Alternative to Tamiya Acrylic Thinner?

[Guest]

Alternative to Tamiya Acrylic Thinner?

Thanks!

[Guest]

My recomendation is to always use the manufacturers thinners for any paint system. It is designed specifically for it and it most certainly does the job better than any alternative. If you question is based on the fact that you are unable to obtain the Tamiya thinners then you can use water but it would only be if you had no alternative for me. You could try other manufacturers thinners but I would experiment as there is no guarrantee of compatibility.

If you want to use the thinners for thining paint for spraying water will work but you run a real risk of a spoilt paint job as the water evapporates at a much slower rate than the propriety thinners does. You may get away with it, and a lot of modellers do, but I would not take the chance.

[Guest]

I use Isopropanol alcohol to thin Tamiya acrylics, using a 50/50 mix. I buy isoprop by the litre on ebay for about £7 - far, far cheaper than Tamiya thinner, and never had any problems.

[Ian M]

The root of the question is does any one actually know what Tamiya thinners are or am I wrong in assuming that under most European countries laws, such products must have the contents of what's in the bottle on a label. I have heard that Tamiya had big problems in many counties because they had not marked their products in accordance with the laws.

Richard has a very good point in that each brand of paint will work best with their respective thinner. I have found that even Humbrol, although very good with turpentine is better with their own thinners and White Ensign actually just say to use Turpentine for the best result on their tins.

I have used Xtracrylix and thinned them with distilled water, with varying results, though normally good. Vallejo: I just use distilled water and have hardly any problems with them at all. I will give them a try with their thinners, both Xtracrylix and Vallejo just to see if there is such a big difference.

Tamiya paint? Cant get it over here. Well I cant find it, so I have never used it.

Ian M

[Guest]

Any Isopropanol alcohol based thinners will work fine with Tamiya, I have had no problems with an unbranded 'Acrylic Thinners' that I used to use but I manly use Xtracrylix thinners now simply because that is that largest part of my paint stock. However, if I do use Tamiya or Vallejo paints or even the odd Revell Aqua (which are better paints than I believe they get credit for) then I still use the Xtracrylix.

I do support the idea that the manufacturer knows best when it comes to thinning their own paint and, acrylic thou often thought of as a water based paint, is quite a complex chemical mix, especially Tamiya which I do not believe work at all well with water apart from cleaning a paint brush. It is interesting to see though that in videos done by a huge fan of Tamiya thinners and Tamiya extra thin cement, that when they use Xtracrylix or Vallejo, they thin them with Tamiya thinners so I guess there cannot really be that much difference between the Isopropanol alcohol based thinners.

[Guest]

As far as i'm aware Tamiya thinners is IPA with a retarder added, it certainly smells exactly the same as IPA, I use 99% IPA for thinning all my Tamiya paints, so far have never had a problem, electrical stores may sell it, (it's used for cleaning delicate electronic comonents) and your chemist may have it, (typically they only have 70%) but ebay will have you a litre for about £6-7 delivered.

A litre bottle lasts for ages too and I use mine for thinning and cleaning.

You can buy acrylic paint retarder, i've tried mixing some with the tamiya and it seems to help slow the process, (good for gloss), but not greatly so.

I've found it doesn't thin well with water but thats likely because it's not a water based acryl.

Xtracrylix however thins beautifully with water.

[stona]

As far as i'm aware Tamiya thinners is IPA with a retarder added

Yes it is!

I always thin Xtracrylix,the paint I use most, with water. Add a drop of retardant to the paint cup as well and it sprays as well as any acrylic paint.

Here's a "by the way". I have been told that our modellers's definition of enamel paint and acrylic paint is incorrect. They are both enamels apparently. They are both paints that once dry can't be reconstituted by re-addition of the solvent. Anyone know if this is true or if it's bollox? I think that makes virtually all paints enamels!

Cheers

Steev

[Guest]

I've never heard that one before Steve and I would question it as a definition. Following that thought process through it would follow that there is no difference between household oil based paints and vinyl emulsions so I really don't think it has any credibility.