I wasn’t crazy about using alcohol for thinning Tamiya,thought the finish came out dry.I am a convert to using the Tamiya Lacquer Thinner,make a smooth hard finish.
I too didn’t like alcohol. As you say it came out dry and the paint dried extremely fast.
Definitely need some practice air brushing before I tackle my elefant tank destroyer. An oddball tank I’ve always had an interest in
I use X20A all the time - a 50:50 mix works well. The lacquer stuff needs ventilation and/or a serious mask because it damages your lungs, and I’m rather fond of mine…
X20A has a definite whiff of car antifreeze coolant about it, so it’s clearly a complicated mix of ingredients that would be hard to replicate - I just trust the Tamiya folk to have done the chemistry for me.
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Good to hear. I ordered the X20A I don’t have a setup right now for good ventilation and for sure don’t want to ruin my lungs.
I always use the company’s thinner,I don’t spray massive amounts of paint,so cost isn’t a big issue in my hobby.You can’t go wrong with either Tamiya Thinner
If anyone comes across this thread in the future, the correct o-ring size for the Paasche connector on the compressor size appears to be
OD: 12 mm
ID: 6 mm
Thickness: 3mm
I also use about a 1:1 mix of Tamiya X-20A + Tamiya lacquer thinner as a reducer for Tamiya paints when airbrushing. You can vary the drying time by adding more or less lacquer thinner - straight or more lacquer thinner = slower flash time, less or straight X-20A = faster flash time.
A lot depends on the humidity and ambient temperature that you’re working in. Dry-hot might benefit from slowing the flash time, and cool-humid might benefit from speeding it up. Just depends.
I’m going to experiment with Gunze’s Mr. Leveling Thinner on my next project, though, to see how it compares with using the Tamiya thinners (X-20A and lacquer thinner). I’m in a “happy place” right now with a 1:1 mix of the Tamiya thinners, but I know several folks who are confirmed users of the Mr. Leveling Thinner, so I’m going to give it a try. If nothing else, the Mr. Leveling Thinner will work with the Mr. Surfacer that I already have and have been using for several years. (I’ve been using a mix of lacquer thinner and Testors liquid cement to thin my Mr. Surfacer, when necessary.)
Tamiya also sells their own brand of retarder that can be added to slow drying times. I’ve never used it (very hard to find except online), but for someone who has a really hard time with tip-drying, it might be worth checking out.
@Mead93, please consider the following.
Honestly good ventilation is needed for any type of airbrushing regardless of what sort of thinner is used. The finely ground pigments particles are hazardous if inhaled regardless of if they come from acrylic paint or enamel paint.
At least get a high quality respirator that can filter out the appropriate particles and vapors. If I airbrush in the winter I still open windows and vent the room. I also use a very high quality respirator. $10 extra on the heat bill is trivial in my opinion verses breathing fumes and paint pigment particles.
Best wishes with your project and happy modeling.
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Good reminder. I’ll be sure to invest in a respirator. I hope to have a paint booth in the future but I am moving soon and would rather buy it when I’m all set up in the new locale
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Hahaha for sure that’s the plan. Have a spare n95 I’ll use for painting
Remember N95 is not for filtering solvents.
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I’ve since upgraded to 3M respirator. I found out quick the N95 did nothing to solvents, could still smell paint through the mask. The respirator is much better
Anyone shopping for a respirator to protect themselves from solvent fumes needs to get one with ORGANIC VAPOR filters.
For just filtering aerosolized water-based acrylics, a P-100 particulate filter is what is needed (the N-95 disposable mask also works).
Equipping your respirator Organic Vapor filters with P-100 pre-filters will help them last longer by preventing the particulate part of the aerosolized paint from clogging them.
However, note that you should also store your Organic Vapor filters in an airtight bag (Ziploc type freezer bag) between uses. These filters eventually will absorb enough contaminates from the air to render them useless. They do have expiration dates listed on their packaging that indicate how long they can be used after opening.
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I used After Shave to thin Tamiya metallics last weekend for a wash/filter. It didn’t dry too fast and flowed nicely. Probably could use it for shooting through the AB and clean it as well.
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Thank you for posting this. I’m in complete agreement here: ABSOLUTELY spend the money on a proper respirator with organic vapor filters, and ziploc bags for storage. Safety first.
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Okay, this has to be the most bizarre thinner choice I’ve ever seen.
You know you can put that stuff on your face, too?
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Tamiya thinner on the face??
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There’s something about an Aqua Velva Tank. 
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