Acrylic Paint thinner to use when airbrushing

[rtropp]

I bought the Model Expo acrylic paint with the ship model I purchased. I read that water is not the best thinner to use for acrylics to be airbrushed. Alcohol was suggested but I am not sure  if that is best.  Also, what proportions to mix as a starting point.

I looked through the other posts in this forum but did not see anything.

Thank You,

[Mahuna]

Try Liquitx airbrush medium for thinning the paint. Stir the paint and thinner with an old brush. Lift the brush out of the paint. When a couple of drops slowly drip off the brush it's at the right consistency - approximately like skim milk.

 

Frank

[Ulises Victoria]

Denatured alcohol or distilled water, both work well. Still, your best bet is using the paint's brand recommended thinner.

Edited June 20, 2013 by Ulises Victoria

[realworkingsailor]

Windex (the clear type) works very well. Even the blue stuff works ok in small amounts.

 

UV, you'll find that with hobby acrylics, if you go with the "recommended thinner", you just end up paying more for something you can get in larger quantities cheaper.

 

Andy

[realworkingsailor]

does alcohol and acrylic mix ?  I think distilled water is the safest way to go. 

 

 

They can mix, but take care because of the volatility of alcohol, the paint may cure en-route from the spray gun to the surface, resulting in a chalky finish. Distilled water will slow the drying time, which may seem ok, but you'll need to keep the coats thin in order to avoid weeping.

 

Ultimately, water and alcohol or ammonia all have different specific gravities, and in large concentrations can break down the paint matrix all together. matching the paint's solvent with a thinner of the same substance is ultimately the most ideal route.

 

I know Model Expo paints, and they are almost as thick as peanut butter, but they hold up well using an ammonia based thinner, and can be stored for long periods of time thinned. The yellow ochre I used on my Pegasus build has been stored in a thinned state for over 6 months and has not shown any signs of breakdown or degradation. A quick stir, and we're back in business. I don't know if you could get away with that using water or alcohol.

 

Andy

[rtropp]

Thank you all. This is very helpful.

I believe I will test a premade branded and Windex which has ammonia and alcohol.  I will also use a straight ammonia but not sure if by itself it would be too strong.  

Andy, could you tell me what "ammonia based thinner" you use?  Also, do you use the same product for cleaning.

I am envisioning (hoping?) that I can just spray the thinner through the air brush and that will take care of most of the cleaning.

Richard 

[robboxxx]

Solvent free paints like Acrylics can be mixed with water and can be cleaned up (when wet) with water. This leads to the misconception that water is the carrier of the paint particles. Therefore a lot of people recommend water as thinner. Using rubbing alcohol is far more better.

 

The reason for using Acrylics over solvent based paint is the odour and health issue of the solvent based paint. If you are going to use Ammonia on acrylics the whole odour and health issue is down the drain and you should ask yourself if you are not better of with solvent based paints. They are still superior to Acrylics (before you are going to argue on this, ask professionals).

 

I would go for rubbing alcohol.

 

Just my 5 cents.

[realworkingsailor]

Thank you all. This is very helpful.

I believe I will test a premade branded and Windex which has ammonia and alcohol.  I will also use a straight ammonia but not sure if by itself it would be too strong.  

Andy, could you tell me what "ammonia based thinner" you use?  Also, do you use the same product for cleaning.

I am envisioning (hoping?) that I can just spray the thinner through the air brush and that will take care of most of the cleaning.

Richard 

 

Honestly, clear Windex, or any clear window cleaner is the best stuff to use.

 

As for cleaning, you don't need to use it full strength, cut it with water (about 1:1), and you'll be fine. Put some in a jar and dunk the nose of the airbrush in and pull the trigger, let it cycle through for a few minutes (it will make a lot of bubbles though...). After you do that you can pretty much clean the rest up with just water. I don't know if you have them or not, but you can get special fine brushes for cleaning (from Badger, I think). they'll get rid of anything left over.

 

And as for odour or vapours... Windex is a household cleaner, the quantities used for airbrushing are nowhere near enough to cause any ill effects. Honestly, you'd need an open 5 gallon bucket of the stuff on a hot stove before you need to start worrying about fumes.

 

On another note, over time, alcohol will break down any rubber components in an airbrush (O-rings, seals, etc.), another reason I'd avoid it.

 

Andy

[robboxxx]

I'm not talking about Windex. That's fine to use, although I had sometimes issues with light colour shifts. I was talking about the remark "I will also use a straight ammonia"

[realworkingsailor]

 

I'm not talking about Windex. That's fine to use, although I had sometimes issues with light colour shifts. I was talking about the remark "I will also use a straight ammonia"

 

 

Fair enough

[rtropp]

I had not thought about the ammonia/odor issue.  Good point.

I will try Windex and Liquitex airbrush medium.

