Geoff Coughlin
A quick reference guide
Obviously this isn’t a comprehensive guide but it is intended to get you started and reduce much of the confusion surrounding the subject of paint and what to thin it with. Personally, I would rather enjoy my modelling rather than spend time worrying about whether I will get a reaction or spoilt paint job.
A bit about different types of paint and thinning options
We certainly have a wide choice these days when it comes to choosing a paint to use and with time many of us develop our own approach using the paints from the manufacturers we like to use. If you are returning to the hobby or have been out of it for some time, then the choices can appear bewildering and confusing.
To complicate things further, many modellers like to experiment with mixing different paints with various thinners and agents and some of this flies in the face of what you might think is logical – for example mixing Tamiya acrylic paint with cellulose thinners!
Top-tip!
Always use a particle mask when spraying to avoid inhaling paint fumes and spray; ventilate your room well and use an extractor fan to exhaust unwanted paint and fumes when spraying. For more info on this try contacting The Airbrush Company or other airbrush supplier.
A simple solution and rough guide to help you
As a general rule I just do the following and have never had any problems:
Using enamel paint – use enamel thinner (white spirit or manufacturer’s own brand thinner. I do in fact use cellulose thinners for enamel paint, especially when using gloss paint like Xtracolor because I find it dries quicker and to a lovely high shine, ideal for applying decals onto.
In the UK, Halfords the auto/cycle and DIY (e.g. B&Q, Homebase Do-It-Yourself) stores sells cellulose thinners and these types of shops are a good place to start looking wherever in the world you are located.
A tip when thinning with cellulose is to use about a quarter to a third thinner to two-thirds paint – cellulose is quite an aggressive agent and you don’t want to melt your plastic! Equally as important is to never return any mixed paint to the original paint tinlet or bottle. You begin to change the composition of the paint over time and you are likely to end up with a paint pot that dries up and you end up wasting a lot of paint over the years. Just mix what you think you need for each session and if you do end up with quite a lot of paint left over store it in a small jar or other air-tight container. I like using the small jam jars you can get when staying in hotels!
also… if you choose cellulose to thin, stick with it and the same if choosing white spirit – stick with that, never mix the two together.
Using alcohol-based acrylic paint – not all acrylic is the same; Tamiya and Gunze-Sangyo acrylic has an ‘alcohol’ content that means you should thin it using Tamiya thinner or Gunze’s own brand (now known as Mr Colour). As I say, some modellers will use other agents but for me I don’t want to run the risk of ruining a decent paint job or build because of an unfortunate reaction in the mix.
There may be other ‘alcohol-based’ modelling paints out there but Tamiya and Gunze are superb quality, last well, thin well and spray extremely well. Neither is particularly suited to brush painting – for that you should go for water-based acrylics or enamels.
Water-based acrylics – these are becoming very popular because they are less toxic than the spirit-based paints/combinations. Also because the range of paints in authentic colours like those from Lifecolor, Vallejo, Humbrol and others means you can usually get the paint you want.
When it comes to mixing a few drops of distilled water will usually do the trick – again, about a quarter/third thinner to three-quarters/two-thirds paint. The exact mix is a bit of trial and error as the consistency of each paint is slightly different. Also, it is usually better to apply more than one thin coat if brush painting, rather than trying to cover in one hit – that rarely works well.
If in doubt, simply revert to the safe method of mixing – use the manufacturer’s own brand of thinner.
Good luck, Geoff