What thinner should I use? I have Tamitya X-20A Thinner.
A while ago, I had Testors Semi Gloss Acrylic, and I thinned it using Testors Aztek Thinner:
It says its a “universal thinner.” But when I used it to thin my Testors Satin Clear, the clear got foggy. Almost like, you added a drop of white into the clear coat.
But I am asking specifically for Tamiya X-22. Should I thin it with X-20A Thinner?
Tamiya X-20A is what you should be thinning it with. Personally, I just use 99% isopropyl alcohol, but X-20A is the correct thinner for the Tamiya X and XF series of paints.
Don’t think he’s meaning a specific brand of laquer thinner (LT). Generic brand should work fine and less cost. If not using a lot of it, you can get in quarts or gallon at Walmart or Home Depot or Lowes. Or any local paint store.
Generic hardware store lacquer thinner will work, but is hotter than hpbby branded lacquer thinners. Use at your own risk and as always, test on a paint bomb before using on a live build.
I use hardware store lacquer thinner or most lately denatured alcohol to thin all the X series paints. The denatured alcohol levels a ittle better imo. If you go to Tamiyas web site both x-20 and LT are approved thinners for X paints, it states that you get a slightly harder finish using the LT. That’s not me saying that,it’s Tamiya.
Ok, so knowing that Tamiya acrylics are alcohol based paints and X-20 has that alcohol smell to it it, some of us venture into alcohol as a thinner ( by the way most lacquer thinners have some alcohol properties in them as well so are compatible. Anyway, to me between iso and denatured alcohol I feel I get clearer finishes with DNA. But I don’t have 99% iso here only 91 or 70%, which adds water. Water hazes the finish, in the case of 91% only slightly and it will buff out. But for a classic car color that produces a very factory stock result. I still go with DNA because I like the flow out. This is all about fine tuning incidentally, non make a mess of the finish.