I am staying away from solvent based because they would seem to be more difficult to deal with.  (I am using my experience painting with water, acrylic and oil paints for that decision.)

[robboxxx]

For painting in general: Ik can recommend magazines like "fine scale modeler" they are aimed at plastic modelers and have a lot of airbrush and solvent/acrylic paint articles. I read them whenever possible and found there some great tips.

[dgbot]

I have experimented with windshield wshing solution with good results.  However if you can use the thinner recommended that is the best way to go.

David B

[realworkingsailor]

The major solvents in hobbyist acrylic paint are ammonia and glycol esters. Windshield washer fluid is usually polyethylene glycol in various concentrations, also a suitable thinner, provided you use the cheap blue stuff. Avoid stuff like Rain-ex, which has other crap in it you don't want in the finish or bung-ing up your spray gun.

 

Andy

[jct]

I've had real good results using a 50/50 cut of cheap blue bug stuff and distilled water, good paint flow, easy clean up...not to mention cheap

[rtropp]

Jct

Thanks

[gulfmedic1]

They can mix, but take care because of the volatility of alcohol, the paint may cure en-route from the spray gun to the surface, resulting in a chalky finish. Distilled water will slow the drying time, which may seem ok, but you'll need to keep the coats thin in order to avoid weeping.

 

Ultimately, water and alcohol or ammonia all have different specific gravities, and in large concentrations can break down the paint matrix all together. matching the paint's solvent with a thinner of the same substance is ultimately the most ideal route.

 

I know Model Expo paints, and they are almost as thick as peanut butter, but they hold up well using an ammonia based thinner, and can be stored for long periods of time thinned. The yellow ochre I used on my Pegasus build has been stored in a thinned state for over 6 months and has not shown any signs of breakdown or degradation. A quick stir, and we're back in business. I don't know if you could get away with that using water or alcohol.

 

Andy

 

Andy

what did you use to thin your paint for storage, and what ratio did you use

[jct]

The "thinner" is a mix of distilled water and blue windshield washer fluid, 50/50, as for the actual paint mix. I prepare small batches as needed in little plastic squeeze bottles, I start with a ratio of 2/3 paint and 1/3 thinner and add more thinner as required depending on how the airbrush reacts

J

[realworkingsailor]

Gulfmedic1, sorry I missed your post.

 

My ratio was about 1:1, thinner to paint, and I used clear Windex. Remember to keep the bottle well sealed, out of direct sunlight and upright. If things appear to be getting a little thick, just add a bit more thinner to regain the consistency you desire. Incidentally, as of last March, the paint was still good, so that's now well over a year.

 

Andy

[gulfmedic1]

not sure if this would work on Acrylic but i found this formula for water based paint on an airbrush site,,,any input?

12oz Distilled water
4oz Denatured Alcohol
4oz Amonia free window cleaner
10 drops Glycerine

[jct]

Not sure...I've heard of folks using the first three, did the site say what the benefit of the glycerine was??

[dgbot]

It helps to break up the molecules making it easier for them to move around.

David B

[jct]

I guess then giving a smoother finish?

[realworkingsailor]

Helps keep them from gumming up the air brush.

 

Chances are, that mix is something the creator came up with that works well in his air brush. A friend of mine uses a one brand (Can't remember off hand if it was a Badger or a Paasche) , and has no end of trouble with acrylic paint (enamels or lacquers are no problem for him). He gets about 15 to 20 mins of spray time before he has to disassemble and clean out the mechanism. More than anything, it's an issue with his particular model brush, rather than the brand itself. I have a Grex and have never had any trouble with acrylics.

 

Andy

[dgbot]

One of the things I have learned using acrylics.  I have a Badger 360 a real nice one with no complaints.  I have found that no matter what acrylic paint you use it will dry out.  There for I keep a bottle of cleaner by my side.  When using the gravity feed which is most of the time I would fill it with cleaner and rinse it out.  This might seem silly.  But several artist I know recommend doing this.  It helps keep the your airbrush clean.  When an internal mix gets clogged it can be a nightmare. I normally use Badgers Modelflex paint because it is already for airbrushing no thinning.  For brush work it use to be Floquil.  Now Tamya or Model Master Acrylic.

David B

[jct]

Interesting...of all my brushes my Badger and Thayer-Chandler, are most finicky, I've always just changed my paint to thinner ratios and air pressure to resolve, may well try the glycerine. 

[von stetina]

I'm an old custom automotive painter. When I got out of it water based  automotive acrylic were in use on all kinds of vehicles. For farout finishes I used Createx Autoair. Lots of wild colors. There is a specific reducer and there is an important difference. There are also extenders. Final coats and primers were solvent  type still.

 

I'm also a fine artist and use that type of acrylic too.  I carried the reducer over into my artists acrylics and it was a huge help after all the years of mediums and etc.

 

Von Stetina