Windex as an acrylic thinner

[CY343491]

Hi all,

I saw that some folks using windex or another brand windshield cleaners as acrylic thinner.
Have anybody used it before, is it an effective method?

By the way, in my researches early times Windex was including a lot of IPA, then they've reduced the ratio of IPA in terms of human health.

 

[Jim62]

I've not heard of that one before. Those can both be used to clean an airbrush with acrylic paint but I stick with straight IPA for that.

 

[unclepine]

What is it with these people pushing Windex as a thinner/cleaner for airbrushing...??!! Windex with Ammonia WILL EAT your airbrush innards up over time and is intended to CLEAN CAR WINDOWS...NOT airbrushes...!! I know I am sorta yelling here, but I've been airbrushing for over 30 years...I teach it, I repair brushes, and I NEVER use WINDEX. I am old school. If I use Vallejo paint I use Vallejo thinner. If I use Tamiya paint...you get the idea. Some folks claim it's way cheaper than buying the proprietary thinners. Suit yourself, but when some of my students come cryin to me their gun don't work like it used to, and I look inside to see the surfaces all pitted from constant ultrasonic cleaning in ammonia...well, don't say I told ya so. IPA is fine for general cleaning, and can be used in a pinch to thin, say Tamiya paint. The reason I don't use off the shelf cleaners, is because they DO NOT contain any chems that help the paint flow, level, and generally WORK like it's supposed to. Many will argue the point that it works for them...fine. All I am saying is thet when you are a novice, stick to KNOWN products. That way if there is a problem, at least you can look elsewhere for issues knowing you at least have the right paint/thinner combo to begin with...nuff said. All naysayers feel free to rip me apart should you choose...LOL...!!!

unclepine
Winnipeg

 

[blakeh1]

The reason I don't use off the shelf cleaners, is because they DO NOT contain any chems that help the paint flow, level, and generally WORK like it's supposed to

That is the main reason I stick to the proprietary thinners. Like you said, Vallejo thinner for Valejo, Tamiya thinner for Tamiya etc..

An exception I might make is a similar type of paint formula. For example, I would use Vallejo thinners with something like Army Painter acrylics since they are both water based and are nearly interchangeable as far as mixing the two paints together. I however would not use Vallejo thinner with Tamiya or Tamiya thinner with Valejo since Tamiya's acrylics are alcohol based for thinning and the two do not really mix well

 

[the Baron]

If you soak your brush in it, then sure, ammonia will attack the chrome. But generally for cleaning, we just blow a little through the brush. I've used a little ammonia after shooting Future, and followed that up with water to rinse. At that rate, I'll be gone before the chrome is. I also clean the brush by shooting lacquer thinner, mineral spirits, or SuperClean through it, followed shooting water through it.

As far as using Windex to clean the brush goes, I'd just use a weak ammonia solution, and not soak the brush in it, just rinse.

As far as using Windex-or ammonia-as a thinner goes, no, I wouldn't use it as a thinner. I'm with unclepine, I prefer to use proprietary thinners, particularly with Tamiya acrylics. Though in the case of water-soluable colors Andrea, Vallejo Model Color (NOT Model Air), water-based craft-store acrylic paints, and Lifecolor, I'll use water to thin them.

With Testor and the old Model Master enamels, I use generic mineral spirits. With lacquers, I use a generic lacquer thinner. I haven't had any problems with them.

Note, too, that not all acrylics are the same, especially that "acrylic" doesn't mean "water-based". I won't go into more detail, because there are several excellent threads on the topic here in the forum. Momo wrote the best one, as I recall.

 

[unclepine]

the Baron said one very important thing that I missed, and that is that just because it says 'acrylic" on the bottle, DOES NOT mean it's water based. There are many paints out there called "acrylic lacquers", which to some of my customers that frequent our LHS, are confused... to say the least...! Do a little research you will sort yerself out.

unclepine

 

[Jim62]

What is it with these people pushing Windex as a thinner/cleaner for airbrushing...??!! Windex with Ammonia WILL EAT your airbrush innards up over time and is intended to CLEAN CAR WINDOWS...NOT airbrushes...!! I know I am sorta yelling here, but I've been airbrushing for over 30 years...I teach it, I repair brushes, and I NEVER use WINDEX. I am old school. If I use Vallejo paint I use Vallejo thinner. If I use Tamiya paint...you get the idea. Some folks claim it's way cheaper than buying the proprietary thinners. Suit yourself, but when some of my students come cryin to me their gun don't work like it used to, and I look inside to see the surfaces all pitted from constant ultrasonic cleaning in ammonia...well, don't say I told ya so. IPA is fine for general cleaning, and can be used in a pinch to thin, say Tamiya paint. The reason I don't use off the shelf cleaners, is because they DO NOT contain any chems that help the paint flow, level, and generally WORK like it's supposed to. Many will argue the point that it works for them...fine. All I am saying is thet when you are a novice, stick to KNOWN products. That way if there is a problem, at least you can look elsewhere for issues knowing you at least have the right paint/thinner combo to begin with...nuff said. All naysayers feel free to rip me apart should you choose...LOL...!!!

unclepine
Winnipeg

Good rant

 

[the Baron]

the Baron said one very important thing that I missed, and that is that just because it says 'acrylic" on the bottle, DOES NOT mean it's water based. There are many paints out there called "acrylic lacquers", which to some of my customers that frequent our LHS, are confused... to say the least...! Do a little research you will sort yerself out.

unclepine

I think people's heads would explode today, if they saw the old Pactra water-soluable acrylic enamel paints.

 

[Pantherman]

That is the main reason I stick to the proprietary thinners. Like you said, Vallejo thinner for Valejo, Tamiya thinner for Tamiya etc..

An exception I might make is a similar type of paint formula. For example, I would use Vallejo thinners with something like Army Painter acrylics since they are both water based and are nearly interchangeable as far as mixing the two paints together. I however would not use Vallejo thinner with Tamiya or Tamiya thinner with Valejo since Tamiya's acrylics are alcohol based for thinning and the two do not really mix well

I do much the same. Yes it's more expensive but I have had very few issues.
Pantherman