What's the difference, if any ?

[mossiepilot]

I went to Boyes today, which stands in for my LMS, to get some acrylic thinners and air brush cleaner.

I picked up some Vallejo thinners and behind it was another bottle labelled air brush thinners. Confused I looked at the destructions and they both said the same. The one labelled thinners is milky and the air brush thinners are clear. After much deliberation I got the air brush thinners, just because I use an air brush, but what, if any, is the difference. They both cost the same and come from the same company for use on their paints.

Confused of Darlington

[John]

From vallejos site

10.10. Is there a difference between the Thinner in Vallejo Model Color, Ref. 70.524 and Vallejo Model Air, Ref. 71.061?

Yes, there are important differences in these two products. The Model Color Thinner (Ref. 70.524) is transparent but has the same consistency and formulation as Model color; it is intended to be used with a brush.The new formulaAirbrush Thinner (Ref. 71.061) is intended for use in an Airbrush, it contains ingredients which can be safely airbrushed but may damage the paint coating if applied with a brush: the movement of the brush causes friction which, combined with the Airbrush Thinner, may damage recently applied paint.

[Guest]

The whitish one is the original Tony. The clear is their newest invention.

Got both not much difference. But if you place a spot of the old on a bit of plastic & let it dry it leaves a residue which is the "glue". Not sure what happens with the other must do an in depth experiment".

Both work OK for me. You retiler is obvioulsy getting rid of old stock.

Laurie

[Guest]

Well done John typing while you were placing.

Where did you get that info from. I must be slipping !

Laurie

[mossiepilot]

Thanks for the replies chaps.

Not so confused now.

Tony.

[stona]

I am

Steve

[mossiepilot]

Huh, why o_O

Tony.

[Dave W]

I used to use Vallejo's thinner.Then I found tap water does the same job.So I use that now.

[Guest]

How it reads to me is the same as happens on car body touch ups.

You spray a good coat .. get a dimple or suchlike... go to touch up with a brush and even using the same paint and thinner it'll drag the first coat up it you're too heavy with the stroke.

[mossiepilot]

Yeah Colin, that's how it reads to me too,

I've heard of the tap water v propitiatory thinners thing for acrylics Dave, but until I get this new fangled air brush under control I'm gonna go with the propitiatory stuff. Besides which SWMBO said I could get it. :P

Tony.

[Guest]

I've only been using acrylics a short time myself, and only got the airbrush started a few months back. I found a good general reference on acrylics, on a painting site, and although I don't generally have access to "model" acrylics, there's a lot of "sales-talk" in these areas, same as on the arts & crafts brands I buy at the local arts & crafts shops, and I found a lot of the info on this site to be generally applicable, and it deals with such issues as water vs "airbrush thinner" (aka acrylic polymer emulsion).

http://www.trueart.info/acrylics.htm

hope this helps!

Regards, John

[Ian M]

I used to use water... but found that it made the paint soft and very easy to damage. Since changing over to the thinners I have had no problems.

I use the airbrush thinner most of the time but if I am going to brush a lot of detail parts I use the 'ordinary' one.

Just as an aside their airbrush cleaner is very good as well.

Ian M

[Gern]

I used to use water... but found that it made the paint soft and very easy to damage. Since changing over to the thinners I have had no problems.I use the airbrush thinner most of the time but if I am going to brush a lot of detail parts I use the 'ordinary' one.

Just as an aside their airbrush cleaner is very good as well.

Ian M

No wonder my paint keeps falling off! Thanks Ian. Off to the shop to see if John does the Model Colour thinner .....

Gern

[Guest]

We shouldn't (although we do) use tap water anyway as the chemicals used for treatment have a bearing on the reaction to the paint ..especially in hard water areas.

You can try a little test... mix paint with tap water, distilled water and some water from a river/loch/lake then paint each onto the same bit of plastic... you'll notice the tap water mix is not the best finish and the river water looks the better of the lot ... even if you use cheapo acrylics.

One artist I knew down in England used the water from his tropical fish tank to mix with.

Conclusion ... fish s**t is the key to successful mixing

[Ian M]

We shouldn't (although we do) use tap water anyway as the chemicals used for treatment have a bearing on the reaction to the paint ..especially in hard water areas....Conclusion ... fish s**t is the key to successful mixing

You are on a roll today. That was a coffee through the nose comment...

on a serious note:

I always used de-mineralised water which I still use to flush the airbrush though with.

Ian M