Since I have been booted off of almost all the wargaming chat groups… I need to post this question here. Hopefully someone can help.
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Delta used to make a product called “Thinner for Acylic Paints” (not a very creative name, but very desciptive) that I loved.
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I am down to my last 1/4 ounce, and apparently it is no longer made. [:(]
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Does anyone know of an equivilent product by another manufacturer?
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-Kevin
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I use distilled water for thinning and cleaning for brush painting and Tamiya Acrylic Thinner for airbrushing.
Mel
Modeling the early to mid 1950s SP in HO scale since 1951
My Model Railroad
http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/
Bakersfield, California
I’m beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
I’ve had success using Liquitex Airbrush medium to thin some acrylic paints, but not Delta Ceramcoat.
Regards, Peter
All the Acrylics that I use can be thinned with denatured alcohol marine stove fuel and that includes the Citadel paint that I use for the 40k Wargamer figures that I paint for one of My Son’s.
The above two pic’s are the 28mm plastic figures/vehicles painted with a brush/airbrush and Citadel paint thinned with denatured alcohol.
This is the brand I use…I get it in the gallon size:
https://www.amazon.com/SUNNYSIDE-CORPORATION-83432-1-Quart-Denatured/dp/B000BZZ36K
I also use it to strip paint on plastic body shells, does a great job and will not harm the plastic. I do not emerge the shell in it…havn’t found the need to.
Take Care! [:D]
Frank
I use Citadel, Vallejo, and Reaper Pro.
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The Delta Ceramcoat Product was not just a thinner. It was also an extender to keep the paint from drying too quickly, it eliminated surface tension so the paint would flow off of the brush better, and a thinner to get a feathered edge. It was an amazing product for brush painting.
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It was one of those “skill in a bottle” products.
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I really hope there is an equivilent out there.
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[:(]
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-Kevin
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The denatured alcohol…should do the same thing…get a small container and try it. What did You use to thin the Citadel with?
The Delta ceramcoat paint is just a craft paint, soap and water wash up…the alcohol will help with flow when brushing…I know for a fact, it does with the Citadel…which is a thicker paint.
Good Luck! [:D]
Frank
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I have tried alcohol, and it speeds up drying instead of extending working time. That is the opposite of what I need. I used Ceramocat thinner in all brands of paint.
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I never use Delta paints for miniature painting, but their thinner was the best stuff made for brush painting.
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-Kevin
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Yes, I’ve noticed that as well.
Robert
You do know that Denatured Alcohol solvent/Marine stove fuel is Not the same as 70%/91% Isopropyl alcohol…correct?
Aren’t there any ingredients/contents on the label of the container for the thinner You have left? Seems odd…there is no harmful ingredients MSDS on the paint. So I am wondering why the thinner You say is so great…It appears to Me that distilled water can be used sucessfully.
Good Luck! [:D]
You may want to try Scalecoat II thinner…I hear it does a good job…I have no experience with it though. I tend to stay with what works for Me.
Frank
I’ve used Vallejo airbrush cleaner. It can also be used as a thinner for acrylics.
Simon
Correct. Denatured alcohol is ethanol with phenolpthalein added. Phenolpthalein (in tiny amounts) is the active ingredient in X-lax. You could buy ethanol at the liquor store (many painters do) and it would work exactly the same. Alcohol added to paints (whether ethanol, methanol, or isopropanol) evaporates faster than water and speeds up the drying process. Good for spray painting, gummy for brush painting. Only my [2c].
Robert
Distilled water has always worked great for me with brush painting using all brands of Acrylic Crafters paints. It doesn’t extend the working time but thinning with Distilled Water dose help feathering. I haven’t had problems with surface tension using Acrylic paints unless the object wasn’t clean.
You can’t beat the price of Distilled Water at under $1 per gallon for thinning.
If I want to speed up the drying process Denatured Alcohol works very good used sparingly.
Mel
Modeling the early to mid 1950s SP in HO scale since 1951
My Model Railroad
Fascinating… you start out with “I have been booted off of almost all the wargaming chat groups”, and no one here even pauses to ask you why. Hilarious.
Anyway… I agree with SNRJOY. Vallejo airbrush thinner works very good.
I found a product called “High Peformance Reducer” at Hobby Lobby. It is in the scale models section. It is manufactured by Wicked Colors.
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I gave it a first try with Vallejo Model Colour #992 Neutral Gray. I painted the ends of STRATTON & GILLETTE #18601 Baggage Car. First impressions follow.
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This product thins paint very well, and it did seem to prevent tip clogging on the brush. I used it with a Windsor & Newton Series VII sable brush. There were absolutely no brush marks on the finished model.
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I was also able to get a crisp separation line on the corner with no masking. The paint flowed off the brush tip smoothly and I had excellent control.
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This product DID NOT extend drying times like the Delta Ceramcoat thinner did. It might need to be blended with Arcrylic Float Medium to make it more useful.
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More experiments will follow.
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Hey Tomas, I did not see your reply until today.
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Nope… nobody asked. I think it is because most of them would have had the same problems! [:-^]
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-Kevin
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I missed this whole thread until now. When I got back into MR a couple years ago I joined this forum and one other that thas Atlas in it’s name. Somebody got bounced from this forum and all his posts were deleted and went there and was instantly recognized.
I never got the gist of his transgressions.
edit Forgot to mention Model Master has an acrylic thinner. I have a can, I don’t remember buying it and have not used it.
A quick google search turned up a possible solution.
It also seems to me that I recently saw an extender/retarder at the hobbyshop when I was buying some Dullcote. I can’t recall, though, if it was a Testors’ product or Tamiya.
Wayne
Maybe not the best solution, but I use Future (now called Pledge Floor Gloss) to thin Delta Ceramcoat paints for airbrushing. I sometimes add a small amount of alcohol/Windex/Washer Fluid, and add Future 50/50 with the paint and mix well. YMMV.
One of the problems with using distilled water or alcohol to thin acrylic paint is that the paint can be so thin, there’s very little binder left. Future is clear acyrlic, so there’s still plenty of binder.
I FINALLY FOUND IT!
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After trying about a dozen different products, I found one that works exactly like the DELTA CERAMCOAT Thinner For Acrylic Paints.
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This is (not surprisingly) made by Vallejo. I found it in the store for Mega-Hobby online.
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This stuff is the same color, same smell, same consistency, EVERYTHING! It is Vallejo part number 73-524 100% Acrylic Resin Thinner Medium.
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I am so happy right now. It is like I has a skill-injection into my painting arm! This, along with my new Winsor & Newton Series 7 brushes and all my new Vallejo paints has me so thrilled.
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This is a great day.
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If you brush paint with Citadel, Vallejo, or other acrylic paints, you need to give this a try.
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Do not use it with Tamiya. Tamiya paints require their own thinner.
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I still had a tiny amout of the Delta Ceramcoat thinner left. This new bottle arrived just in time.
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-Kevin
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Actually, it isn’t a thinnner, it is a retarder. It allows a longer working time with paint by slowing the process of curing, and allows the paint to level in the process, helping to hide brush marks.
They do make products for regular “latex” paint available at hardware and paint stores, such as “Floetrol.” Probably would work with craft paints as well. You only add a small quantity to a gallon of paint, so for craft paints it would be drops. (One container is more than enough for 3 of those 5 gallon pails).
Despite the name, latex paint is really an acrylic resin.
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Yes, I said that in one of my responses above, about four from the top. I explained why simply making the paint thinner would not provide the results I was seeking.
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-Kevin
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