Thinning paint

Started by Jaime Carreon · 6 ≡ · ↻ 9 years ago
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    Jaime Carreon said 9 years, 10 months ago:

    For you that airbrush - how do you measure the thinner you add to your paint? I like to use about 50/50 paint and laquer thinner, but I'd like a more accurate method of measuring than my Mk 1 eyeball.

    Post away, and thanks!

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    Seamus Boughe said 9 years, 10 months ago:

    Easy, peesey, lemon squeezy! Go to a pharmacy or surgical supply store and buy a sleeve of disposable plastic graduated medication cups, the kind used to administer liquid medications. Most of these have graduation scales on both sides, one in milliliters and one in ounces. Either or, you can use the scales to mix any amount of paint in any ratio you choose. I have been using them for years and because I am an RN, I get them for free. A sleeve of 100 cups usually sells for no more than ten dollars. I believe they can be found in Office Max also. If all else fails, you can purchase them online too.

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    AL HOFFMAN said 9 years, 10 months ago:

    I'm afraid I won't be much help because I am a member of the Mk1 eyeball group you referred to.

    The percentages you are looking for will be affected by humidity & gun air pressure before you even get to the paint.

    Since I use a quite a few different brands of both flat & gloss paint pretty much every time is a learning experience. Even within the same brand I don't believe you can use a set percentage for the different color families.

    I can tell you that unless the paint has been pre-mixed for airbrushing I use over 50% reducer consistently & with gloss coats my last coat is usually about 90% reducer to try to level orange peel.

    I guess I would have to recommend trying to stay with one paint brand & establishing your mixing percentages from experience with usage.

    You can get plastic mixing cups & maybe some pipettes that have hash marks to help measure & get the same amount for each batch mix. If you want to get that involved you should probably keep a formula log.

    Hope this helps more than hurts.

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    neil foster said 9 years, 10 months ago:

    I use disposable plastic pipettes ,you can get them of ebay for not much money ,as for mixing paint I just guess at roughly 50/50 and it seems to work O.K.
    N.

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    Simon Whitney said 9 years, 10 months ago:

    Snap, I use the same things although I vary the ratio depending on what paint I am spraying.
    Also they also make good stirrers when you siphon the paint mix into the pipette.

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    Jon H Ruehle said 9 years, 9 months ago:

    You can buy all of the measuring devices you want but paint varies between brands, and even between colors within a particular brand. It all depends on what you want to do.

    I have a top-load airbrush. I add the paint I think I'll need, then some thinner (reducer), hold a finger over the nozzle so that air back-flows into the paint cup. That's how I mix thinner and paint -- on the fly, eyball-style.

    When it looks to be the consistency of 2% milk, I test it out on a sheet of 0.040 sheet styrene. If it looks good, then I continue with the painting.

    If not, I adjust with more thinner and or less/more air pressure.

    If you want a thin line, less pressure with very thin paint.

    If you want coverage, less thinner with MAYBE some more air pressure, but more air means more overspray. You just have to experiment.

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