Humbrol and turps?

[Guest]

Hi all.

I have been looking for enamel thinners to thin humbrol as buying in the small "hobby" quantities is not cost effective.

Could not get any last week and didn't want to use laqer thinners as it causes pigment seperation if ratio is to high.

I got hold of normal miniral turpentine just to try and it worked very well to thin to 50% with no problem, the needle in the airbrush doesn't stick when dry like the thinners made it do.

All the paint dries well with no hassle so far.Yesterday I was informed by a fellow modler that turps will turn yellow after a time (a year or so) but enamel thinners does not.

Is this true? I don't want to risk it on my very expensive Tamiya 1/48 stuff.

Any comments on this?

Thanx

Theuns

[stona]

I've got the remains of some twenty plus year old models in my loft. They were painted with Humbrol enamels thinned with white spirit (mineral spirit) or turpentine (turps) as I used both at the time. I can't see any noticeable yellowing in the paint layer.

I've got at least one five-ten year old model on display still today,also painted with Humbrol enamels thinned with white spirit and it looks fine.

That's just my personal experience.

Cheers

Steve

[Dave W]

Ive used white spirit with enamels and it works fine.Only difference is the drying time is just a bit longer than Humbrol thinners.

[Guest]

Theuns. In my local art shop, while browsing to see what they have got, I came across white spirit thinners for art work.

Obviously a bit more expensive as it has been refined. But it is "smell less" & I would think probably less likely to have long term problems being for the art world.

Laurie

[Guest]

Ok thanx gents.

I can also get the white spirits easly so if that seems to be better I will go for that then.The only thing I am not sure about is if the spirits is the same stuff a the coloured purple methelated spirits.This dries like a thinners with no "oily" feel on the fingers like turps has.

Just wondering if it will lubricate the airbrush the same?

Been googling and it seems the "normal" turps is made from boiling trees and the miniral turps I used is a parafin based thing.

But then again, almost all oil based piants are thinned with miniral turps for houshold use and that dousn't go yellow.

Theuns

[stona]

Theuns white spirit,originally refered to in marketing as a turps substitute,is also known as mineral spirits and is not the same as the coloured methylated spirit. It is quite a complicated mixture of hydrocarbons. Turpentine is actually made from trees and has been around for a long time.

Methylated spirit is denatured alcohol with other stuff,including the dye,mixed in to make it undrinkable. It can make a good cleaner,I remove finger prints from models before painting with it. It won't work to thin enamel paints.

Cheers

Steve

[Guest]

I spent most of my youth making models and painting them with Humbrol thinned down with turps. I have a few still standing looking as good as they did when they were made (or as bad?!!)

As Stve rightly says Meths is an entirely different composition that will not thin down enamel paint. It will however ignite just as easily so is great for getting up steam in small boilers! Turps on the other hand makes a lot of smoke so they are best left to do what they do best!

[Guest]

Than for the replies lads, I will stick to turps if it seems that there is not real problem with it...........unless I intend to do a "fire" diorama LOL!

Theuns