Tamiya X-20A Thinner?

[Jim B]

Does anyone know what Tamiya X-20A thinner actually is?  Is smells like isopropyl alcohol.

[1972coronet]

Denatured Alcohol seems closest (if not outright). IF you can find denatured alcohol in your region (stupid California banned it some years ago - got some when I was in Arizona), buy it instead. Definitely more cost effective than X-20-A

[Dave G.]

If I remember right I read someplace the alcohol in X-20a is some form of glycol alcohol. Denatured alcohol would indeed be closer than iso. And actually denatured alcohol works well in Tamiya acrylics. So does lacquer thinner. At the Tamiya site they list LT as the thinner to use if you want a harder finish ( look in the fine extended print there).

[Jim B]

Thanks, guys. I appreciate the insight. 

California Proposition 65 says just about everything is dangerous & causes cancer. 

[Dpate]

2 minutes ago, Jim B said:

Thanks, guys. I appreciate the insight. 

California Proposition 65 says just about everything is dangerous & causes cancer. 

That's because Cali is cancer itself LOL

[Rick L]

1 minute ago, Dpate said:

That's because Cali is cancer itself LOL

It would be easier to label the short list of things that don’t cause cancer in California.

[peteski]

I always thought it had Isopropyl Alcohol but after just finding MSDS I see that I was wrong.

Tamiya X-20A MSDS

I have used 99% (not 70% or 91%) IPA to thin those Tamiya Acrylic paints.  You can find 99% IPA (often called Isopropanol  or IPA99) in hardware stores in the paint thinners section.

Edited April 20, 2023 by peteski

[Jim B]

16 hours ago, peteski said:

I always thought it had Isopropyl Alcohol but after just finding MSDS I see that I was wrong.

Tamiya X-20A MSDS

I have used 99% (not 70% or 91%) IPA to thin those Tamiya Acrylic paints.  You can fins 99% IPA (often called Isopropanol  or IPA99) in hardware stores in the paint thinners section.

Thanks for the SDS, Peter.  That helps.

[bluestringer]

The best thinner I have found to use with Tamiya acrylics is Mr. Hobby Leveling Thinner. It works great.

[Dpate]

10 minutes ago, bluestringer said:

The best thinner I have found to use with Tamiya acrylics is Mr. Hobby Leveling Thinner. It works great.

That's the only thinner i use for almost everything it's that good.

[Jim B]

Since I'm not really using it as a thinner as I don't have an airbrush, I'm using it as a paintbrush cleaner, is the Mr. Hobby Leveling Thinner worth it?

[peteski]

1 hour ago, Jim B said:

Since I'm not really using it as a thinner as I don't have an airbrush, I'm using it as a paintbrush cleaner, is the Mr. Hobby Leveling Thinner worth it?

Why not just use inexpensive lacquer thinner for cleaning brushes?  It will do as good (actually better) job as the X-20 thinner.  There is absolutely no need to use either Tamiya or Mr. Hobby stuff.

[bluestringer]

8 hours ago, Jim B said:

Since I'm not really using it as a thinner as I don't have an airbrush, I'm using it as a paintbrush cleaner, is the Mr. Hobby Leveling Thinner worth it?

Ok, I misunderstood what you wanted it for. No, do not use the Mr. Hobby stuff, too expensive to be cleaning brushes. For cleaning brushes I use with Tamiya Acrylics I just use cheap walmart brand rubbing alcohol. Or cheap lacquer thinner.

[Jim B]

Thanks, guys. I'll look into some cheap lacquer thinner and save the X20A for when (if) I get an airbrush. 

[peteski]

Just to clarify, by "cheap" lacquer thinner I mean a "regular" lacquer thinner, like the stuff you can by at a hardware store (or any shop which has a paint department).  All generic lacquer thinners are basically a blend of solvents like acetone alcohols, and other solvents.I called it "cheap" because it is much much less expensive than any of the thinners made specifically for the hobby market and sold in small quantities.  I guess that calling it "generic" instead of "cheap" would have been better choice of words.

[Bugatti Fan]

White spirit is plenty good enough for brush cleaning. Cheap to buy in quantity at DIY and hardware stores.

[Jim B]

Peter, that's what I took "cheap" to mean: the stuff from the hardware store. ?

[peteski]

On 4/22/2023 at 7:24 PM, Bugatti Fan said:

White spirit is plenty good enough for brush cleaning. Cheap to buy in quantity at DIY and hardware stores.

White Spirit (Turpentine, or paint thinner) are petroleum based thinners which work very well with organic solvent based enamel paints (like Testors or Humbrol), but not as well with alcohol-based (or water-based) acrylic hobby paints like Tamiya.  Alcohols or lacquer thinners (which contain polar solvents) are much better suited to Tamiya paints as a brush cleaner.

[Bugatti Fan]

Quite right Pete!

I did not elaborate enough about what paints that white spirit is most suitable for.

You have explained about this quite eloquently in your last post.

I keep some white spirit and Tamiya acrylic thinners both to hand on the work bench.

Edited April 25, 2023 by Bugatti Fan

[Bainford]

1 hour ago, peteski said:

White Spirit (Turpentine, or paint thinner) are petroleum based thinners …

A correction for those who care; turpentine is not petroleum based. It is sourced from several species of trees, mostly varieties of pine trees. 

[peteski]

1 hour ago, Bainford said:

A correction for those who care; turpentine is not petroleum based. It is sourced from several species of trees, mostly varieties of pine trees. 

While that is correct, I still say that turpentine is still not a preferred solvent (or a brush cleaning solution) for alcohol-based or water-based acrylics.  It is best suited for oil based paints.

Here is  quote from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turpentine

As a solvent, turpentine is used for thinning oil-based paints, for producing varnishes, and as a raw material for the chemical industry. Its use as a solvent in industrialized nations has largely been replaced by the much cheaper turpentine substitutes obtained from petroleum such as white spirit. A solution of turpentine and beeswax or carnauba wax has long been used as a furniture wax.

 

[ctruss53]

I'm sure people will tell me I am wrong, but I have to add something.

I don't waste money on Tamiya acrylic thinner.  I thin Tamiya acrylic paint with tap water. Clean my airbrush with tap water. And clean my brushes with tap water. And I have zero issues.

And water is free.

[espo]

There has been some discussion on the Forum about the Tamiya X-20A Thinner, so when I was at my regular hobby shop, I talked to one of the people there about it. Seems the A suffix means it is meant for Acrylic paints. The Tamiya X-20 is a Lacquer type thinner that can be used virtually across the board on any paint. I'll be using the rest of my X-20a thinner to clean my paint brushes only from now on. 

[happy grumpy]

I don't know what it's made of but I use 70% isopropyl alcohol for acrylics and it works great, water would work but it has more surface tension than alcohol . Some use Windex, best is to trial and error and go with what works best for you. If you intent using metallic paint. Start with very thin mist coats and let them dry between the coats.