Vallejo Model Color - How to thin for Airbrush??

[Warren]

Gentlemen,
I have been hand painting using mostly Vallejo Model Color. I am about to try using an airbrush. I know Vallejo Air Color is the preferred Vallejo
paint for an airbrush. However, I have an inventory of Vallejo Model Color that I do not want to discard. I have read about using Vallejo Color in airbrushing. What I understand are the following:
1. Do not thin with alcohol as this will change the paint into jelly consistency.
2. Use Vallejo retarder so as to minimize airbrush clogging since paint will dry very quickly.
3. Use Liquitex flow aid to help in easying the paint application.
4. Use a Vallejo thinner.

However, I was unable to ascertain how much of each to use in proportion to the paint. Mostly what ratio of thinner to paint to use.
If anyone use Vallejo Model Color in an airbrush I would appreciate your comments on how this is done. I plan to use an IWATA HP-C
airbrush with a .35mm needle to paint mostly 1/35 scale tanks and 1/48 scale aircraft.

Thanks.
Warren

[Avgas]

Start with 70/30 thinner to paint. I use Ultimate thinner or my own mix, these already have retardents and flow improvers. My own mix is half IPA, half distilled water and a dash of flow improver and retardent. I mix it up five litres at a time. I've never had any problem using alcohol and Model Colour. (By the way IPA is Isopropyl Alchohol, not India Pale Ale... )

[Paul]

Yep Ultimate thinner works great with Model colour, some other thinner turn it into mush, ours doesnt

[Warren]

Gentlemen,
I will try Ultimate thinner as soon as it is available at my hobby shop in the USA.
If I read your post correctly if using Ultimate no need to add Flow Aid, or paint retardents.
This is good news for me since I have a large inventory of Vallejo Model Colors.

Avagas, Paul thank you for your help.
Warren

[Warren]

PS to my above post. What PSI do you use?. Vallejo suggest 15 PSI, but that is for Vallejo Model Air, I would suspect that since Model Color is thicker
that 18 PSI would make sense. I plan to use a .35mm needle.

What PSI do you suggest I begin with, knowing not all Model Color paints are the same in composition.
Thanks.
Warren

[SergioSolo]

I use Model Color a lot. If you can get Ultimate thinner by all means I recommend you to do it, but if you can't wait then you can use distilled water. It's what I use, starting at 1:1 ratio (then I tweak the mix if necessary) and applied at around 20psi.