Humbrol thinners

[JohnD]

It's very expensive in the tiny bottles. What is it? I seem to remember that white spirit doesn't work. I need it for thinning and for brush cleaning

TIA

 

[footprints]

Pretty sure I have cleaned brushes in white spirit before OK after painting models. Perhaps though the thinner is genuine turpentine.

 

[EddieM]

It's very expensive in the tiny bottles. What is it? I seem to remember that white spirit doesn't work. I need it for thinning and for brush cleaning

TIA

Just enamel thinner, you can get decent quantities for a reasonable amount on ebay (other auctions are available)

 

[onetenor]

It's very expensive in the tiny bottles. What is it? I seem to remember that white spirit doesn't work. I need it for thinning and for brush cleaning

TIA

Just enamel thinner, you can get decent quantities for a reasonable amount on ebay (other auctions are available)

TRY TURPS SUBSTITUTE. IT IS BETTER AS PAINT AND ENAMEL THINNER. PAINT THINNED WITH WHITE SPIRIT TAKES LONGER TO DRY . BUT DOES USUALLY CLEAN BRUSHES ARE YOU SURE YOU WEREN'T USING DENATURED WHITE SPIRIT LANGLOW FOR INSTANCE THAT CLEANS BRUSHES BUT DOES NOT THIN PAINT OR ENAMEL IT IS A GREENER BRUSH CLEANER IN THE PAST I HAVE ADDED A small AMOUNT OF CELLULOSE THINNER TO ENAMEL BUT YOU THEN HAVE TO WATCH WHAT SURFACES YOU USE IT ON

 

[ChrisR]

If you mean the Cellulose Humbrol thinners it's a surprisingly complex mix. I had a chem eng mate who worked where they made it. You'd think it would be little polar molecules, acetone etc, but it's not.
If you buy 5 litres it's not an unreasonable price, so you could try asking your friendly neighborhood car spray place to fill a small tin for you. It comes in different "speeds" - which they choose to suit the paint type and thickness they need.

 

[JohnD]

I have plenty of Car-Plan cellulose thinners, but the Humbrol doesn't smell to me like cellulose paint. I want to use it for some lettering on the engine castings.

 

[onetenor]

I have plenty of Car-Plan cellulose thinners, but the Humbrol doesn't smell to me like cellulose paint. I want to use it for some lettering on the engine castings.

You are quite right the Enamel doesn't smell the same as cellulose paint as they are made with different solvents and pigments However oil based paints and enamels can be let down i.e. thinned , a little with cellulose thinners or acetone,amyl acetate. I have found this by testing many years ago. when you have thinned enamels this way you have to be cautious about which surfaces you apply it to. For instance you could lift enamels ,or oil based paints and cause crackling on some plastics. Painting onto metals should be absolutely safe. The" faster " the thinners the sharper it as it evaporates more quickly and has a greater solvent effect. I suggest you experiment for yourself and test out on various surfaces Do not use on foams or you end up with foam glue which glues balsa ,ply etc very well Also some fabrics like Rayon. Celanese may be soluble in thinners too. I used to dissolve rayon to make glue when I ran out of cement in the 50 s. Have fun .