I got a bottle of rubbing alcohol, and I need to write on it what it can be used for, like I already wrote down on my mineral spirits for thinning oils and cleaning enamel off brushes, and I also have some paint thinner, is it good for thinning any of our other paints like enamel paints, like Testors enamel,and Floquil, or just automotive paints? Thank You in advance. Kerry

They're used to thin Acrylic Paints.

Adding to that, since acrylic paints are waterbased which mean they can be ruined by a splash of water, using alcohol as a thinning agent now makes your paint unremovable by accidental splashes of water. Now it can only be stripped out by using alcohol. CAREFUL, as alcohol drys fast, also the thinned paint + alcohol drys fast too.

I wished somebody that knows all the thinners to post it, with a complete what fors, like rubbing alcohol good for thinning acrylics for both brush, and airbrush, and if it is good for anything else, like cleaning up putty, and don't give slang, cause the ones like me go to the store to look for their slang word, and nobody knows what you are talking about, I've heard so many different words that I'm totally confused, like white spirits, is that actually what it is called, cause I've never seen anything in the store with that name, and I've heard something about turpinoid, not turpintine, but I forget what it was good for, like if somebody could write all this stuff down, to where I can download it, then I wouldn't haft to ask this question. We need it in thinning paints for morons, complete explanations, not like your talking to somebody that has been painting for twenty years. See I never had to thin before, but with this armor if you don't, you will cover the detail, and it needs explained for airbrush, and brush painting both, cause it is not only me, I constantly see others asking the same questions over, and over. With a complete write up, then anybody in question, could go there and find their answer. Everytime I get something new, I put a wide strip of masking tape on it, then write down what all I can use it for, that way I don't screw up a weeks work for a minor misunderstanding. Like to write the product, then give all of its uses, but like acrylics say to thin use water, windex, product thinners, if that is what works, cause I've heard some say that only the products thinners work, see a lot of us don't know this. If somebody would write this all up, I would try to be the first to commend them for one fine job on helping a lot of modelers. Thank You for your time. Kerry

The problem is this, if you ask ten people, you will probably get ten different answers. Thinning paint does have "rules", but in time, you will learn the characteristics of each type paint and thinner and develop what works best for you. I am one who does not stick to one type of paint or even the same manufacturer. Personally, for airbrushing, I use Isopropyl alcohol to thin Tamiya paints. I do not thin Floquil paints. Testors paints are thinned with Testors airbrush thinner. For washes, I use oils thinned with Turpenoid.

Don't get frustrated. Like the old saying goes, "you have to break a few eggs to make an omelette". If you try new things, you will screw something up every now and then. Learn from that and move on. Don't feel that you have to do it a certain way. Find what works for you and don't worry what the industry says. Good luck.

Patrick

It's quite a "tricky" question straightedge... to which everybody can answer in a different way. What I can tell you based on my own experience is that I used Rubbing Alchool (only the 90% not the 70%) only to thin Tamiya Acrylics.
It woulb be nice, if other people can be very specific about what do they use it for, if you can summarize it later on in a new post...
Ciao

Straightedge I hear you...

If painting/sinishing is your weak area and you see these fabulously finished and weathered models by modelers who have been doing this for a while and you want to do what they did. Then you do some research and find that thier technique is slightly different than everyone elses; different paint, wash, thinner-Hell even airbrush PSIs.

Like the man said it seems like trial and error is the way to go. Right now I'll tell you that for me, Acrylics are the way to go. I can use the cheapest paint thinner from Home Depot to make washes or thin up a drybrushingg oil and it stays on rock steady. I just runied an Italeri M1036 because of the fatal Enamel/Paint Thinner mix ruining a really nice air brush job of Model Masters Sand Enamel; and yes I used Future to seal it prior to wash and weathering.

But I bet you I'll be back to enamels again because you don't have to be as anal about washing you model prior to painting like you have to with acrylics, because the slightest bit of oil or grease with cause bonding problems with acrylics.

