Confused about Iwata's various lines....

Sure. Water is certainly a poor mans reducer only. A medium will be more superior as it gives the paint the much needed polymer injection.

Water is definitely not just "a poor man's reducer only" it can also be a "sick man's reducer", I have constant lung infections due to suffering from COPD, I have no choice but to stick to paints that are comfortable being thinned with water such as Golden, Com-Art, E'tac and Schminke Aerocolor, all of these can be thinned using nothing but water, if I don't want the paint to be too thin I can use either the transparent medium for each specific brand or, and this my preferred medium, Golden airbrush medium, although this medium will make the paint transparent this is not it's purpose, it's main purpose is to allow the user to use other non specific water based/acrylic paints through an airbrush, so you can add water colour paints, tube acrylics and even cake type water colours if you wet them up first to make them liquid, some heavier pigmented paints such as tube acrylics would be better through a larger nozzle, generally the cheaper the paint, the rougher the pigment will be.

Have a read through this.

I can't use any paints or reducers in the Createx ranges due to their mild solvent content, a mask doesn't help because it's not just spraying it that causes me problems but what remains suspended the air after spraying will cause me to cough my lungs up, obviously wearing a mask for 24 hours each day could be quite debilitating:confused::)
 
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This reminds me....it's a modelers trick but has been used for decades and continues to be used successfully and often with preference over mediums.
If the cost of the airbrush medium is a big issue its certainly worth a shot.
Future
or pledge with future shine
which i believe is currently called pledge floor care
https://www.amazon.com/Johnson-Pledge-Floor-Multi-Surface-Finish/dp/B000ARPH4C

It is simply an acrylic emulsion commonly used to thin all types of acrylics.
Don't know its availability in china, but its made there so..?
 
This reminds me....it's a modelers trick but has been used for decades and continues to be used successfully and often with preference over mediums.
If the cost of the airbrush medium is a big issue its certainly worth a shot.
Future
or pledge with future shine
which i believe is currently called pledge floor care
https://www.amazon.com/Johnson-Pledge-Floor-Multi-Surface-Finish/dp/B000ARPH4C

It is simply an acrylic emulsion commonly used to thin all types of acrylics.
Don't know its availability in china, but its made there so..?


When I was painting model cars I used to use car windshield washer fluid ( blue color) to thin my craft acrylic paints. Then for a final shine, I would spray Future floor shine all over it. They still look very good and the Future didn't turn yellow either.
 
Water is definitely not just "a poor man's reducer only" it can also be a "sick man's reducer", I have constant lung infections due to suffering from COPD, I have no choice but to stick to paints that are comfortable being thinned with water such as Golden, Com-Art, E'tac and Schminke Aerocolor, all of these can be thinned using nothing but water, if I don't want the paint to be too thin I can use either the transparent medium for each specific brand or, and this my preferred medium, Golden airbrush medium, although this medium will make the paint transparent this is not it's purpose, it's main purpose is to allow the user to use other non specific water based/acrylic paints through an airbrush, so you can add water colour paints, tube acrylics and even cake type water colours if you wet them up first to make them liquid, some heavier pigmented paints such as tube acrylics would be better through a larger nozzle, generally the cheaper the paint, the rougher the pigment will be.

Have a read through this.

I can't use any paints or reducers in the Createx ranges due to their mild solvent content, a mask doesn't help because it's not just spraying it that causes me problems but what remains suspended the air after spraying will cause me to cough my lungs up, obviously wearing a mask for 24 hours each day could be quite debilitating:confused::)
Malky, sorry to hear about your COPD condition. I am spraying only with water based / acrylics, but even that can be taxing if the room is not aired well. And, thanks for your link to the Golden "manual" - that's very helpful indeed.
 
... and now we have arrived at the topic of homemade media, using Windex or other "detergents". I have not tried that yet as i am afraid i accidentally pick up one that is ammonia-based (i hear they will mess up your airbrush), so i don't want to risk that quite yet.
 
... and now we have arrived at the topic of homemade media, using Windex or other "detergents". I have not tried that yet as i am afraid i accidentally pick up one that is ammonia-based (i hear they will mess up your airbrush), so i don't want to risk that quite yet.
No need to use windex or those others as reducer. If you were using wicked or something, i do have a cheap option for making 4012 but you are using golden, a straight water based acrylic. I personally would have no issues with the "future" 50/50 w water as it is one of the old homebrews that has not been abandoned, even with the availability of commercial products and is just an acrylic emulsion not a cleaner.
But of course, do what you are comfortable with.
 
No need to use windex or those others as reducer. If you were using wicked or something, i do have a cheap option for making 4012 but you are using golden, a straight water based acrylic. I personally would have no issues with the "future" 50/50 w water as it is one of the old homebrews that has not been abandoned, even with the availability of commercial products and is just an acrylic emulsion not a cleaner.
But of course, do what you are comfortable with.
So 50% water and 50% future is used as...a reducer or trans base. Funny, I have two bottles of that future from like 5 years ago for something totally different. And you would use it with golden high flow? I have some golden trans medium on the way but I’m like a mad scientist I love to experiment with home brews..lol
 
So 50% water and 50% future is used as...a reducer or trans base. Funny, I have two bottles of that future from like 5 years ago for something totally different. And you would use it with golden high flow? I have some golden trans medium on the way but I’m like a mad scientist I love to experiment with home brews..lol

I would, If you search around you find about 100 different articles and tons of references of other people using it basically the same way you would use goldens medium. Most of what i saw was a 50/50 mix as they said that the future alone didnt thin it much.
As @RichardH said, a lot of people use it to clear coat as well, including don from dons airbrush tips if i recall.

For wicked I simply ordered 500ml pure 2-butoxyethanol for $25 which goes into water at a max of 20% to make 4012 and if i need 4020 i add 5% acetone.
 
I would, If you search around you find about 100 different articles and tons of references of other people using it basically the same way you would use goldens medium. Most of what i saw was a 50/50 mix as they said that the future alone didnt thin it much.
As @RichardH said, a lot of people use it to clear coat as well, including don from dons airbrush tips if i recall.

For wicked I simply ordered 500ml pure 2-butoxyethanol for $25 which goes into water at a max of 20% to make 4012 and if i need 4020 i add 5% acetone.
Very cool..I’ve stocked up on 4012 because I have a hobby lobby about a mile away and I visit after work most days and always seem to come home with 4012 and use the 40% off coupon. I think I get a bottle for like 8 bucks. I think I have 5-6 8 oz bottles already...lol
 
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