Home Brew Acrylic Thinner

John Thomas
I came across a formula for a "cheap" acrylic thinner and here it is. 2/3 distilled water, 1/3 IPA, I used 70% alcohol, I used 1% Liquitex "Fluid retarder" and 1% Liquitex "flow-aid" buy volume. Once you buy the IPA and the retarder and flow-aid you can mix gallons or liters of thinner. To start I use a 8.0oz squeeze bottle. or 240 ml. So you will need 5.3oz (160ml) distilled water, 2.6oz (80ml) IPA, 2.4 ml fluid retarder and 2.4 ml flow-aid. The 1% fluid retarder and flow-aid is just a starting point. You can add a little more if needed. I am now testing this mixture with Model master and Tamiya acrylic paints. I do not use other acrylic paints so they will not be tested. My aim is to reduce tip dry and better flow when airbrushing. Right now I do not know how the Home Brew Thinner will react with the paints. So test before spraying. I would NOT use this mixture for cleaning the airbrush, just for thinning for airbrushing and hand painting. You can fine tune the numbers if you wish. I will play with the Home Brew and update everyone with my results. NOTE: the liquitex fluid retarder and flow aid were made for Acrylic Artist Tube Paints so beware.

Gary
I've used amonia to thin Future, I don't use acrylic paints though so I haven't tried it. Gary

Urban Gardini
That home brew is quite near the mix I use. I just use different brands and my brew works even better than X-20A.

Urban Gardini
Gary, beware with the amonia as it eats chrome for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks in between...

Choppa Nutta
interesting

Gary
No problem, I dont do chrome. Thanks Gary

John Thomas
Thanks guys. I use windex to clean future from my airbrush. Yes it does have Amonia and I flash out the windex with water after I run it thru. Why the Home Brew? A few weeks ago I went to my local hobby store, I needed some more thinner. I mainly use Testor's Model Master Universal Acrylic Thinner but when I got there he was out of thinner and he told me that he was not going to restock his paints and supplies. So I had to go else were. So my big fear is, if hobby store stop restocking or are very slow in stocking there paints and supplies and I need thinner. What to do. I find it's getting harder to order paint and thinners thru the mail. and soon who knows what may happen. So I will now make my own and cheaper too. I have a good stock pile of Model Master acrylic paints, because I fear model paint will be next on the hard to get list. Check back in a few days for some test results.

Gary
Have you tried Hobby Lobby? Gary

John Thomas
Gray, yes. The Hobby Lobby store in my area is about 20 miles away and right now there is alot of road work on the way to the store that makes it a nightmare just to get there and the road work is to last all summer long. The hobby store I was talking about above is only 1/2 mile away from me. The best Hobby Store in my area is about 30 miles away, it's has a good supply of paints, supplies and kits But also road work makes it hard to get too.

John Thomas
OK guy's, I have finished my Home Brew Thinner test. First I mixed the home brew into 3ml of new bottles of paint. Model Master "Medium Grey" and Tamiya's "Sky Grey". Two, both paints were thinned to the consistency of skim milk. Three, both were sprayed at 20 psi with my Badger 200 airbrush. The Tamiya paint went down with a pebbly finish. the Model Master went down with a nice smooth finish. As any good scientist would tell you, repeat your experiment, so I did. I cleaned out my airbrush and resprayed both paints and got the same results. The Tamiya paint had a pebbly finish to it. So my conclusion is. I would not use my home brew with Tamiya's paints. I would stay with the X20A but with the Model Master paints I would use my home brew. By no means is this test exhaustive and more testing could be done but I am going to move on and call it complete. Your results may vary.

Clifford Keesler
I also use my own home brew acrylic thinner,that I got the forumala for off of a modeling forum,almost the same as yours John. I also buy acrylic paints at Michael's and mix some of my own colors,it all works great.

John Thomas
Clifford, thanks. I also use some craft paints but on model bases and dioramas. I have not tried my home brew on acrylic craft or tube paints. I have a up coming project I will test them with.

Clifford Keesler
I hope they work out for you. Be sure you wash the model real well or the paint may rub off, learned the hard way!. I also make sure my craft paints say for use on plastic also.

Hunter Cummins
Hey john
is that hobby shop hobbytown??
Everything is online now hahah

John Thomas
Hunter, yea Hobby town out the parkway west is the nightmare to get too. I am not going to drive out there until all that road work is done, and who knows how long that well be. I will have to keep going to Hobby Express even thew it's 30 miles away. Nice to hear from you.

John Thomas
Clifford, thanks. I dont use craft paints on models only on wood bases and diorama work, however I may do a test on a old plane just to see how they work.

Hunter Cummins
Lol
why dont you make a paypal account and buy your stuff online?? It is so much cheaper hahah

I love hobbyexpress but I can never get dad to take me there lol

John Thomas
Hey Hunter, I do buy modeling stuff online but I am also trying to give my business to local hobby stores to keep them open. If there is some thing I really need and cant find I will go online.

Hunter Cummins
I do help a few hobbyshop mostly michigan and ohio lol oh and oregan

John Thomas
Wow, Hunter you get around

Hunter Cummins
Yea lol

the one in ohio is the hobbyshop that was at the show haha remember the one I showed you? Fox One?

John Thomas
Ok thanks