. Stuff is dreadful, but if you must...use their thinner. You can avoid SOME of the problems with it peeling off if you look at it hard.

[mrversatile]

So you use lacquer thinner with vallejo? I have used it with Tamiya but I was trying not to use harmful solvents...I use enough of those when I build cars. Also, I had no problems with the MM Acryl. and the above thinner. In fact, it sprayed and adhered perfectly over Tamiya primer.

[JimD]

No no. Lacqure thinner in the Vallejo types doesn't work either. It clunks them up like alcohol. For those I use distilled water or Future.

With MM Acryl generally you'll be ok over primer. It kind of just sheets over whatever it's sprayed on. Lots of people (myself included) have problems with it lifting and flaking off. Plenty of people use it with success though. Could entirely be environmental.

[nicusi]

Hi,

I'm not using the airbrush, just brushes, but Vallejo works excellent with this solution if you can find it: www.liquitex.com/slowdriblendingmedium/. It's part of my thinner solution (1/9 Liquitex +distilled water 9/10, using the prescription of productor) , and for two years, I never had a problem with it. I've tried also with Agama acrylics without problems.
But you can try any flu improver solutions from any artistic producer, Maimeri, Winston & Newton, something like this www.winsornewton.com/na/shop/oils-mediums-varnishes-and-solvents/acrylic-colour/mediums/professional-acrylic-flow-improver-4-22-us-fl-oz-125ml-bottle-3030937). Hope to help you at least for acryllics.
Cheers,
Nicolae