Paint thinner for Floquil, Testor's, Model Master, etc? Have 20 yrs of old paints.

[pjjkg]

Some are a bit "thick".  Can they be thinned or what?

Thanks

[skagitrailbird]

 Yes, they can all be thinned.  For Floquil us the Floquil brand thinner or laquer thinner from your local paint or hardware store.  I believe all of the others you mentioned are enamels.  If so, paint thinner is what you want.

Good luck!

[doctorwayne]

I've found lacquer thinner to work well for Floquil, Testors (including Dullcote and Glosscote), Pactra Model Masters, Scalecoat, SMP Accupaints, and Humbrol.  It's also a great cement for styrene.

Wayne

[kcole4001]

You can usually get a gallon (3.78L) can of lacquer thinner (which Wayne has mentioned can be used as plastic cement) at paint supply and auto parts stores that sell paint to shops for under $20 (wholesale). It's quite a bargain compared to many equivalent smaller containers.

For cleaning, there is also gallon cans of gun wash available, which is essentially less refined thinner, not finish quality but as the name implies great for cleaning paint guns! It's usually a little cheaper than the thinner.

You can also buy these in 5 gallon (20L) pails, but that might be too much unless you share it with a large club's members.

[shayfan84325]

For Floquil, I use paint thinner (mineral spirits) most of the time because it gives the paint more time to flow and self level. Sometimes I use lacquer thinner - for cases in which I'm concerned that the paint may run or sag, or if I want it to dry a little rough (like dusting a freight car with gray or brown to give it a slightly weathered appearance). I've also used automotive paint reducers with success.