WHAT IS TAMIYA LACQUER THINNER?

[Roger Holmes]

I mostly use acrylic paints for brush painting but I recently bought a jar of lacquer based Tamiya Dull Red to use to touch up a large project that is sprayed with Tamiya Dull Red.  I will need to clean my brushes frequently and see that Tamiya has a thinner which they advertise as useful for cleaning painting tools. Rather than chase down and order a bottle, is there a generic substitute that I can buy at a big box store?  I have a bottle of Testor's brush cleaner that I have been using for years to clean brushes when I paint with enamels but it smells like turpentine and I doubt that it is compatible with lacquers.

Thanks!

[Chris333]

You can get lacquer thinner at any hardware store.

I use Acetone to clean brushed because it works on any type of paint.


There are 3 types of people in this world. Those who can count and those who can't 

[Roger Holmes]

Thank, Chris-- I am going to the pharmacy this afternoon to pick up some prescriptions and will pick up a bottle.  My wife said I could use hers (fingernail polish remover) until I told her that I would be cleaning my paint brushes in it.

[peteski]

While it makes sense to use thinners that are the same brand as the paints (like Tamiya or Tru-Colro Paints), for cleanups any generic lacquer thinner works very well. Lacquer thinner is actually a blend of multiple solvents and some brands of lacquer thinners do have acetone. I prefer using lacquer thinners to acetone  because  to me acetone evaporates too fast.

[Chris333]

Fingernail polish remover is Acetone.

I also have a gallon of M.E.K. to glue styrene together. I have the little Testors bottle with the brush in the lid and I keep refilling it with MEK.

[Sokramiketes]

Fingernail polish remover is Acetone.

I also have a gallon of M.E.K. to glue styrene together. I have the little Testors bottle with the brush in the lid and I keep refilling it with MEK.

Did you have to adjust your technique at all with the MEK?  I like the wetted staying power of the Testors.  I seem to remember MEK flashing off quickly.  But its been awhile since I tried it. 

[Chris333]

Been using it for so long now...

It is strong and I like that. If it is melting too much I just blow on it and it dries/quits melting. I even brush it on after sanding to get rid of the fuzz.

[Roger Holmes]

The pharmasist fixed me up with acetone that doesn't contain any moisturizers like finger nail polish remover does.  Heading up to my shop tp try it out.

[nickelplate759]

you can also buy Acetone by the quart at many hardware stores - helpfully kept right alongside lacquer thinner.

[Roger Holmes]

Good news X 2.  First, the Tamiya jar paint is a dead-on match with the spray paint.  Second, my paint brush was totally clean after a few swishes in the acetone.

[peteski]

Yes, Lacquer Thinner, Paint Thinner, Mineral Spirits, Acetone, VM&P Naphtha, (MEK ini some areas of the country), Isopropanol99 (IPA) and few other solvents are available in the paints section of any hardware store,  and available in Quart and Gallon containers.

Roger, good call on getting pure acetone, because nail polish removed often have additives unwanted for our use.  But the hardware store thinners are usually available cheaper than what's available in grocery or drug stores. 

[MK]

The pharmasist fixed me up with acetone that doesn't contain any moisturizers like finger nail polish remover does.  Heading up to my shop tp try it out.

What kind of pharmacy does acetone compounding?   

[Roger Holmes]

He found it on the public shelf in the over the counter medicine section of the local Hy-Vee  They also had it in the cosmetics department but that one had moisturizers.  It looks like the 16 oz bottle that I bought will last for the remainder of my modeling years.

[Iain]

He found it on the public shelf in the over the counter medicine section of the local Hy-Vee  They also had it in the cosmetics department but that one had moisturizers.  It looks like the 16 oz bottle that I bought will last for the remainder of my modeling years.

alas, it will likely evaporate sooner than you expect.

[peteski]

The hardware store variety of acetone I buy comes in metal cans so evaporation is not an issue. But it might not be the same for plastic bottles.