Substitute?

Same stuff, different bottle. Well, not really I suppose, but yes, mineral spirits (turpentine) and lacquer thinner work quite well.

I recommend lacquer thinner; better to work with and stinks less. I don't like the smell of mineral spirits. (even the 'odorless' is disgusting)

Buy a gallon at the hardware store for $5 and it'll last you a year or so. When you pour it off into a smaller container, watch out as lacquer thinner is hot enough to take the color up off a tiled floor (experience speaking).

-- Stephen

and use gloves. it will make the skin on your fingers crack and it's painful. it's also poisonous through osmosis.

snipped-for-privacy@nowhere.com wrote: > Decided to get back to modeling after many, many years away. > Anyway, cost of thinner (e.g., Testors, etc.) is outrageous. Will > mineral spirit work as a cleaner/thinner? I have a 1/48 Skyraider > just waiting for an answer. Thanks. >

Depends on the paint you're using. Humbrol and Xtracolor *enamels* thin well with white spirit/mineral spirits, but Revell *enamels* react badly and become a sticky mess that takes a week to touch-dry. I know this from experience :-(

Actually, for Revell and Humbrol I'd use the manufacturers thinners to dilute for brushing or airbrushing, but use white spirit for cleaning brushes and airbrush parts. Xtracolor is designed to be thinned with white spirit.

Some have success using lacquer thinners with enamels, but I haven't tried it and don't feel like taking the risk.

For acrylics, water can work quite well but again the manufacturers thinner is better. Use water for cleanup. At the end of a painting session I always wash brushes in a little soap, rinse and let them airdry. It helps preserve their shape.

In all cases I'd never put anything other than the manufacturers thinner into a tin of paint to thin it up if it's beginning to dry out.

I have found the Testors thinner the best for actually thinning the paint. It is not so expensive if you buy it in the pint cans. I use regular turpentine/paint thinner for cleaning airbrushes and brushes- it works fine for that. It just sprays better when thinned with the Testors thinner.