Mike T. Posted August 3, 2003 Share Posted August 3, 2003 Thanks to the guys that gave me info on using laquer thinner to thin MM enamels! Just got done spraying some Sky type S and Medium Sea Grey and the finish is nice and smooth. I thinned about 50% and went with 15 PSI. Plus I sprayed in my garage because of the odor. Everything went pretty good. Thanks again! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sabre Posted August 3, 2003 Share Posted August 3, 2003 Hey Mike, are you talking about plain 'ol lacquer thinner? The same type found at Walmart in gallon or quart cans, for a fraction of the cost of MM thinner? Any particular brand? After trying every johhny come lately paint, have always returned to MM enamels. nice and predictable. Happy modeling, Jim monketdance4.gif Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MoFo Posted August 3, 2003 Share Posted August 3, 2003 Hey Mike, are you talking about plain 'ol lacquer thinner? The same type found at Walmart in gallon or quart cans, for a fraction of the cost of MM thinner? Yes. Generic lacquer thinner. It's about the best thinner for pretty much any brand of enamel paint - MM, Humbrol, Xtracolor, Floquil... It can also be used as a direct substitute for liquid glue when building models. I haven't bought a bottle of Pro-Weld in years. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sabre Posted August 3, 2003 Share Posted August 3, 2003 Many thanks! :D Walmart here I come! ;) Happy modeling, Jim monketdance4.gif Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Steve Filak Posted August 3, 2003 Share Posted August 3, 2003 Hey Mike, are you talking about plain 'ol lacquer thinner? The same type found at Walmart in gallon or quart cans, for a fraction of the cost of MM thinner? Any particular brand? I use Ace Hardware brand lacquer thinner. Truth be told, they're all pretty much the same formulation anyway, so whatever your local hardware store /department store carries should work just fine, and at a fraction of the cost of MM thinner. I switched about two years ago, and I'll never go back.......it gives the best finish with matt enamels, and even the most stubborn MM paints behave quite nicely now (I quote the MM Primer as but one example). You'll also be surprised how thin you can get paint and still get a smooth even coat. Very handy for weathering/postshading. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mike W. Posted August 5, 2003 Share Posted August 5, 2003 I've used lacquer thinner for many years and never had a problem with it until a couple of weeks ago. I mixed up some MM dark ghost gray (I mix right in the color cup unless I need a large amount). It seemed to mix as usual, but when I sprayed it, a nasty blob came out. The paint had seperated and clumped up in the bottom of the cup and inside the airbrush. This happened in just a few seconds, in the time it took to hook the cup to the airbrush and start spraying. Strangest thing I'd ever seen in regards to mixing. I know I've used that bottle before and used lacquer thinner with it since it's all I ever use with flat paints. The paint is about a year old, but I have older bottles and I've never had a problem with them. After cleaning the cup and airbrush (not an easy task with that mess) I thought I'd try some mineral spirits and it worked fine. Anyone else ever had this happen? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mike T. Posted August 5, 2003 Author Share Posted August 5, 2003 Yep Just like these guys said...regular old laquer thinner. I'm very impressed with it and will probably use it from here on out. I had been seriously thinking about switching to acrylics but I think I'll stick to this. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Murray Kish Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 I'm on the same band-wagon. Have been using lac.thinner for about 6 months and I really prefer it to anything else I've tried. Seems 'smoother' and thinner when it goes on. I don't like the 'stink' though so I make sure to use my resp.mask and hopefully save a few brain cells (not very many left to spare...) Murray Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Swanny Posted August 6, 2003 Share Posted August 6, 2003 Beware, I agree that Lacquer thinner works great and is great for cleaning your airbrush with also but this material contains MEK (Methyl Ethyl Ketone) which is not only highly toxic and can cause brain damage but is also highly flammable. Be sure to use plenty of ventilation, a proper respirator that fits securely and a fume can for cleaning your airbrush. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Iwan Winarta Posted August 7, 2003 Share Posted August 7, 2003 Guys, Looks like everybody here really praise the good ol' lacquer thinner. That's mean there is something wrong with my paint application ;) After reading about lacquer thinner in this site a few months ago, I decided to give it a try. I tried twice with the same results : grainy finishes :) I used humbrol paints, thinned about 50%, air pressure about 20 psi, distance about 5 centimetres. Any idea what did I do wrong ? cheers, IW Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kaan Posted August 7, 2003 Share Posted August 7, 2003 Iwan, try to thin it a little more. Humbrol paints are very thick, and the lacquer thinner dries quickly which can cause that grainy finish. Try 2 parts thinner to 1 part paint or maybe 3 parts thinner to 1 part paint. Don't apply wet coats because the lacquer thinner attacks plastic. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MoFo Posted August 7, 2003 Share Posted August 7, 2003 Also, if you've got a paint build-up on the tip of your 'brush, it can cause graininess. Otherwise, dial down the pressure, thin the paint more and just generally experiment. I couldn't really tell you how much I thin my paint or what pressure I spray at - I thin it until it's thin enough, and turn the pressure up until the paint comes out. :) Terribly unscientific I'm afraid. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest jacobs40k Posted September 5, 2003 Share Posted September 5, 2003 try lowering the psi 8-10 pounds Quote Link to post Share on other sites
William G Posted September 7, 2003 Share Posted September 7, 2003 I use Gunze and Tamiya Acrylics and will use the Laquer thinner to help make the paint that much Hotter ( Dries faster on the model) so as to allow it to Etch the plastic for a good grip. This means that if i am spraying a model that I have not primed first( Oh the horrors there) I mix it using a 50 50 mix paint to thinner, low pressure ( 10 12 psi) and try to not allow it to go on to thick on the plastic since I dont want to have a handfull of goo. usually this gives me a grainy appearance. After I have done this I let it dry and hit the kit with some 600 grit paper to level it out some and then shoot it with the final coat mixed to 75 paint 25 thinner again keeping the pressure at close to 12 psi As to the blobs of paint and the colored cottage cheese, I have had that a few times. I use the MM Paints on occasion since they have some of the best looking metal shades for my tastes. I have had this when I tried to spray MM Rust as well as MM Gold. I do not know why thi happens other than the chemicals in the two cause the binder/Carrier agent in the paint to clump up like crazy. One other time I have had this was when I was using some of the Creatix paints and added a little of the thinner from creatix only to find that the thinner was actually a miss-labled bottle of catalyst and I ended up ruining a color cup, and a fine nozzle set for my Aztek. I found out also to save myself the hassles I mix a small ammout of paint with the various thinners Iam thinking of using and keeping track of what is not compatable with what. Hope that this helps ya somewhat Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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