I have a wash question

[Tatooine_Todd]

To get this clear in my head I need some advice. I sprayed my Maschinen Kreiger "Snake Eyes" in a Model Master Laquer gloss over-coat and next step is a wash.

My question to un-confuse myself, is Tamiya thinner a "laquer thinner" and the wrong thinner to use on the wash? If so, then I plan to use the testor's brush cleaner, thinner and enamel paint for the wash colors.

Please help clear my "wash" fog.
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[Boba Flint]

Tamiya makes two kinds of paints, enamel and acrylic. Most hobby stores stock the acrylic paint. So using either would be ok.

 

[Tatooine_Todd]

Tamiya makes two kinds of paints, enamel and acrylic. Most hobby stores stock the acrylic paint. So using either would be ok.

I ended up using the enamel and it worked perfectly.

 

[Boba Flint]

Excellent! :thumbsup

 

[JMChladek]

Tamiya's X-20A thinner is acrylic. They also make a lacquer thinner which at least in the states is called "lacquer thinner". I wouldn't really recommend using airbrush thinner for washes since it tends to be hotter stuff than a brush cleaner. Enamel thinner works okay for enamel washes over acrylic and some lacquer based paints (although one might have to be careful as I think an enamel clear coat can cause some issues with lacquer base paint, but I am not entirely sure on that).

If you do an acrylic wash, it is best to just use water as a thinning agent, but add a small drop of soap to it (can be hand soap or dish soap and it just has to be a very tiny drop) to break the surface tension of the water. Otherwise the droplets will bead up on a painted model surface like rain drops on a freshly waxed car. With the soap droplet, the wash will flow into the recesses rather nicely.

 

[Sean Hebein]

If you do an acrylic wash, it is best to just use water as a thinning agent, but add a small drop of soap to it (can be hand soap or dish soap and it just has to be a very tiny drop) to break the surface tension of the water. Otherwise the droplets will bead up on a painted model surface like rain drops on a freshly waxed car. With the soap droplet, the wash will flow into the recesses rather nicely.

Nice tip! I'm bookmarking that in my brain for later use.