Category: Hints & Tips

Reducing Viscosity: Acrylic and Lacquer Paint Solvent-to-Paint Ratio Countering the Vague Dairy Reference Social media abounds with decision fatigue when making up one’s mind as to properly thin paint for the perfect airbrush ratio. Often a vague reference is made about thinning paint to the consistency of milk or topping up the new glass bottle…

Lacquer Like Hard Finish No Tip Dry Acrylic Paint Thinning Dilution Rate Colours: 1:1 – 7:3; 3G Acrylic Thinner to Paint Metallics: 8:2; 3G Acrylic Thinner to Paint Primers: Thinners: AK 3G ACRYLIC THINNER or DISTILLED WATER 3G ACRYLIC THINNERAK11500 3G ACRYLICS PERFECT CLEANERAK11505 Reduces brush wake 3rd Gen Acrylic and Vallejo Airbrush Cleaner Skin…

BRITISH WW I SERVICE BROWN EQUIPMENT COLOUR 𝗣𝗶𝗴𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀Ground white lead – 38lbsStone ochre – 26lbs 8ozsBurnt Turkey Umber – 9lbs 8ozsGround lamp black – 12ozsPrussian blue – 12ozs 𝗙𝗶𝘅𝗲𝗿𝘀 & 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁Patent driers – 9lbs 8ozs (film-forming materials)Raw linseed oil – 2 galls 1 quart (drying-agent)Turpentine 3.5 – quarts, i.e., 7 pints (solvent) Produces 1 CWT…

to TAMIYA X-20 & X-20A THINNERS Thinners, also known as reducers, are complicated and confusing at the best of times. As if we don’t have enough thinners already, another thinner is becoming more prevalent. X-20 in the Blue Cap is for TAMIYA ENAMEL PAINT only. Comprised of White Spirits it doesn’t work with TAMIYA COLOR…

Lacquer Thinners: Notable Differences Blue/Yellow Label Mr.COLOR THINNER (Blue Label) and Mr.COLOR LEVELLING THINNER (Yellow Label) are identical products except for a levelling agent retarding drying time. The retarder allows the paint to level out along with prolonged outgassing to help reduce orange peel formation. Mr. LEVELING THINNER (Blue/Yellow Label) is added a ratio of…

DIORAMA TOOLS LUKAS Palette Knife There are palette knives, and then there are palette knives. This tooltip is about the latter. I’ve used three types of metal palette knives for diorama products including the LUKAS Palette Knife from Italy. Out of all the palette knives I’ve worked with, LUKAS by far is the best. In…

A Modelling Must Have MFG: Dongan Optical Co. USA OptiVISOR & OptiVISOR LX (AL)Working with the OptiVISOR for the past week or so, I find I am reaching for it all the time. It has completely transformed my modelling experience. I can’t imagine doing without one now. If reading glasses are also used for modelling,…

Tool Cleaning Tip Having professional tools to work with is a joy, perhaps more convenient, nevertheless, they don’t work any better than our rudimentary DIY tools. That being said, being a tool hound, I just can’t resist tool glam. The Problem Cleaning cyanoacrylate off tools is a chore, a real mess after repeated use. Setting…

MINERAL SPIRITS or VARSOL Regular (Diesel Smell – Sulphur) or Odourless A while ago, on a mission to purchase MINERAL SPIRITS in bulk to save on the pricy 35/100mL hobby-sized bottles, many confusing “paint thinner” options were encountered. In one major brand paint store, I was told VARSOL is the same thing as MINERAL SPIRITS.…

What Are They? Weathering Pencils are 37 Special non-toxic water pencil colours. Weathering Pencils can be described as a type of greasepaint in a pencil, specifically designed for creating modelling effects. The specialized composition is formulated from a water-soluble, non-acrylic, semi-grease-based wax composite formed into highly pigmented colour and metallic cores encased in wood. Weathering…