Dan,

Linseed oil just extends the drying time of oil paint. I'm afraid that by it's very nature, there is no non toxic thinner for oils. Odorless we can do, though. You can go to any Home Depot or the like and pick up Klean Strip odorless mineral spirits. It really has no fumes and is very light. It's excellent for working on models. Cheap too!

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Dan,

Linseed oil just extends the drying time of oil paint. I'm afraid that by it's very nature, there is no non toxic thinner for oils. Odorless we can do, though. You can go to any Home Depot or the like and pick up Klean Strip odorless mineral spirits. It really has no fumes and is very light. It's excellent for working on models. Cheap too!

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Is this the product? (trying to find it up here in Canuckland):

https://www.homedepot.ca/product/klean-strip-946-m-l-klean-strip-premium-paint-remover-stripper/1001237536

Greetings from Ontario...I have been using Speedball brand Mona Lisa odourless paint thinners. I bought it at an art supply store, probably Micheal's. It has a poison label however.

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Greetings from Ontario...I have been using Speedball brand Mona Lisa odourless paint thinners. I bought it at an art supply store, probably Micheal's. It has a poison label however.

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Any thinners for oils and enamels are going to be toxic. They are made with petroleum distillates so they aren't going to be fume free or 100% odorless. The lower temp evaporation are why they are used to thin oils and enamels meaning you will always have some fuming. Perhaps you should get a paint booth like this:

https://www.amazon.com/HOTSTORE-Portable-Airbrush-Extractor-Extension/dp/B07SDC3JNR/ref=sr_1_17?crid=4JPRDD18IXQ9&dchild=1&keywords=paint+booth+for+model+kits&qid=1593893234&sprefix=paint+booth%2Caps%2C322&sr=8-17

You can also find them on eBay. I have one and might buy another since they can join together to make a bigger booth.

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Dan,

Linseed oil just extends the drying time of oil paint. I'm afraid that by it's very nature, there is no non toxic thinner for oils. Odorless we can do, though. You can go to any Home Depot or the like and pick up Klean Strip odorless mineral spirits. It really has no fumes and is very light. It's excellent for working on models. Cheap too!

---

Is this the product? (trying to find it up here in Canuckland):



https://www.homedepot.ca/product/klean-strip-946-m-l-klean-strip-premium-paint-remover-stripper/1001237536

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WHATEVER YOU DO— DON’T USE THE PRODUCT LINKED ABOVE! ! It’s an industrial paint stripper and definitely not intended for hobby application, except to remove paint from furniture! It’s highly toxic, and will cause burns on exposed skin if left long enough. “Kleen Strip” is the name of a proprietary manufacturer and they make a line of thinners and strippers. HD carries most of their line, of which mineral and lacquer thinners are a part, as well as this highly toxic paint stripper you have linked.

In answer to your previous question, there is really no such thing as a totally “non-toxic” paint thinner, except for plain old water as used in water color paints. All solvent thinners have some degree of toxicity, however, some are better than others. For oil washes, I prefer to use “Turpenoid” brand thinner, In particular, “Turpenoid Light” which is available at Hobby Lobby or Michaels stores here in the States, and can be found at better art supply stores. It’s a synthetic turpentine with little to no odor, is fairly gentle, and does a good job with all types of oil washes. It will occasionally leave a slight “frosty” residue, which disappears with any clear topcoat. It will take an hour or so to dry completely, which makes it ideal for oil washes.
VR, Russ

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Greetings from Ontario...I have been using Speedball brand Mona Lisa odourless paint thinners. I bought it at an art supply store, probably Micheal's. It has a poison label however.

---

Any thinners for oils and enamels are going to be toxic. They are made with petroleum distillates so they aren't going to be fume free or 100% odorless. The lower temp evaporation are why they are used to thin oils and enamels meaning you will always have some fuming. Perhaps you should get a paint booth like this:

https://www.amazon.com/HOTSTORE-Portable-Airbrush-Extractor-Extension/dp/B07SDC3JNR/ref=sr_1_17?crid=4JPRDD18IXQ9&dchild=1&keywords=paint+booth+for+model+kits&qid=1593893234&sprefix=paint+booth%2Caps%2C322&sr=8-17

You can also find them on eBay. I have one and might buy another since they can join together to make a bigger booth.

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Patrick, I don’t think this is the point of his question, he’s asking if there’s a low odor thinner that can be used for a wash— and there is, it’s Turpenoid Light. You don’t, need a paint booth for that, although a paint booth will solve the problem. Turpenoid light is specifically made for oils, and won’t work with enamels.
VR, Russ

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Greetings from Ontario...I have been using Speedball brand Mona Lisa odourless paint thinners. I bought it at an art supply store, probably Micheal's. It has a poison label however.

