Hi Guys-

I thought that I would post a list of the types of paints I use, and what I use to thin them. This is just an FYI post, letting those new to thinning and painting know what works for me.

1. Tamiya acrylic paints.
I thin these using rubbing alcohol (the 70% isopropyl kind). I get the rubbing alcohol at Wal Mart in the pharmacy section. For airbrushing, I thin the paint to the cosistency of milk, and do not have a set ratio. I just add alcohol to the bottle and stir, lifiting the stirring stick out and watch the paint drip off. When it looks about like milk - I am done. I only thin the paint if I am going to spray it through an airbrush - and to not thin it for brush painting.

2. Model Master acrylic paints.
I use ordinary windshield washing fluid for these paints. I get the blue stuff at Wal Mart in the automotive section. I use the same procedure to thin these paints as I do with the Tamiya acrylics. Add washer fluid and stir until the paint is the consistency of milk. Once again - I only thin the paint if I am going to air brush it. I don't thin for brush painting.

3. Model Master enamel paints.
To thin these paints, I buy the Testors air brush thinner. I have never tried other types of thinners for Model Master paints - because the Testors brand thinner works great. I have had no reason to try anything new. Once again - add thinner and stir, until the paint is the consistency of milk. I only thin for airbrushing, and not hand painting.

4. Alexander brand oil paints.
I use oil paints for washes and dry brushing exclusively. To thin these tube paints, I use the Alexander brand oil paint thinner. I squeeze a drop of paint (about the size of a pea) into an old CLEAN Tamiya paint jar. I then fill the jar with the Alexander brand oil paint thinner, and stir. Voila - my wash solution is done. I have about 10 different bottles of these solutions mixed up, all variations in color. I have never used anything else to thin oil paints - because I have gotten great results with the Alexander brand thinner. It is odorless, will not attack previous paint coats at all (arcylic or enamel), and is relatively cheap.

5. Future floor polish.
Do not thin it. I normally use dry transfers - so I rarely ever use future. But when I do, I just airbrush it on the kit, straight out of the bottle.

6. Airbrush cleaning.
I use Laquer thinner to clean my airbrush, for both enamels and acrylics. I shoot a few color cups through the airbrush immediatly when I am done painiting, and between colors when I change. No matter what I have been spraying - Laquer thinner will clean the brush well. I get it at Wal Mart in the hardware section.

7. Brush cleaning.
For enamel paints - I clean brushes with Testors airbrush thinner. For acrylic paints I use the blue windshield washing solution.

There ya have it :-) A rundown on what works for me. I hope this helps somebody sometime... hehehe

Later-
Jeff

Thank You very much Jeff, that has been a big help, see before I just had thinning acrylics for brush painting on my bottle of rubbing alcohol, so now I wrote on it also for thinning for airbrush to, and also cleaning. See this is what I was looking for, all the stuff you can use for thinning, be it hand brush, be it airbrush, I wasn't looking for sombodys secret recipe, just the bare facts like you give, a lot of times I can't remember, and with it written down on the bottle or can, at a quick glance, I know what I'm grabbing, maybe if I done this everyday, I'll be able to remember better, but now I can't remember from one day to the next, but thank you again Jeff.

Kerry