thinner for Testors square bottle enamels?

I generally use their MM paint, either enamel or acrylic, but I also have a number of the square bottles and hate to pitch them. The MM enamels I've thinned with lacquer thinner or turpentine, and it worked just peachy. I know from experience that lacquer thinner turns the square bottle paint to cottage cheese. I tried a brush full in some turpentine, which dissolved easily enough, so I know they were basically solvent-compatible, but the paint and turpentine seperated fairly quickly, leaving the paint residue at the bottom. I was trying to do a wash with it, and the results were the same on the plastic surface--seperation of paint and thinner. Are the MM enamels and square bottle enamels a different formula (one alkyd enamel, the other...?)? I'm open for suggestions.

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Reply to
TimeTraveler658
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Reply to
AcornMan

I use the brush cleaner rather than the airbrush thinner.

Bill Banaszak, MFE

Reply to
Mad-Modeller

I've used MM airbrush thinner and, to good effect, hardware-store lacquer thinner. Don't know what your problem may have been but I've been able to lay down a nice, even coat of gloss yellow and gloss red with Parks paint thinner or their lacquer thinner. The remaining paint seemed to separate sooner than the MM enamels with MM airbrush thinner but once suspended again, it worked fine.

Frank Kranick

Reply to
The Kranicks

While we're talking about this subject...

Does anyone have any experience using "Airbrush Medium"? I saw a bottle of this stuff at an art supply store and couldn't figure exactly what it was made of. I'm thinking of trying it with enamels but it's rather pricey. I'm still looking for a really good "thinner" to use with enamels that will lay down a thin, glossy finish with an airbrush.

Thanks,

Martin

Reply to
Martin

My SO says it's used with some acrylic inks, which are clear colours, to get some degree of opacity. She also added "c'est de la merde". I don't have to translate that last part, do I ?

Reply to
Serge D. Grun

No, No, No!! If you read the label, I think you will find that stuff is for use with aqueous Acrylics, not enamels. That said, "Liquitex Low Viscosity Acrylic Airbrush Medium" is marvelous stuff when spraying Poly Scale and Testor's Acrylics. I'm not sure about Tamiya as I believe Tamiya is Latex based. That said, I have used the medium with my stash of old Poly-S paint with good results, and Poly-s was a Latex based paint formulated for hand brushing.

Bill Shuey

Reply to
William H. Shuey

FWIW I have used hardware store paint thinner (mineral spirits) with the small square bottle Testors, as well as my stash of the old Pactra "Namels" with satisfactory results.

Bill Shuey

Reply to
William H. Shuey

No. Lifecolors are.

Reply to
Serge D. Grun

Turpentine is way too strong for model building use. Very few people even use it with oil paints, when it comes to painting on anything other than canvas. For the Testor's square bottles (as well as the afore-mentioned oils), plain old, cheap, "mineral spirits" works fine....the cheaper the better, such as the "$1.99 a gallon" type from Walmart.

Reply to
Greg Heilers

I buy their airbrush thinner in the half pint can. It is not that expensive when you buy this size.

However! Sometimes those bottles get so hard when they get old that thinning no longer works. I now buy new bottles for a major project when I start it, instead of trying to use old stuff. Fortunately I have a Michael's craft store close by me- it is a 25 minute drive to nearest hobby shop. Also, Michaels frequently has 40% off coupons- I use them frequently for Testors paint, both bottle and spray can. They do not have the half pint thinner- that takes a trip to hobby shop. However, I only use their thinner to thin the paint- I find turpentine works fine for cleanup.

Reply to
Don Stauffer in Minneapolis

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