tamiya lacquer paint

[turbo_b00st]

hello guys,
I purchased some tamiya lacquer spray paint, but im wanting to airbrush it instead of spraying out of can. would i need to thin the paint with some lacquer before spraying?

thx

[MPWR]

Try the search feature yet?

[turbo_b00st]

sry...and thx

[stevenoble]

Originally Posted by turbo_b00st

hello guys,
I purchased some tamiya lacquer spray paint, but im wanting to airbrush it instead of spraying out of can. would i need to thin the paint with some lacquer before spraying?

thx

You can thin it a little if desired but it's not always necessary as it's usually thin when you spray it out of the can anyway.If you do need to thin it a little use some laquer thinner (cellulose thinner) etc.A handy tip is to spray the paint through a drinking straw to decant the paint from the can into a suitable container.It saves on a lot of mess and spilt paint.Oh and one other tip.Let the paint settle a little once decanted.It may bubble up a bit in your jar at first.

[cyberkid]

Decanting methods:
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...d.php?t=686072
Thinning:
I normally like my paint a tad thinner than the way it comes out of the can, so I mix it around 1:10 (thinner: paint). After trial and error, I've stuck to the same brand for thinner/ paint. For Tamiya: Tamiya's lacquer thinner/decanted TS. For Gunze: Mr.Color thinner/Mr Color spray cans. etc,etc...
One extra tip on decanting, when 'stirring' go SLOW at first. Just the action of you putting a (ie) toothpick in the paint may cause it to come near to overflowing at first.

HTH,
Steve

[turbo_b00st]

so 1/10 ratio of thinner to paint is good for airbrushing? if so, what pressure do you use?

thx

[freakray]

Originally Posted by turbo_b00st

so 1/10 ratio of thinner to paint is good for airbrushing? if so, what pressure do you use?

thx

No, a 1/10 ratio is not good, there is no specific ration to use when thinning paint.

Different paints require different amounts of thinning, even the same type of paints from the same manufacturers.
The best is to practice thinning and spraying and develop what paint consistency works best for you. Then thin each paint according to how much thinner is required to achieve that paint consistency.

Spraying pressure is another thing which has been discussed here 1000 times and could be resolved by searching. Generally between 15>25 psi works well but once again it comes down to the person's individual preference and what you're doing at the time.

[Redline it!]

I use PPG DT870 Reducer to thin Tamiya sprays. Works great!

[cyberkid]

There are too many variables when it comes to thinning paint. The only way to get it to work for you is trail and error.

[MPWR]

Originally Posted by turbo_b00st

sry...and thx

No worries, but it is a commonly discussed topic.

Originally Posted by freakray

there is no specific ration to use when thinning paint.

Originally Posted by cyberkid

There are too many variables when it comes to thinning paint.

Absolutely right. There are many, many variables effecting how much paint should be thinned (ambient pressure, temperature, humidity, condition of paint...), not the least important is your preference and style of application. Same with spray pressure. Personally, when I'm spraying laquers I start thinned 1:1 and adjust based on how it's behaving. I also spray at the lowest presure I can, around 15psi (much below that and I get splatters from incomplete atomization). These techniques might work for you fine- or they could leave you with runs and puddles of paint everywhere.

For thinning laquers, it's always best to use the most compatable reducer availible. For TS laquers, that means Tamiya laquer thinner- Although enough people have had good results with Mr. Color that if Tamiya were simply unavailible I'd consider it, too.

[turbo_b00st]

bump!
I mixed my metallic blue lacquer paint with some thinner. I stirred then it fix up like you are just openning a shoken up coke. is that suppose to happen? thx

[MPWR]

It's what will happen, if you don't give TS a chance to outgas after decanting it. It's because propellant is still disolved in the paint, and it needs time to come out. Let it sit in an uncovered container for a while, and stir it occasionally to get the propellant out of it. When it no longer fizzes, then add your thinner.

[freakray]

Placing the open bottle of paint in some warm water will accelerate the process of the gas expelling from the paint.

[turbo_b00st]

hehe,
thx guys. thnk goodness for nail polish remover and a scrub. you dont want to know the mess that i made during the process of mixing the paint. lol