Grimm Posted June 29, 2015 Share Posted June 29, 2015 So I just recently got an airbrush and I have a few questions, specifically about thinning. I've been able to spray down some Tamiya primer, but tonight i tried some Gunze Mr. Color thinned with some water, and it just kept clogging the brush. So my questions are, in no paticular order: What sort of paint to thinner ratio is good for a base coat? And I know that I need different ratio depending on what effect I'm going for. If my brush is clogging, what sorta things do I need to look at? The ammount of thinner? The air pressure? I just don't know. I have purchased a book about airbrushing, and it gives a nice ammount of information on painting techniques and maintaining my brush, but it gives little to no info on thinners and how to properly use them. Sorry if this seems a bit basic to all of you, but it would really help me out if you all could give me some pro tips! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarEast Posted June 29, 2015 Share Posted June 29, 2015 Ok Tamiya suggest a 1:3 ratio of paint to thinner and I believe Gunze Mr. Color is the same but most will suggest thinning to a consistency of milk for a solid colour more so if you are building up layers. For some of my post shading work on WWI aircraft I'm going as thin as 1:8 ratio of paint to thinner. also make sure you are using the correct thinner - Tamiya can be thinned with Vallejo thinner but Vallejo turns to gunk with Tamiya Thinnners so be careful. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimm Posted June 29, 2015 Author Share Posted June 29, 2015 Thanks! I now realize that I put way to much paint into the mix. Also, for good measure I'm gonna go ahead and pick up some Mr. Color thinner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarEast Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 No problem Grimm - I got in to the hobby last year and spent a lot of time just practicing with thinning paints and air pressures on the brushes I'm now getting some pretty good results. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimm Posted June 30, 2015 Author Share Posted June 30, 2015 Yeah, it'll take a lot of practice and patiences, but what in this hobby doesn't? I'll get the hang of it at some point. Once again, thanks for the help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulster Posted July 9, 2015 Share Posted July 9, 2015 You will find that Mr. Color Leveling Thinner works the best. Me personally, I always match same brand thinner to paint. Not going to blow a $100 plus however many months of time cause I was too cheap to buy a $8 can/bottle of the proper reducer. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimm Posted July 15, 2015 Author Share Posted July 15, 2015 Ok, sounds good, I'll pick that up then. I haven't had much time recently for modeling, so I haven't bought anything yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iceman Posted August 6, 2015 Share Posted August 6, 2015 Agree with Paulster, Mr. Color Leveling Thinner is excellent when it comes to airbrushing Gunzye or Tamiya acrylic paints. I also spray a very light and fine coat of pure leveling thinner directly over the paint coat I just laid down before it dries, I find that it really provides a smooth and even final finish. Just don't touch it for a few hours as this type of thinner slows the paint curing time down. I also use the Tamiya yellow cap lacquer thinner for thinning Tamiya acrylic's, drying time is faster then with the Mr. Color and works well for painting smaller parts. I had pretty much given up on airbrushing Tamiya acrylics as I never had good results with them using the Tamiya X20 thinner. Then I learned that they are not actually true acrylics and are lacquer based, switched over to thinning them with the lacquer thinners and never looked back, made a huge difference in the manner in which they performed through the airbrush and the final finish. They are now my favorites in addition to the Gunzye line of paint. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimm Posted August 18, 2015 Author Share Posted August 18, 2015 Once again, to all of you, thank you! It's great that so many have come to anwser a new guys question. And I dont think Im ever gona try water as a thinner, just gonna stick with the brand thinner. And my clogging issues where definetely thinner problems, now with proper thinning my airbrush sprays pretty well. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iceman Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 I had the clogging issues with using Tamiya X20 thinner with their own line of acrylics, but as I mentioned previously, I discovered that they are not true acrylics. For thinning true acrylics, like Vallejo, AK Interactive, MIG, etc., I have been thinning with a mixture of 50% of the brands acrylic thinner and 50% distilled water and it has worked fantastically with my Iwata airbrushes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingco57 Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 What pressure would be best without the paint hitting the surface too hard to prevent puddles? I use Revell Aqua And thin to a 50:50 ratio. Although airbrushing large areas works really well, it's the smaller parts that sometimes Make painting difficult. Cheers Cees Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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