Tamiya acrylics

[johnm93]

I have begun using Tamiya acrylics for the first time - can they be thinned with water? They seem a little keen to go off, clogging up on the brush quite quickly.

I have thinned Humbrol acrylics with tap water and had no problems. Same for Tamiya...?

[adt70hk]

Hi John

Don't use them myself but do know they can't be thinner with water.

The fluid - I can't remember the technical name - in a lot of acrylics is water-based, both modelling and non modelling, and so you can use water to thin them e.g Revell, Humbrol Vallejo and AK 3rd Gen.

However, there are number - Tamiya is one - where the fluid is a lacquer. This is why they smell so much.

You therefore need to use a lacquer thinner. Tamiya obviously do their own but other solutions are available. I'm sure the lacquer users on here can help.

ATB.

Andrew

[Mark1]

Tamiya x20a thinner for acrylic.

[Allen Dewire]

Hi John,

I too use Tamiya acrylics and thin them with IPA (Isopropyl Alcohol). I use the 70% IPA and have never had a problem. I usually mix the paint and IPA about 50/50 for the hissy stick. It's a lot cheaper than Tamiya's own thinner too. I've never tried water, except to clean my brushes after using them and that works well. The IPA also does a good job cleaning your hissy stick afterwards...HTHs

Prost
Allen

[Panzerwrecker]

You can thin them with water no problem and are one of the best mixes IMO when using the hairspray technique.

Tamiya X20A is what is recommended but many say they work even better with Tamiya Laquer thinners (yellow top).

Tamiya is one of my favourite acrylic paints and I find they work the best with Mr Colour levelling thinner. Tip drying is minimised and it lays down super smooth.

[yak face]

As noted above Tamiya acrylics are a bit different than the normal water based acrylics. They arent quite lacquer based but its definitely not water . I used to use them all the time but got frustrated with the lack of colour choices . As for use they always sprayed beautifully when thinned with Tamiya X20A thinners which contains a retarder to ease spraying . I used 99% IPA only to clean the airbrush , I found if used as a thinner the paint dried too quickly and and the airbrush needed cleaning during use due to tip drying.
The other thing to note is that they dont like being brushed very much . Maybe a drop or two of flow improver might make them better but I found they never gave a satisfactory finish if brushed on a large area and tended to lift the previous coat if overcoating . Hth cheers tony

[Tim Marlow]

Usual disclaimer here….being an ex chemist my in built nerdiness likes to get this right . Tamiya paint is acrylic paint. Paint type is defined by the binder, not the carrier. The difference is that Tamiya paint is formulated to use an alcohol based carrier (the fluid bit used to make the paint workable) rather than the water based carrier found in newer formulated acrylics such as Humbrol and Vallejo.

Tamiya paint (small bottles) and Mister Levelling Thinner (MLT), mixed about fifty fifty, is a match made in heaven for airbrushing. Tip drying is non existent and the paint film lays down smoothly and evenly. It does require proper respiratory protection and good ventilation though. I use MLT for airbrush cleaning as well.

Hand brushing Tamiya paint is another story. Diluting the paint well with X-20A helps, but it still skins up too quickly to get a good smooth coat on unless you work really quickly. Tap water will work for paintbrush cleaning as long as you don’t let the paint dry, so again you have to work really quickly.

[spanner570]

John, I only use brushes and I found Tamiya acrylics useless for brush painting.

I use Vallejo Air, thinned if required, with tap water. Works for me.....

[Guest]

Whereas I can brush-paint with Tamiya just fine, straight from the bottle without thinning. The tricks are, I think, to keep the brush wet with paint and to not overlap paint that has already started to dry — if you do, chances are you’ll lift up the paint in lumps. Also, if the bottle has been opened long ago (several years), the paint will be going off and be much harder to paint with.

As for thinning: you can just use water if you need to make the paint flow a little bit more, and also if you want to make a wash from it. For airbrushing, you can use water too, but isopropanol works better.

[johnm93]

John, I only use brushes and I found Tamiya acrylics useless for brush painting.

I use Vallejo Air, thinned if required, with tap water. Works for me.....

Hi Spanner - not just me that struggles, then. One thing I have found is that the 'silver' shades seem to be much easier to use. Shades of black, grey, blue etc are really not easy to use. I only use brushes just now, so will try to use the lacquer thinners, as recommended above. Or, as you say, look at Vallejo...

[johnm93]

Thanks everyone for all the very varied replies...!
:hungry:

I'm off to experiment with tap water, lacquer thinners, X20A etc....

[Mr Bowcat]

When I used tamiya acrylics I preferred Mr levelling thinner over X20A.

However I've since moved over to laquers and rarely touch the acrylics now.