Hello all. Just retired and returning to modeling. Have been watching YT stuff and amazed at the current quality of products and skills. Starting back with an AFV 1/48 U-2A (converted to C), specifically Art. 360, as last flown by Francis Gary Powers (may he RIP) over Russia, on May 1, 1960. Was very surprised to find these early company birds were actually FS 35042, a very dark Navy blue, as seen on very late WWII Naval aircraft.
But anyway, my question concerns current model paint. The last time I did this, I was using Testor’s “Model Master” paints, which I thinned with lacquer thinner for airbrushing. Now I have decided to try “Mr Color” paints, because he seems to have a good selection of FS colors, and it is called “lacquer” (versus “Aqueous” or water-based). So reading your responses from the last guy, I take it that I can thin this stuff with lacquer thinner; like by the gallon @ Lowes, or, do you need to stick to the brand name thinner? Is there any difference? Also, Mr Color seems to have a variety of products in this regard. Is there any difference between the thinner, reducer, and smoothing agents? The reason I’m asking, is I’ve done painting before, with various products, and found some stuff likes a particular type/brand of thinner, and some stuff doesn’t seem to care, with many products somewhere in between. I’ve worked with various “lacquers” before, but don’t know if an “acrylic” lacquer is a different animal, or what. Any advice here greatly appreciated. Not trying to cheap out, just like having an ample quantity of thinner/cleaner around, hence buying in gallon cans, rather than having to buy multiple small quantities of the stuff.
I’m a few years away from retirement myself, but like you I just came back to the hobby earlier in 2024 after a ~25 year hiatus. I had three in-progress kits in my storage from the 1990s that I finished earlier this year, forced myself to clean that up before purchasing more. But you are definitely right about increasing quality of more recent offerings.
I grew up on Monogram and Revell, built a few Tamiya kits but they were expensive for someone on an allowance or mowing lawns. Today there are a ton of companies making kits I’ve never heard of. I’ve experimented with a few, very positive results with Meng and Zoukei-Mura, less than impressed with Eduard and AFV Club. of course that could just be the specific kits I chose. Also I’ve been told that old companies like Airfix might have made crappy kits in the 70s but have stepped up their game for the 2020s.
I have a large assortment of Model Master paints, terrible what happened to that line, really makes me a little angry. Since Testors MM is not an option I’ve invested heavily in Tamiya acrylics and in generally like them although there’s a learning curve since they are ultra flat (the XF series) and it dries almost instantly. Biggest drawback (in my opinion) with Tamiya paint is the color selection seldom fits RLM/RAF colors or FS#s. Most colors require mixing which is not ideal.
Just saying I cannot offer much help with Mr Color paints but I have found that using the combination of enamels and acrylics allows more flexibility with washes and panel lining. Back in the day I did washes with water colors so the enamel did not get attacked 
One thing I’ve found helpful, apologies if you already knew all about it, but there’s a website called Scalemates that I have found indispensable for finding new stuff. One thing it shows is the history of the kits. You will find “new for 2023” kits that are still using the same molds from 1986, they just have a new box, or are now being sold by a different company. One reason I’ve had som many good experiences with quality kits is by only buying kits engineered since 2018 or so.
No idea about the paint but welcome to the site Mike. Lots of knowledgeable guys in here about a vast array of topics, so I am sure someone will know or give you a push in the right direction like Ed has. 
Welcome back to the Hobby !!
Welcome aboard
I use hardware store brand Lacquer Thinner on all enamel and lacquer paints, including Tamiya and Mr. Color. It works fine. I was an exclusive Testors MM user as well and had to make some adjustments when they were dsicontinued. Tamiya and Mr. Color lacquers seem to be a pretty good replacement for me. I don’t like using acrylics either.
My bad … didnt fully read about the paint question … As Gino alludes to above in his answer, I was told that a decent Cellulose Thinner from any car type supply shop will work fine. Thats exactly what I use now for my AK RC paints, a normal cellulose thinner, its a decent sized big can and lasts for ages, never had a problem with it, and I also use a few drops of Tamiya retarder in with it as well.
Diz, welcome to the forum and back to model building!
While the by the gallon lacquer thinner is great for cleaning the airbrush and so on, it in my experience is NOT, the ideal thinner for spraying lacquer or enamel hobby paint if you want a consistant smooth finish. Adding retarder as Johnny mentioned really helps.
Have thinned hobby paints with everything from laquer thinner, mineral spirits, naptha, lighter fluid, MEK, Dio-Sol, Floquil Military Color thinner, Model Master airbrush thinner, xylene, leaded gasoline and so on. All of those are too hot and flash dry on the surface too fast under certain conditions to settle and properly level.
For best control a reducer/thinner with a retarder for leveling helps. I’ve found nothing that works as well constantly with a wide variety of laquers, enamels & acrylic-lacquers than Mr Color Leveling Thinner.
It’s the magical elixir and secret sauce of synthetic lacquer thinners.
It works fantastic with Mr Color paints you mentioned, Mr Surfacer, Model Master enamels, Floquil Military Colors, Revell enamels, Tamiya’s acrylic-lacquers and many other enamel, lacquer or acrylic-lacquers paints.
Spruebrothers.com has the big bottle of Mr.Color Leveling Thinner for ~$16 which seems like a lot for a small amount but in my experience, this is enough to paint ~20+ 1/35 AFV models if it’s just used to thin paint.
Clean up of airbrush can be done with hardware store lacquer thinner as normal.
Best wishes & happy modeling.
Hey Guys!
Thanks for the replies. OK, I shoulda thought of that; use the Mr Color Leveling Thinner for the paint, and good ol’ lacquer thinner for general clean up. Have your cake and eat it too. That just makes too much sense to this old jarhead; I didn’t even think of it. Well done team.
Yeah this has been a hoot, getting back into the hobby n all. Being an Airforce brat, I used to get Airfix 1/72 scale fighters, on base, for 35 cents, which coincidently was my allowance, back about 1963. Monogram 1/48 fighters were $1.10. Of course a Coke was 10 cents, and gas was 28 cents a gal (again, on base). So prices have changed a bit. Everybody built models back then. Even my old man, until he got into flying models, but that’s entirely another story.
Thanks again guys. Not quite ready for “Aqueous model paint” yet, so Mr Color Lacquer it is.
Cheers!
Hi Mike and welcome to the forums! +1 to what Wade @Armor_Buff wrote. Mr. Color lacquer paints are great. Hardware store lacquer thinner is fine for cleaning the airbrush, but it’s too hot for model plastic. Some can damage details or craze the plastic, and they won’t give your paint any self-leveling properties that you so desire for a smooth finish.
Mr. Color Leveling Thinner is the absolute best lacquer thinner on the market and all the guys in the know use it exclusively. If used just for paint thinning it’s very economical and it’s the absolute best for airbrush performance and paint finish quality. The difference is noticable by light years. Buy it in the 400ml bottle. Try it, you won’t be sorry.
And by the way I only shoot lacquers, can’t stand the way acrylics misbehave and clog all the time.
Right on guys, just ordered the 400ml bottle of Mr Color LT from Sprue Brothers.
Whatever you use, make sure you let it cure thoroughly.
Otherwise discussions about the correct thinner become moot.