Airbrushing Testors enamels???

[doorslammer68]

Can I airbrush the Testors' enamels?  Are they similar to doing the same with lacquers except thinning with paint thinner? 1 part enamel to 1 part paint thinner ratio? Any advice is much appreciated. Wado

 

 

[Dave G.]

Thinning 1 to 1 with Hardware store lacquer thinner works for me. Ultra smooth and glossy if put down right. And putting it down right is basically a no brainer to many of us here..

[Bainford]

Yes, Testors paints airbrush well. Thin them with Testors airbrush thinner or typical lacquer thinner, or, the preferred choice these days, Mr Color 400 Self Levelling thinner.

[Dave G.]

Have a look at this video, not that I condone his whole practice, just look see ( edit, click the youtube link)

 

Edited March 21 by Dave G.

[Don Sikora II]

I've had great results airbrushing Testors enamel and always have thinned with the Testors/Model Master airbrush thinner.

[peteski]

While everybody touts using lacquer thinner, I think using the dedicated Testors thinner works even better because it evaporates much slower than lacquer thinner, allowing the wet paint to level out to a smooth glossy surface.

Modelers also mention that using lacquer thinner allows the paint to dry into a harder coating but is that proven scientifically? I again suspect that, because lacquer thinner fully evaporates fast the paint hardens quicker, while  Testors thinner needs more time to fully evaporate. But in the end after long drying time, both methods result in the same fully cured paint hardness.

[Dave G.]

28 minutes ago, peteski said:

While everybody touts using lacquer thinner, I think using the dedicated Testors thinner works even better because it evaporates much slower than lacquer thinner, allowing the wet paint to level out to a smooth glossy surface.

Modelers also mention that using lacquer thinner allows the paint to dry into a harder coating but is that proven scientifically? I again suspect that, because lacquer thinner fully evaporates fast the paint hardens quicker, while  Testors thinner needs more time to fully evaporate. But in the end after long drying time, both methods result in the same fully cured paint hardness.

The only paint confirmed by the makers, I know of that promotes lacquer thinner causing a harder shell finish, is Tamiya.. That's concerning their acrylic line of paints. I don't know, nor have I heard that thinning Testors enamels with lacquer thinner causes a harder finish. It may be cured a little sooner but to me that's surface cure. Deep curing still takes time. You definitately can handle it sooner, but that doesn't mean it's deep cured.

My own results regarding using lacquer thinner in Testors enamels has given me super level and high gloss results. Thinning 1-1.. Also to mix odorless mineral spirits and hardware paint thinner together and thinning with that gives awesome results. Curing time is much the same as using the Testors thinner in that case. I haven't bought Testors thinners in decades. Maybe since around 1970.

[bill-e-boy]

Testors jar paint fine. I have used them for years but now mostly use lacquers.

In the video above he is using a big tip #2 and he can get away with 1:1 thinning. I use a Badger 200 with a finer tip and I need to thin the paint 1:1.5-2 paint to thinner ratio so that it will spray through the airbrush. I have used lacquer thinners, lighter fluid (clear spirit) and Testors - but that's a bit thin on the ground these days (pun intended) . I have also used a product called two-way thinners which can be used a a slower drying thinner for lacquers and enamel - PPG 4ltr code 0146/4L which you may not be able to get everywhere.

By type:

Lacquer thinners - speed up dry time and can produce a harder surface

Lighter fluid - again speeds up dry time and paint flows well

Testors - my go to for Testors enamels but down to last 1/2 can

Turps (mineral sprits, mineral turpentine) - I avoid and used to use for clean up (I now use lacqer thinners for this)

Two-way - like lacquer thinners but dry time is a little slower

I have not tried any of the Tamiya or Mr products with Testors so cannot comment on them

General - enamels take a long time to cure - weeks - so allow plenty of time if you want to colour sand and polish. A tip here - do the first colour sand grit and then leave the model to allow the paint to gas out some more then move onto finer grits until the last then leave for another day or two before applying polish. That is why I use lacquers these days as you do not have to wait so long between steps

 

 

 

[doorslammer68]

Thanks to everyone very much. I'll be back shortly with my 68 Roadrunner bracket car with pics.

[Dave G.]

14 hours ago, bill-e-boy said:

Testors jar paint fine. I have used them for years but now mostly use lacquers.

In the video above he is using a big tip #2 and he can get away with 1:1 thinning. I use a Badger 200 with a finer tip and I need to thin the paint 1:1.5-2 paint to thinner ratio so that it will spray through the airbrush. I have used lacquer thinners, lighter fluid (clear spirit) and Testors - but that's a bit thin on the ground these days (pun intended) . I have also used a product called two-way thinners which can be used a a slower drying thinner for lacquers and enamel - PPG 4ltr code 0146/4L which you may not be able to get everywhere.

By type:

Lacquer thinners - speed up dry time and can produce a harder surfaceH is relegated to acrylics now.

Lighter fluid - again speeds up dry time and paint flows well

Testors - my go to for Testors enamels but down to last 1/2 can

Turps (mineral sprits, mineral turpentine) - I avoid and used to use for clean up (I now use lacqer thinners for this)

Two-way - like lacquer thinners but dry time is a little slower

I have not tried any of the Tamiya or Mr products with Testors so cannot comment on them

General - enamels take a long time to cure - weeks - so allow plenty of time if you want to colour sand and polish. A tip here - do the first colour sand grit and then leave the model to allow the paint to gas out some more then move onto finer grits until the last then leave for another day or two before applying polish. That is why I use lacquers these days as you do not have to wait so long between steps

 

 

 

You bring up a good point, re tip size and thinning.

When I used automotive enamel reducer in Testors paints, it was back when Dupont was producing 3812 reducer, which I stocked for 1:1 painting before moving to acrylic enamel.. I thinned with that back then, and every paint I ever shot in an airbrush went through my Badger 200, which was either lacquer or enamel. Lacquer being thinned with Dupont 3661 LT.. My favorite tip was/is the Fine tip which is .25 on that brush. Lacquer and enamel got thinned so it flowed right through that tip. You just got to know the consistency, it wasn't even a ratio thing in my head at that time.

Flowquil paints got their own thinner.

Later, with years moving along, in fact decades, I got on to using acrylics, I then used the medium .5 tip in the 200 but quickly changed to a Paasche H.. Lately now, if I shoot Testors enamels I use the Paasche VL with #1 tip, which is also .5. My H is relegated to acrylics now using the #5 tip.The Badger stays with the .25 tip for lacquers. Between the three airbrushes I no longer change tips or needles, I just plug in a different airbrush using the quick connects I installed at the end of the hose.. Understand that this didn't all happen over night ! It's morphed into this over the last 50 years or so, maybe 55.

[Dave G.]

On a completely different note but still enamel. A couple of weeks ago I had decanted some Rustoleum 2x semigloss black into one of my mixing jars to store and have on hand. Today I put some of that in my Paasche VL metal side cup and sprayed the loose chassis parts to my 34 Ford pickup build. Along with the interior floor. The difference between airbrushing this stuff and using straight from the can is phenomenal, in terms of over spray, even application. Usually I add a slight bit more thinner to 2x, with this I did not, but the .5 tip handled it. That semigloss is pretty loose to begin with. In the mixing cup after all settles, the layer of pigment on the bottom isn't a whole lot. But it still could have stood an extra bit of lacquer thinner. It was fine for what I was doing though. It sprayed great through the airbrush and cleaned up super easy with hardware store lacquer thinner

Anyway, little Testors bottles aren't the only way lol. I had that can of black semigloss left over from a couple of summers ago, when I repainted a metal patio table and chairs.

Edited March 22 by Dave G.