Diluting paint

[jdiven]

I am going to paint my hull with "Hull Tallow, MS4803" and am concerned on how thick the paint is.  I have done some small test and not knowing the solids content, am concerned about coverage if I dilute.   The hull has been sanded several time and sanding sealer applied between.  Is more than a single coat the norm?

Thanks All, This site is a life boat!!!

[russ]

I use acrylics and I generally apply very thin coats, usually about 6-10, to get the finish I want. Others use more or less. I have not used MS paints, but I am sure others here will know what to use to thin them.

 

Russ

[leroy]

I once looked at that stores paints, they cost too much for me,, I get mine at the home depot,, but I think that model expo site sold the thinner for there paints as well

[Stockholm tar]

Jdiven,

 

Several thin coats is much better then one or two thick ones. Remember that thick coats can also obliterate details, such as lines of planking if you want that to show.

 

I use acrylic paints and just thin with water, but I don't know about the paint you're using.

[Mahuna]

The MS paints are REALLY thick.  I would recommend diluting them - maybe 50-50 with water - and try to use multiple thin coats as recommended above.

 

Frank

[Jaxboat]

Follow the dilution recommendations of the manufacturer. Generally distilled water (or water treated by RO) and sometimes alcohol are used. Do not use tap water if it has a high degree of hardness.

 

Hobby acrylic paints are not the same as acrylic you buy at home depot. The hobby paints are optimized for flow and leveling and use much finer ground pigments. That being said, if you like what you see from a home depot paint, go for it!  One more thing with MS paints. Try using a paint shaker and give them a really good shaking. You may find the viscosity drops quite a bit without dilution due to a phenomenon called thixotropy or "shear thinning". The same phenomenon is formulated into water borne interior house paint to help reduce or eliminate splatter when you are using a paint roller.

Best

Jaxboat

Edited August 14, 2014 by Jaxboat

[leroy]

I buy the home depot spray cans, I just painted my bluenose with metallic black around the top stripe, turned out really nice looking, not the right color I know, but that don't bother me to much, I never really use a brush to paint anything, those spray paint cans by rusolum sp? are the best cans on the market if you ask me, they just came out with a new sprayer head that looks like a gun, works almost as good as a spray gun, but that's not what this post is about so I wont go off subject  

[hornet]

I use a fifty-fifty mix of distilled water and clear windex glass cleaner when thinning paint for my air brush. This works fine.

[jdiven]

Thanks all for your advice.  Tried 50% dilution and worked very well.  It was very easy to do many coats.  I also used  good brushes.which also made painting painless.