Can you thin Mr. Color to mimic MRP?

[crackerjazz]

Hi is it possible to thin Mr. Color enough to mimic MRP characteristics?    I love MRP as it's incredibly thin and it just sprays beautifully every single time to a silk-like finish.  I've never gotten any orange peel when using MRP (which Mr. Color sometimes does).  In fact, I feel like a pro when using it.   I spray it wrong and it still turns out right like magic.  My only problem with MRP is that it's hard to come by and the colors I need are always out of stock.   Mr.  Color is in abundant supply so I've tried thinning it enough in the hope that I can get that MRP magic but I just could never get it right.    I was wondering if anyone has done this successfully?

[Chuck1945]

Mr Color varies in consistency, tending to thicken in the bottle the longer it sits around. This makes trying a formula approach such as a 2:1 ratio (thinner:paint) problematic. MRP is very thin, and  as you note, it sprays quite well. To get similar results with Mr Color you will need to thin it quite heavily. If you use MC regularly, you should probably get their restorer (Mr Color Replenisher?), an eye dropper full, or more if really thick, added to the bottle will help reduce the paint to something liquid instead of semi-gelled. Then use what ever mixing container you normally use to prepare paint for airbrushing, and further thin with Mr Color Levelling Thinner. You are trying for the almost water-like consistency of MRP.

[Kurt H.]

Chuck1945 pretty much said it all. I can only add that I have thinned Mr Color to nearly the consistency of MRP with Mr. Leveling Thinner, and it worked about the same way as MRP.  I think I ended up with more thinner than paint. 

[crackerjazz]

Thanks guys.  Hi, Chuck, will try their restorer.  Mr Color does vary in consistency from bottle to bottle.  I noticed MRP amazingly stays water-like even in those new plastic bottles with dropper caps that theoretically can't seal. Hi Kurt,  did you ever have to re-thin while spraying with that new consistency?  I noticed MRP sprays the same way to the last drop while Mr Color thickens in the cup at some point?

[BraggPeak]

8 hours ago, Kurt H. said:

Chuck1945 pretty much said it all. I can only add that I have thinned Mr Color to nearly the consistency of MRP with Mr. Leveling Thinner, and it worked about the same way as MRP.  I think I ended up with more thinner than paint. 

What was the thinning ratio you used ? I have one recently opened gunze C308, but somehow the 2:1 ratio is not working very well

[Kurt H.]

 

 

17 minutes ago, BraggPeak said:

What was the thinning ratio you used ? I have one recently opened gunze C308, but somehow the 2:1 ratio is not working very well

 

 

There is really no set ratio, just keep adding thinner until it is really thin. Or like Chuck said, you can try the restorer  if the paint has really thickened in the jar.  

3 hours ago, crackerjazz said:

  I noticed MRP sprays the same way to the last drop while Mr Color thickens in the cup at some point?

 

I noticed this too.  I have added thinner to the airbrush cup, but you really need to be sure to try to stir it to the extent you can in the cup. 

[Chuck1945]

I most often build 1/72 single engine WWII era fighters so seldom need a lot of paint. I generally use either a 10ml tattoo ink cup (disposable) or a wax melting cup ( https://www.amazon.com/PEPRMROE-Sealing-Wooden-Handle-Melting/dp/B08Y7L2WMZ/ref=sr_1_22?crid=2P6BYE0YTOG9F&dchild=1&keywords=sealing+wax+melting+spoon&qid=1617915559&sprefix=Sealing+Wax+melting+spoon%2Caps%2C-1&sr=8-22 ) and usually start with a ratio approx 2:1 and go to 4 or5:1 I’ll use a toothpick to transfer drops of paint to the cup (like I said, usually small quantities involved 😎) and use an eye dropper to measure thinner, starting at approx one eye dropper drop for each toothpick drop. The eye dropper drop is perhaps twice the size of a drop transferred by toothpick, then mixing in the cup and adding more thinner if needed, finally transferring to the airbrush cup