I have had a hard time finding the half-pint cans of Testors Airbrush Thinner lately. I prefer these cans as the cost per ounce is much lower than when bought in the smaller bottles. Even so, I only use this thinner for thinning, not cleaning the airbrush.
An employee in a hobby shop yesterday said the reason I was having trouble is that Testors has stopped shipping the cans. He said that thinner will ONLY be available in the smaller bottles now, and that they have not started shipping the bottles yet, so one can no longer get Testors Airbrush Thinner. Don’t know if any of this is really true, but it sure sounded reasonable.
I bought a bottle of their “Thinner and Brush Cleaner.” Anyone know for sure whether this, as some people claim, is the same stuff as in the Airbrush Thinner cans?
I have tried regular paint thinner and turpentine for airbrushing Testors enamels. Yeah, it works kinda, but I do not get as good results as when I use their airbrush primer, especially for gloss paint. It would sure be nice to know what exactly is in those cans.
You can see the msds sheet here. It’s mostly naptha, propanol, and mineral spirits. According to Testors web site, you can still buy it direct from them.
I’ve always done pretty well with plain lacquer thinner. A 50:50 mixture of lacquer thinner and mineral spirits might be similar to the Testors. Of course, it might not too. [:D]
I’ve used the lac thinner in a pinch but I find the paint dried faster and flatter with it. I also prefer the Model Master airbrush thinner and bought a new can about a year ago that I havent cracked yet. I’d be interested to hear how the 50/50 lac thinner, mineral spirits works.
Hawkeye’s has a “Thinner and Brush Cleaner” in 1 pint can for only $5. In other word, it costs only 1/3 of the Testors’. Any information on whether the Hawkeye’s product is Testors compatible or equivalent?
I suspect there are a number of solvents that would work for thinning enamel. Gerald must have found a combination that he likes, or he wouldn’t be selling it. I know that some people use straight mineral spirits and some use lacquer thinner. It’s probably a matter of what you’re used to. Triarius says that lacquer thinner can contain a variety of ingredients, so maybe I’ve just been lucky. The stuff I use dries pretty fast, so application could be a little trickier than some. What do you use, Keilau?
I wonder if anyone has ever done a comparison of various thinners. It seems like that would be a good article for FSM.
I think someone did do just that. In a post he reported the dry times and also the affect to the gloss or sheen of the paint(enamel). It was a couple years ago maybe?
Anyhow, I mix about 30% lacquer to 70% Mineral Spirits with good results.
I have also mixed with VM&P(Varnish Makers & Painters) Naptha with good results.
I’m with the old school train of thought= why buy the “special” mix of Brand thinners when I can buy generic stuff at a fraction of the per oz./pint/gal etc. cost.
Yet I appreciate the argument of proprietary thinners for like brand paints(eg. Tamiya paint + Tamiya thinner)
I guess I’m just an old school cheapskate with old ideas?? with good results(lol)
I started out with the Polly’s airbrush thinner. It worked ok with mostly Tamiya acrylic that I used. Awhile back, I needed some Model Master colors. The MM acrylic gummed up when mixed with the Polly’s thinner. Luckily, it was before I put the MM paint into the airbrush. After that scare, I got the Tamiya X-20A thinner in 0.5 pint size for the Tamiya acrylics. The 91% Isopropyl alcohol seems to work ok with the MM and general cleaning. I still need to try more.
I just got a few of Gerald’s Talon acrylic NMF paint and should try to learn using it soon. The Tamiya and MM rattle cans left a lot to be desired.
Up to now, I AB acrylic only and handbrush enamel. I use household paint thinner for clearing the brush after enamel painting. Now that I use airbrushs more often, I am thinking about trying airbrush enamel when it gets warmer here. (I do not have a spray booth and will have to do it outside when AB enamel.) Thus, the interest in enamel cleaner in larger container which is more odorless and still easy on the pocket. The enamel are most MM.
I would hate having to buy brand specific enamel thinner/cleaner like I did for acrylic.
Testors is now marketing a “universal” airbrush thinner that is to work with both MM and Floquil (model RR enamels). I have seen the new product, which comes in a red can, in my local hobby shop. Perhaps this is why you haven’t seen the old product in the black can. Looking at Squadrons site, I see they still have bottles of the old stuff but not cans. It also appears that the new universal product is available in all sizes…at a slightly higher price! Who would have guessed!!!
