(Review/recommendation/shilling) Mr. Aqueous Thinner

[Evil Eye]

So this is really less a review and more a PSA for anyone having trouble thinning water based acrylics for airbrushing, especially thicker ones with no good dedicated thinner (looking at you, Citadel). I could go on a big spiel but TLDR: Gunze Sagyou/Mr Hobby's "Mr Aqueous Thinner" (for their waterbased Mr. Aqueous Colour range) is the solution to our problem...no pun intended.

 

Seriously, I used the stuff to thin down some Citadel Base paints for airbrushing and it works a treat. Minimal tip-dry, very little clogging, beautiful handling through the airbrush, and a really good finish. It also works for reactivating overly gooey/thick paints in the pot. If you can get some, do so. You won't regret it. Just don't get it mixed up with their regular Mr. Thinner as that's for lacquers/alcohol based paint and will turn your aqueous acrylics into cottage cheese.

[Rik Lightstar]

I've happily been using Vallejo thinner and a couple of drops of their flow aid

 

Rik

[Imren]

Vodka.

[Evil Eye]

I've happily been using Vallejo thinner and a couple of drops of their flow aid

 

Rik

I've tried Vallejo thinner, it works fine with Vallejo but I've found with other brands it doesn't quite work as well. (Their flow aid is great though, no arguments there!)

 

Vodka.

That is definitely one way of doing it!

[Imren]

 

I've happily been using Vallejo thinner and a couple of drops of their flow aid

 

Rik

I've tried Vallejo thinner, it works fine with Vallejo but I've found with other brands it doesn't quite work as well. (Their flow aid is great though, no arguments there!)

 

Vodka.

That is definitely one way of doing it!

 

 

No seriously, pure vodka is almost only around 40% ethanol and around 60% water.

 

Branded airbrush thinners are 30-50% isopropanol and the rest is water, but with some small amounts of surfactants (flow aid) and drying retarder (to prevent tip dry).

 

I found that medical grade ethanol with water works as good as vallejo or tamiya thinner, you just need to add a few drops of retarder and flow aid. I tried the same with vodka and it worked well as long as i had a few drops of flow aid and retarder.

 

So yes, vodka works although ethanol is not as aggressive as isopropanol.

[Marshal Vespasian]

I love vallejo Flow Improver.

Their normal thinner I get top dry with, so I thin my acrylics with it for brush work (even though the bottle is a night are to dose from).

 

I know there is people who use windowcleaner for thinning their colours. I like using windowcleaner to clean out the airbrush, works way better than normal airbrush cleaner. Just dont leave it in for a prolonged time or it will attack the Chrome, which might be bad for the Flow of colour.