I use alcohol to clean my airbrushes/brushes and general cleanup of any acrylic paint mess. I use 91 percent to thin Tamiya acrylics, 70 to clean up. Tamiya seems fairly forgiving about not using thier brand of acrylic thinner. I haven't used Pollyscale, testors or Gunze mainly because I hear these are more problematic if you don't use associated thinners made by the company.

the reason you cant find certain types of thinner, i believe is because people from different places call them different names, for example over here you will get
turpentine
white spirit
methalated spirit

they are probably called something different in the USA.

cheers

joe

... and you share almost the same language!!! The only clue I can have here in most of the cases to find compatible products is to cross-check the chemical composition of them.
Ciao

I appreciate all of your answers, that you have taken the time to answer, and I'm sorry about not getting back right away. I have been trying to pay attention, like I know that the percentages of thinning, is something everybody will do different, with different techniques. To what I was going for was the basics, like when I thought I was getting the basic things right, like say acrylics, alcohol 90% or better, windex, and so on, but to never use petroleum based thinners, then I read the part on painting tracks, to where they said they use lacquer thinner to thin acrylics, and I thought lacquer was petroleum based, and would ruin acrylics. I even thought I heard that the basics are, use water with water, and petroleum with petroleum, never mix the two, cause oil and water don't mix. I just wanted the basics, like lets say the lower percentage alcohol, you can clean your hand brushes, and air brush with it, and even thin for the hand brush painting, but not for thinning in the airbrush. Now something like this would be universal, wouldn't it? Now whether this is true I have no idea, cause what I got out of this, is that the lower percentage alcohol is only good for cleaning only, now if I had that I would write on it for cleaning only on it. The manufacturer won't give a straight answer, cause all they will say is, use only their stuff to thin with, I even remember somebody saying they used lighterfluid to thin some kind of paint. Now on the alcohol, is that any kind of alcohol to thin acrylics, just as long as it is over 90%, or is there some kinds not to use. With the price of paint, I cannot afford to mess any up. When I do get caught up, I am going to try them Americana acrylic paints that are 2 ounces for $0.99 cents, cause 3,4,or 5 dollars for a quarter ounce is just way to high for my blood, now I know I got to buy some model paints, but I should be able to use Americana on things like figures, and dioramas, cause they use them on paintings, and they sell a 12 ounce clear flat spray can for a few bucks to flaten their paints with. I'm sorry I didn't know how to explain it, but it was just the basics, cause I've read that even the pro's practice with different percentages. I've learned so much here, and I just thought something like the listings of the basics would save a lot of people a lot of time. Thank You everyone for your help.

Forgive my ignorance...but what is "rubbing alcohol" exactly?
I'm not sure, but is it like surgical spirits that's used for cleaning skin, for example, in medical circumstances?
Thanks
Cheers
Peter
:-)

When the doctor had me on patches for pain, they had these alcohol wipes to clean the skin to make them stick, and the drug store sold me this bottle of rubbing alcohol to use inbetween, to be cheaper then the wipes, but it says on the label Rubbing Alcohol 91%, that is what they call it on this side of the pond, now I was wondering the same thing as white spirits myself, it also says it can be used to prepare injection needles, and excellent for massage, now if that is what surgical spirits, or white spirits say it is used for over there, then we have crossed one border of the communications gap. I hope to hear your reply so then we will both know, and everybody else that didn't know either, that reads this. Thank You
Kerry

Hello, anybody from across the pond, is this rubbing alcohol the same thing you guys call white spirits, or surgical spirits, as Flitzer calls it, or is there a difference between the two, now we do have over here a mineral spirits, which is totally different. I would appreciate a responce from somebody over there.
Kerry

Fitzer: rubbing alchool's "scientific" name is Isopropylic Alchool and can be found at 90-91% (the one I use for thinning) or al 70%...
Ciao

To what I want to know is, rubbing alcohol the same thing as you guys call white spirits, or is it something else, like you guys call surgical spirits, are they one and the same or different, that is what I wanted to know. Is rubbing alcohol,white spirits, surgical spirits all the same thing.