How to thin ModelMaster non-lacquer lacquer?

Before I bought a jar of Testors' ModelMaster Custom Lacquer System paint, I assumed I could thin it with regular lacquer thinner. After all, the label does say "lacquer." But now I'm not so sure. It smells like denatured alcohol. Plus the store guy told me it is not real lacquer, since that's prohibited here. It's a "synthetic lacquer," which sounds way complicated. And the label practically insists on ModelMaster "Custom Lacquer Thinner."

Anyhow, I have a variety of thinners on hand, including water :smile: , isopropyl alcohol, regular lacquer thinner and Testors' own Floquil thinner. Obviously, the recommended stuff would be a good choice, but that means another long trip to the model store for just that item.

Has anyone used a generic thinner with Testor's ModelMaster's lacquer-free Custom Lacquer System?

Diddy

Use Model Master's own thinner. Sure, another trip to the LHS is a PITA, but not nearly so much as stripping after your otherwise perfect finish eats itself.

I can't guess what's in it (and the sniff test won't tell you what you need to know). It really is worth using the recommended stuff. :2cents:

And then let us know how it works for you. I've been kinda curious to try it (except for the depressingly narrow band of Ford and GM colors it's availible in).

I've had zero problems thinning Model Master enamels and lacquers with regular hardware store lacquer thinner. I've been thinning their enamels with it for going on 25 years. I thin their "Dullcoat" lacquer with it for nearly as long. Don't spend a fortune on Testors thinners, unless you're spraying Acryl acrylic which doesn't seem to work w/anything but their own thinner.

Test it with the lacquer thinner you have and I'm sure you'll find you won't need another trip to the store for some completely overpriced Testors thinner.

Hmmm. I tested it with medium drying lacquer thinner, and it totally s....k'd. (Apparently, this forum censors out any word that might offend the ghost of Oliver Cromwell's mom. Oh, well, it's a great forum anyway.)

Sprayed very thin, it went down like 80 grit sandpaper, and stayed that way. Sprayed less thin, the lumps are even bigger. In both cases, it flashed almost instantly, before it had time to flatten. Really, really horrible.

At this point, unless somebody tells me they had great success with X thinner, I will go back to my usual DuPont ChromaBase BC touchup. Thinned 1:1, it goes on like a dream, and I can buy it a mile from here.

Since I only need plain white, and the DuPont costs $13 for two oz, I figured I could save a few bucks. Ended up costing me more. Life's like that.

Diddy

Try this:

get a small ammount of the thinner you are using in a cap, or some sort of very small container that won't be eaten by the thinner, put one drop of the paint in to that thinner, and watch the reaction. if it flows out nicely, and dilutes without forming chunks, or floating to the surface, or staying in a blob on the bottom, this is good. Now, stir it SLOWLY to see how it mixes. again, no blobs, flows nicely etc, blah blah...

if this test works out fine, then test it in your airbrush to see what kind of thinning ratio you need (usually milky, but lacquer is usually MUCH thinner than enamels to spray). I have sprayed nail polishes, automotive paints, enamels, acrylics, epoxy based, polyurithane, just to name a few types of paints that have gone through my a/b. most of the hotter paints seem to need a very thin (like rubbing alcohol thin) consistancy to get to lay down properly. In some cases the paint went on so thin you could hardly see it until the second or third coat. but the end result was a very nice buffing free shine that you could comb your hair in...without wax!

If YOU find out what kind of thinner to use, by all means let us know.

Thanks, rsxe240. I will both of your tests a try - before I go to the automotive paint store.

Actually, the mixing part went okay; it seemed like love at first sight between the paint and the thinner. But I like your methodology; I'll go through the steps, just to be sure.

As to the second part, it sounds like your "theory of the case" is that I wasn't spraying it thin enough. You may be right; it may be the painter not the paint. When I was testing it, I thought it was too thin, but those are certainly the symptoms of too-thick paint. I never seem to mix thin enough. Even though I know from experience that thin paint gives the best results, I'm uneasy with a watery mixture. And an "alcoholy" consistency - yikes! Gotta get over that.

I'll report my findings tomorrow.

Diddy

Well, you guys saved me $13 and a trip to the automotive paint store. The lacquer thinner worked just fine with the ModelMaster Custom Lacquer System paint.

Rsxe240's analysis was correct: I was airbrushing it too thick. This time, instead of mixing up what seems about right and then "spraying and praying," I tried this:

1. Nearly half-fill the cup with thinner.
2. Add a few drops of white paint.
3. Test-spray on a smooth, dark sheet.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3, until I could see light coverage.
5. Spray the model.

Worked beautifully; very smooth, no 80-grit sandpaper or orange peel. Tomorrow comes a light sanding and the clear coat. I'm going to follow a similar procedure. With clear it won't be so easy to test for coverage. But starting with thinner in the cup seems like a good way to avoid overly thick paint.

Thanks to all.

Diddy