Quite frankly, thinner is thinner. If you want to spend over four hundred dollars a gallon for “Airbrush” thinner from a model paint manufacturer, knock yourself out. I’ve used gallon cans (under $10 a gallon) of Ace Hardware “Paint Thinner” for Model Master Enamels, Floquil paints, Testors’ Dullcoat and Glosscote, Humbrol enamels, Testor’s little square bottle enamels and tube oils for decades with no problems at all. I keep some for cleaning brushes until it gets nasty and some clean one to thin paints or run through the airbrush. For my Vallejo paints, I use distilled water from the local CVS as recommended by the manufacturer. If a paint requires a proprietary thinner, the manufacturer has done this for one reason: to separate you from as much of your money as possible as quickly as possible.
I don’t use proprietary thinner. But, I do think they serve a purpose. For one, they are a safe choice for someone who is just starting out. The manufacturer has chosen ingredients that will make his paint look good, and a beginner needs any break he or she can get, especially if they are learning to airbrush. If you think the thinner is expensive, look at the price of the paint. Testors airbrush thinner runs a little over $1 per ounce in the 8 ounce can. ModelMaster enamel runs a little over $6 per ounce. And, that 8 ounce can will do several models if you just use it for thinning. So the cost per model doesn’t amount to a lot.
Experimentation is great once you have a little experience, and it can be fun to do. But, I can see where some people don’t feel like fooling with it. You’re not likely to come up with something better than the brand name stuff. I see the same thing when it comes to adhesives. Some folks buy chemicals like MEK or methylene chloride in bulk to save a few bucks. I could see this if I was running a production line. But a little bottle of glue lasts me long enough that it isn’t worth the effort. Besides, it’s an excuse to make a hobby shop run.[:)]
Don, my honest opinion is that your wasting your money. I’m very particular, and I use oderless mineral spirits from Home Depot for $12 a gallon, and only use that can of it for airbrushing, so my other painting around the house doesn’t ever contaminate it.
I’ve used Testors many times in the past, then woke up. Now for over 150 or so models I’ve used odorless min spirits, I can’t see the difference. I’m building the Revell QM2 right now and its a big model and an investment of around $200 bucks all told just for materials and supplies. I wouldn’t risk the model if the mineral spirits wouldn’t work.
With gloss paint you almost have to be in a clean room no matter what you use. Keep that in mind.
Also, I used to use Tamiya thinner as well until I started using CVS 91% alcohol at about $10 or less a gallon. Tamiya probably works out to about $100 bucks a gallon. No difference in performance.
As I said in an earlier post, I use lacquer thinner. It works great for me and I think the last gallon I bought cost about $15. And I’m sure that you’re comfortable with mineral spirits. My point was that I can understand why some people use brand name thinners, at least when they are starting out. Yes, they cost a lot more. But, if you look at the cost of the kit, paint, and other supplies, it’s not a big percentage of your modeling expenses. You obviously build a lot of kits. But for a guy who does maybe one a month or so, an 8 ounce can of thinner will last a while, and it’s more convenient than a gallon can. And maybe he just feels more comfortable using the manufacturer’s thinner. That could be worth a couple of bucks.
I recently bought a 2 ounce bottle of Pro Weld adhesive for $3.95. It says right on the bottle that it’s methylene chloride and I know I could buy it cheaper in quantity. But that 2 ounces will last me a long time, and it’s just not worth the trouble.
In spite of the above quotes, I DO notice a difference in the enamel (I don’t spray acrylics) when I use the Testors thinner vs paint thinner. Yeah, paint thinner does work- it thins the paint, and I can spray. But I get a better flow, especially on gloss paint, with the Testors thinner. I don’t clean my brush with it. Just thinning for the airbrush doesn’t take a lot, and I only buy it in the can, so it isn’t terribly pricey. A can lasts me nearly a year. Eight or nine bucks a year isn’t bad.
I think maybe I got bad info from a hobby dealer that resulted in my first post. Contacting a few others, they say they have heard nothing about not supplying the cans. I find the cans still on the Testors web site. They have changed the name (or at least the can markings) a bit, so that may have confused that original dealer.
Don, I also have noticed a difference in Model Master Enamel results when using different thinners. I do the same thing in using Testor’s airbrush thinner in my air brush for thinning paint only and mineral spirits for cleaning. All I can say is it works for me, so why fix it? Great minds must think alike. I keep my eyes open for sales of Testor’s Thinner and not too long ago Model Expo in Florida had the bottles on sale for a buck each, I think it was. Needless to say I bought a few.