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Tamiya X-20 Thinner
richardzoo
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Oklahoma, United States
Member Since: June 09, 2008
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Posted: Monday, June 20, 2011 - 05:52 AM UTC
Hello Everyone. I am having a real problem finding Tamiya X-20 thinner. Can anyone help. I am unable to find it anywhere in the US. Did the Japan earthquake damage the Tamiya facilities? My next question: is there a substitute?
Spiderfrommars
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Posted: Monday, June 20, 2011 - 09:15 AM UTC
Well, actually Shizuoka prefecture wasn't hit by the tzunami but it may be a problem due by the port damages

Anyway is just an opinion.I've notice that on average has been getting quite hard to find tamiya stuff here in italy and I noticed it before the hearthquake

Anyway you can substitute x-20a thinner with common isopropyl alcohol (aka rubber alcohol)

cheers
old-dragon
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Posted: Monday, June 20, 2011 - 10:38 AM UTC
I tried too quite a few months ago and was told it was on backorder...long backorder. The LHS said they'd call me when it ever comes in since I put an order in for one.
Grauwolf
#084
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Posted: Monday, June 20, 2011 - 03:29 PM UTC
Ahoy Richard,
Just to clarify......X20 or X20A???

X20 for enamel paints can be subed with mineral spirits.
X20A for acrylics can be subed with a 90 to 100% Iso alcohol with no problem.
I add a drop of glycerin per 4oz.of the latter to break up surface tension.
Some have successfully used Tamiya lacquer thinner to thin Tamiya acrylics
but I have not yet tried this but it does work great according to reviews.
Cheers
Joe
viper29_ca
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Posted: Monday, June 20, 2011 - 04:40 PM UTC
Tamiya is currently re-labeling all of their products for the NA market, so pretty much everything is OOS until they start shipping them again. This started back in February, and was expected to be over by now, but the earthquake I am sure set them back.

Last I heard, items were supposed to start trickling back in late May or early June, here it is mid/late June....and nothing so far....so your guess is as good as mine.
Spiderfrommars
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Posted: Monday, June 20, 2011 - 07:16 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Ahoy Richard,
Just to clarify......X20 or X20A???

X20 for enamel paints can be subed with mineral spirits.
X20A for acrylics can be subed with a 90 to 100% Iso alcohol with no problem.
I add a drop of glycerin per 4oz.of the latter to break up surface tension.
Some have successfully used Tamiya lacquer thinner to thin Tamiya acrylics
but I have not yet tried this but it does work great according to reviews.
Cheers
Joe


Yes, I may misandrestand and as allways I do a mess

Which one is it?

Acrilyc thinner X20A withe cap



or Enamels thinner X20 blue cap ?



Anyway I agree.
You can substitute the x20 thinner with mineral spirit

Regarding the lacquer thinner it has a yellow cap



and its odour is disgusting indeed

cheers

richardzoo
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Posted: Tuesday, June 21, 2011 - 08:10 AM UTC
Wow, thank you for the information. I tried the alcohol 70% with glycerin and it works great. I had no idea Tamiya made the various thinners. I am using the X-20A and love the stuff. The cost if kind of high. After I purchased the alcohol I realized just how much money I will save. Thank you so much for the information. I have learned so much from reading the forums on Armorama. I never thought my modeling would improve the way it has. Thank you again and have a good day.
Happy modeling!!!
richardzoo
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Posted: Wednesday, June 22, 2011 - 02:49 AM UTC
The lacquer thinner that Tamiya sells is for the acrylic lines of paint? Can it be used for other lacquer paints or just Tamiya. I also heard that a large shipment of Tamiya products is due to enter the US soon. I will keep my fingers crossed.
Spiderfrommars
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Posted: Wednesday, June 22, 2011 - 05:31 AM UTC

Quoted Text

The lacquer thinner that Tamiya sells is for the acrylic lines of paint? Can it be used for other lacquer paints or just Tamiya. I also heard that a large shipment of Tamiya products is due to enter the US soon. I will keep my fingers crossed.


As far as i know (but to be honest i've never tried) you can use it to thin both, acrilycs and enamels paints.
It may be useful to thin all the lacquer paints, but if I were you i'd make some trials before.
Personally I use tamiya lacquer thinner to dilute the putty. It works well with tamiya basic putties (white and gray types) and can dilute gunze Mr surface (500,1000,1200....all of them)

cheers
SSGToms
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Posted: Friday, June 24, 2011 - 01:48 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Wow, thank you for the information. I tried the alcohol 70% with glycerin and it works great. I had no idea Tamiya made the various thinners. I am using the X-20A and love the stuff. The cost if kind of high. After I purchased the alcohol I realized just how much money I will save. Thank you so much for the information. I have learned so much from reading the forums on Armorama. I never thought my modeling would improve the way it has. Thank you again and have a good day.
Happy modeling!!!

Want to save even more money and have Tamiya acrylics shoot like a dream? Drop 99 cents on a bottle of blue windshield washer fluid. It contains iso and glycol alcohols and detergent to act as a wetting agent, plus water. It works great, it's all I use for Tamiya, MM Acryl, Pollyscale, and Gunze Aqueous. The blue color does not tint the paint, not even white. It dries slower than straight isopropyl alcohol, so it prevents pebbling and gives a nicer finish.
richardzoo
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Oklahoma, United States
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Posted: Sunday, June 26, 2011 - 05:00 AM UTC
I do have a gallon of wind shield washer fluid in the garage. I gave it a try on an old model I use to test paints. It worked great. I think with all of the money I can save I might purchase a new airbrush or a 1/16 scale Sherman. Thank you so much for all of the advice. I went from having only a little Tamiya thinner to gallons of other options. Thanks again.
ftauss
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Posted: Sunday, August 14, 2011 - 05:10 AM UTC
Over on Missing Lynx we were having a discussion about paints and according to the fellow who seemed quite knowledgeable Tamiya Acrylics, in fact most acrylics can be thinned successfully with lacquer thinner. It has to do with the pigments that they are engineered to tolerate water based thinners, but...

I dunno, haven't tried it yet. We just got through a move and I'm setting up my workspace. I am not always thrilled with how Tamiya thins so i'm going to try it.
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