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Paint thinner

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  • Member since
    January 2017
  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
  • 18,255 posts
Posted by SeeYou190 on Saturday, July 25, 2020 8:14 PM

BigDaddy
I thought there were acrylic and enamel versions of Model Master,

True. I never used the water soluable version so it skipped my mind. The only water soluable paints I use are Citadel, Vallejo, Tamiya, and Reaper.

BigDaddy
If you buy from the local hobby shop, they are going to have 2 brands of paint, 3 max.

I am going to miss Victory Models and Trains in Fort Myers so much.

They had Scalecoat II, Vallejo, Citadel, Turbo Dork, AK Interactive, Tamiya, and Testors. They also had a few more I never purchased.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

  • Member since
    December 2015
  • From: Shenandoah Valley
  • 9,094 posts
Posted by BigDaddy on Saturday, July 25, 2020 5:57 PM

I thought there were acrylic and enamel versions of Model Master, but since it is going away, what difference does it make?

I use water with isopropyl alcohol for acrylics. 

If you are using whatever as a wash, the paint to thinner ought to be 1:8 or 1:10

To use as paint, it depends because some model paint these days is advertised as "Airbrush Ready" 

For acrylic MM, I use 9:1 water;alcohol and start at 50% thinner. I always test before using it on a model.

The other issue is where do buy?  If you are buying on the Internet, you can find many brands.  If you buy from the local hobby shop, they are going to have 2 brands of paint, 3 max.  If I am doing a multicolor paint job, I prefer one brand of paint.

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

  • Member since
    January 2017
  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
  • 18,255 posts
Posted by SeeYou190 on Saturday, July 25, 2020 5:32 PM

For Floquil, Testors, and Model Master I use Testors thinner.

For Model Master Metallizer I use the specific thinner (and sealer) for these paints.

For Humbrol I use Humbrol thinner.

For Scalecoat II I use Scalecoat II thinner.

For Tamiya I use Tamiys thinner.

For Vallejo I use Vallejo thinner.

You should see a trend here. I get best results using the thinner made by the paint manufacturer.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

  • Member since
    August 2006
  • From: Franconia, NH
  • 3,130 posts
Posted by dstarr on Saturday, July 25, 2020 4:43 PM

Floquil (sob) was lacquer, thinned with lacquer thinner, of which Diosol was Floquil's trademarked version.  The EPA declared war on paint thinner and lacquer thinner many years ago and has driven most lacquers and oil paints off the market.  Most of the hobby paints still around are acrylic, which is thinned with plain old water.  Take a sniff of your diosol.  Any paints that smell like that are lacquer and want to be thinned and cleaned up with lacquer thinner.  If the paint doesn't smell like much at all, it is acrylic and thins and cleans up with water.  For that matter, most paint labels will state what the thinner is and what to clean the brush with. 

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Huntsville, AR
  • 1,251 posts
Posted by oldline1 on Saturday, July 25, 2020 4:30 PM

I'm sure you know that Floquil is long gone now. Use any you have left and enjoy it. I still think it was the best of all the model paint offerings. I changed over to PPG automotive paint about 1978 and haven't used much commercial model paint since. My second choice is Scalecoat and maybe the Star brand offered through PBL.

To answer your question there are several model paints available now and they offer their own thinners. I'd suggest using the appropriate thinner. The majority of current paints seem to be acrylics. I have almost zero experience with those and what I have doesn't impress me much.

The only acrylic paints I've had good results with are Tamiya. Unfortunately they do not have any railroad specific colors but many of their military colors are pretty close matches.

Airbrush use is varied. Some of the newer companies have them airbrush ready while others require some degree of thinning. Just have to experiment with proportions.

oldline1

  • Member since
    September 2002
  • 7,486 posts
Paint thinner
Posted by ndbprr on Saturday, July 25, 2020 4:19 PM

Been awhile since I painted something. Last time was Floquil and diosol. Still have a quart.  What thinner is used with the current paints and what proportions for use with an airbrush? Thank you

 

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