Acrylic Paint

[peteski]

The alcohol will reduce the surface tension of the paint.  This should allow it to flow out and avoid thick areas better around corners and edges (detail areas like molded ladders, mesh screens, etc.).  Lower surface tension should also help the paint wet out over dirty and contaminated surfaces.  However, good cleaning and surface prep should take care of those issues.

Scott

That is well and good but if it also curdles some brands of paint then it is not really useful in those instances.

[Blazeman]

Question: Is water recovered from A/C dehumidifier outlet hose "pure" water?

[GaryHinshaw]

Not in a predictable way.  That would be water that condensed out of the air onto the cold condenser pipes, so it's basically rain water.

[C855B]

Question: Is water recovered from A/C dehumidifier outlet hose "pure" water?

I've given this some thought over the years myself, with the conclusion that I wouldn't count on it. The water itself starts pure, but by the time it collects on the tubing, drips away and makes its way to the outlet or bucket, it has picked-up small amounts of manufacturing lubricants, aluminum oxides and aluminum salts from the condenser tubing. There's also the dust settling out from the passing air stream.

Now if it was designed to distill water for purified uses, it would have a food-grade stainless steel condenser and collection path, and a HEPA filter on the air intake. But a consumer-grade dehumidifier?... unlikely.

[ednadolski]

I've given this some thought over the years myself, with the conclusion that I wouldn't count on it. The water itself starts pure, but by the time it collects on the tubing, drips away and makes its way to the outlet or bucket, it has picked-up small amounts of manufacturing lubricants, aluminum oxides and aluminum salts from the condenser tubing. There's also the dust settling out from the passing air stream.

Now if it was designed to distill water for purified uses, it would have a food-grade stainless steel condenser and collection path, and a HEPA filter on the air intake. But a consumer-grade dehumidifier?... unlikely.

For airbrushing, I make my own distilled water by combining purifed oxygen and hydrogen in a fuel cell from an old Apollo Service Module that I bought from a NASA surplus sale.  As a side benefit, it also generates the electricity to run my spray booth fan.   

Ed

[peteski]

Dehunidifier water is not very clean.  First of all, it had lots of dust and dead skin particles from the ambient air, then it has some metal and maybe even rust in it from contact with the evaporator inside the dehumidifier.

Is it really that difficult to get distilled water where you guys live?  My supermarket has gallons and gallons of this stuff right next to the gallon bottles of spring water. It also only costs about a buck a gallon.  If not at a supermarket, the local drug store should have distilled water readily available.  A gallon should last you a long time.

Personally I think this distilled water thing is slightly overblown.  Unless your tap water is either rusty or has lots of minerals in it, it should be perfectly fine to use as paint thinner.

[kondor]

Well after years of air brushing with various brands of paint I have finally come to the realization to use the manufactures recommended product. I have used alcohol and it curdled my good bottle of paint. If I am using Tamiya I use their thinners, Vallejo then use theirs too and so on.
Rod.

 I have noticed that within Vallejo's lines, some paints react differently to alcohol or Windex as well. So like Rod mentioned, I generally stick to what the manufacturer recommends.  Sometimes for hand brushing Vallejo paints i'll use water, tap or distilled, when that's what's within arm's reach.

[peteski]

I have noticed that within Vallejo's lines, some paints react differently to alcohol or Windex as well. So like Rod mentioned, I generally stick to what the manufacturer recommends.  Sometimes for hand brushing Vallejo paints i'll use water, tap or distilled, when that's what's within arm's reach.

That to me is by far the best advice which has been repeated throughout this thread.

The old-school stinky organic-based paints are fairly compatible with generic thinners, water-based acrylics seem to be less compatible with generic thinners.

[amato1969]

It's tough to beat Vallejo for brush work; water works just fine to cut it.

For airbrushing, the Vallejo thinner is just what the doctor ordered; I use it with Tamiya and my stash of Pollyscale.

  Frank

[kondor]

I got back into plastic modeling recently and was very intrigued by the convenient Vallejo paints. However I went back to Tamiya (and painting with it thinned for the first time in my life!) and that stuff makes me regret buying Vallejo!.  But that's totally personal preference.

I'm just getting into model railroading and I look forward to trying Polyscale and TruColor. I have heard they brush and spray very well.

[peteski]

I got back into plastic modeling recently and was very intrigued by the convenient Vallejo paints. However I went back to Tamiya (and painting with it thinned for the first time in my life!) and that stuff makes me regret buying Vallejo!.  But that's totally personal preference.

I'm just getting into model railroading and I look forward to trying Polyscale and TruColor. I have heard they brush and spray very well.

Tamiya acrylic paints are sort of a hybrid between water based and organic-solvent based paints.  They use isopropyl alcohol as solvent.

If you weaned yourself from the old-school stinky paints you might not like TruColor.   The are acetone-based and quite pungent.  But they are really good. Very durable, go on in very thin layer, dry fast and hard, and give a decal-ready finish.  They are excellent for airbrushing but I never tried to hand-brush them. The seem a bit thin for that.

[central.vermont]

Personally I think this distilled water thing is slightly overblown.  Unless your tap water is either rusty or has lots of minerals in it, it should be perfectly fine to use as paint thinner.

You never know..................look at what's going on in Flint Michigan.!!

Jon

[kondor]

Tamiya acrylic paints are sort of a hybrid between water based and organic-solvent based paints.  They use isopropyl alcohol as solvent.

If you weaned yourself from the old-school stinky paints you might not like TruColor.   The are acetone-based and quite pungent.  But they are really good. Very durable, go on in very thin layer, dry fast and hard, and give a decal-ready finish.  They are excellent for airbrushing but I never tried to hand-brush them. The seem a bit thin for that.

Thanks Pete!
I recall using Tamiya as a kid. Hand brushing without thinning, before I knew better.   I've stuck with the Tamiya thinner with excellent results. I bought a bunch of dropper bottles and I transfer the Tamiya paints into them and sometimes thin them a little with the thinner I'm using to rinse out the Tamiya jar.

The stink of strong solvent based paints don't really bother me plus I have a home made spray booth.

[nickelplate759]

Tamiya acrylic paints are sort of a hybrid between water based and organic-solvent based paints.  They use isopropyl alcohol as solvent.

If you weaned yourself from the old-school stinky paints you might not like TruColor.   The are acetone-based and quite pungent.  But they are really good. Very durable, go on in very thin layer, dry fast and hard, and give a decal-ready finish.  They are excellent for airbrushing but I never tried to hand-brush them. The seem a bit thin for that.

I too am a big fan of TruColor.  Pete's right - they glossy spray-ready paint doesn't brush well.  However, they also make a brushable flat line of paints - which doesn't spray hardly at all unless you thin the heck out of it (like about 1:1).

George

[Genetk44]

It's tough to beat Vallejo for brush work; water works just fine to cut it.

For airbrushing, the Vallejo thinner is just what the doctor ordered; I use it with Tamiya and my stash of Pollyscale.

  Frank

Frank...question...I just want a clarification please...are you saying that Vallejo thinner works ok with Tamiya paint???

Cheers
Gene