Ratio of Thinner to Paint

[SonofLeto]

Hey all, first posting so I hope this is the right place. I am starting my first model ship and I have all the gear I need but I am curious what ratio I need to use for paint to thinner. I am using Tamiya color acrylic paint and Tamiya color X-20A thinner. I have a Paasche airbrush.

Thanks in advance, more questions to follow probably!

[Junyo]

Hey SonofLeto,

when I work with Tamiya paints I generally do a 1:1 mixing ratio of paint and thinner. It can be that this mixture is a bit thin which can be overcome by apllying more layers of paint until you get a good coverage.

Anyway, some colors have different properties than others and need less, others more thinner. This is a matter of experience you´ll get over the time.

Hope that helps.


Cheers,
Junyo

[SonofLeto]

Thanks. I am still trying to find the right ratios and pressures. So far my spray is spider webbing and looking a little sloppy.

[Timmy C]

Don't forget that distance matters too: you don't want to be too far that the paint's drying before it lands on the surface, but not so close that the pressure is blowing the paint around on the surface.

[carrierdeck]

Hello Painters.
I use Humbrol paints for years now. also modelmasters,
my experience is 30 a 40 % thinner regarding the colour , some colours
can have different ratio of thinner. most times I use a pressure of
0.7 to 0.9 bar to spray with.
Hope this helps.
greetz Chris

[StevenVD]

Spiders are a sign that you're spraying too much thinner. Maybe the paint was not mixed well.

[Dan K]

As a long-dedicated Tamiya acrylic user, I find a mix of 20-25% thinner to the paint works best for spray. I generally use 15 - 20psi, no more than 4-6 inches away.

[Guest]

Hello, as a general info, there is no fixed Ratio, it depends on the Type and colour used. what helped me: 1) get the recomended/original thinner from the Paint manufactuere, dont mess with internet wisdom
2) pour a glass of milk, pan/swing/slew it gently and observe how the Milk flows down on the inside of the glass. This ist the consistency you need for your Airbrush paint.
Dilute the Paint until it hast the consistency above, dont be afraid If it seems to be too thin.
3) couple of thin coats is better than one thick coat.
Best regards
Bruno_k