---

Any thinners for oils and enamels are going to be toxic. They are made with petroleum distillates so they aren't going to be fume free or 100% odorless. The lower temp evaporation are why they are used to thin oils and enamels meaning you will always have some fuming. Perhaps you should get a paint booth like this:

https://www.amazon.com/HOTSTORE-Portable-Airbrush-Extractor-Extension/dp/B07SDC3JNR/ref=sr_1_17?crid=4JPRDD18IXQ9&dchild=1&keywords=paint+booth+for+model+kits&qid=1593893234&sprefix=paint+booth%2Caps%2C322&sr=8-17

You can also find them on eBay. I have one and might buy another since they can join together to make a bigger booth.

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Patrick, I don’t think this is the point of his question, he’s asking if there’s a low odor thinner that can be used for a wash— and there is, it’s Turpenoid Light. You don’t, need a paint booth for that, although a paint booth will solve the problem. Turpenoid light is specifically made for oils, and won’t work with enamels.
VR, Russ

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Greetings from Ontario...I have been using Speedball brand Mona Lisa odourless paint thinners. I bought it at an art supply store, probably Micheal's. It has a poison label however.

---

Any thinners for oils and enamels are going to be toxic. They are made with petroleum distillates so they aren't going to be fume free or 100% odorless. The lower temp evaporation are why they are used to thin oils and enamels meaning you will always have some fuming. Perhaps you should get a paint booth like this:

https://www.amazon.com/HOTSTORE-Portable-Airbrush-Extractor-Extension/dp/B07SDC3JNR/ref=sr_1_17?crid=4JPRDD18IXQ9&dchild=1&keywords=paint+booth+for+model+kits&qid=1593893234&sprefix=paint+booth%2Caps%2C322&sr=8-17

You can also find them on eBay. I have one and might buy another since they can join together to make a bigger booth.

---

Patrick, I don’t think this is the point of his question, he’s asking if there’s a low odor thinner that can be used for a wash— and there is, it’s Turpenoid Light. You don’t, need a paint booth for that, although a paint booth will solve the problem. Turpenoid light is specifically made for oils, and won’t work with enamels.
VR, Russ

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Is a paint booth like a spray booth? Would a small spray booth help?

I'm guessing lavender oil won't work for plastics?

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I'm guessing lavender oil won't work for plastics?

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Wow, you are digging deep. Lavender oil, lemon and mint oils, and anything else with the word “oil” as a suffix are extracts, usually of food grade items. They are usually blended with other oily extracts, or glycerines, and won’t be any good as solvents at all. They usually have a slick, oily appearance, along with the extracted fragrance. These things are usually found as cleaners, scents, or repellents, not as solvents. There are some products (such as the Weber Turpenoid products above), which are citric based, but I doubt they’ll do anything but mess up traditional oils or enamels.
VR! Russ

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I'm guessing lavender oil won't work for plastics?

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Wow, you are digging deep. Lavender oil, lemon and mint oils, and anything else with the word “oil” as a suffix are extracts, usually of food grade items. They are usually blended with other oily extracts, or glycerines, and won’t be any good as solvents at all. They usually have a slick, oily appearance, along with the extracted fragrance. These things are usually found as cleaners, scents, or repellents, not as solvents. There are some products (such as the Weber Turpenoid products above), which are citric based, but I doubt they’ll do anything but mess up traditional oils or enamels.
VR! Russ

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That citric turpenoid is a really good suggestion. I think I'm going to try some of that. Thanks for the suggestion.

Hello,

As other mentioned here and there, I just want to remind you that, once you open an oil-based paint bottle, you are exposing yourself to toxic material. There is no truly safe thinner for the old based paint since it needs similar solvent to function in the 1st place. odorless fume is still fume and is still dangerous.

You can however use water based paints, like acrylic paint, which water can be used as solvent and is obviously safe.

Acrylics aren't water based but are using resins and other chemicals to get their paints to adhere properly. I wouldn't thin them with water but use the thinner designed for the paint. Paint manufacturers recommend their products to thin and I've found less confusion and better results using like products rather than tempt fate my mixing with water. I switched to about 99% acrylics and will use enamels and lacquers as needed. I use Testors Dullcote and Glosscote (lacquers) and some enamels for weathering. A lot of premixed weathering products are enamel based so you need to learn to mix your own or fork over more money for something that I've been making for decades.

Any paint is going to put out fumes. Some fumes are toxic and other just irritating. Over 40 years, actually getting closer to 50 years of modeling and I've never really been bothered by fumes. The cements, CA glues, fillers and putties also fume and by their nature are irritating. It has never bothered me because I use good ventilation.

You need to realize that fumes and smells are the byproduct of the hobby and find ways to lessen them. Mixing strange compounds and oils to avoid smelling solvents is risking your model and your safety because some chemicals react poorly when mixed.

Good ventilation and a filter mask will alleviate most of your concerns but you will always have the faint smell of paint, glue, fillers so you got to accept that or you are in the wrong hobby.