Reducers & additives (floorwax, windowcleaners etc.)

[Diabolicum]

Hi greetings from Finland and sorry for my english

I just expanded my drawing & painting hobby to airbrushes and I´m reading huge amounts of information about this fine art.
I bought Badger Renegade Velocity & Patriot + Sparmax AC-100 compressor from my friend and got also Createx Wicked Colours (Detail-series).
I´m reading a lot about additives and some people mix floorwax and/or window cleaner to their paints. Is there any real reason to do this or is it only some kind of DIY reducer?
At the moment I´m using Createx reducers for the Wicked paints.

Does anyone know what´s in the Medea airbrush cleaner? I was wondering if I can use normal household window cleaner ( Ajax etx.) to do the job...window cleaner is much cheaper and easier to find.

What else should I by besides the paints and reducer? I know some materials require basing but painting on a normal paper/ cardboard can be painted for example black before the actual painting.

Thanx infront !

 

[shadow2462]

Hello and welcome, I am new to this myself however after all the research I have done on the use of windex,windolene, and any other brand you may find you will end up with a 50/50 split on opinions wether to use or not. I personally at this time use valejo acrylics since it is readily available to me same day if needed and since it a water based paint I only thin with straight tap water but for clean up I use a 50/50 mix of windex and water in a ultrasonic cleaner. The reason you will get different opinions is due to some brushes have rubber o rings and seals and to not last from using thinners and strong chemicals, and some use Teflon seal which are not affected by the chemicals. This is just my opinion but if you can only use thinner to remove heavy build up or a problem it would be more cost effective and user friendly on your equipment. If brushes are cleaned properly you shuld rarely have a need for chemicals. Good luck!

 

[donec]

Hi Diabolicum and welcome from central Texas USA.


I also am totally new to airbrushing but from my research and from what the President of Badger airbrush Ken Schlotfeldt says you need to avoid using anything with ammonia in it. To me that means most window cleaners are out. Also he says the best for a beginner is to reduce with distilled water if you are going to reduce your paint and not use it right away, but if you are going to use it all in that session then tap water would be fine. To me this makes sense due to the minerals in tap water. I saw a youtube where a person was using alcohol to remove acrylic paint that had dried on his project and the alcohol turned the paint into a slimy mess which he then wiped off. That doesn't sound like a good thing to reduce/thin paint with to me.


There is a good youtube by Iwata that goes through cleaning your airbrush with fingernail polish/acetone, but the way they do it on the youtube you don't soak it and never get it on the seals. I found watching the Iwata cleaning youtube helps me know what I need on hand to clean an airbrush.


Again this is not knowledge speaking but the results of my research and my opinion. Hope this helps.

 

[shadow2462]

Yes, I forgot to mention ...the windex I use has no ammonia, no vinegar, and no phophates!!! You have to read what you buy because most brands contain either ammonia or vinegar including "windex" however they also make without those ingredients. Best advise is do your own research and make your decision based on it.

 

[MeeshellMP]

In a pinch I have used Windex. Have had no problems with it. Have also used it for cleaner.

 

[AndreZA]

I got this new local household cleaner. It is ammonia and bleach free and will not do anything to aluminium either. I reduce it 3:1 and it cleans like crazy. I have testes it by leaving a rubber o-ring, a teflon ring and a badger head assembly in the undiluted liquid for a week and all was still in perfect condition. Even Iwata cleaner discolours brass if you leave it in for a few hours. I want to try and mixt my paint with this "wonder stuff" and see how it holds up. But it is pink so I hope it does not discolour the paint.

 

[Slowmow]

I got this new local household cleaner. It is ammonia and bleach free and will not do anything to aluminium either. I reduce it 3:1 and it cleans like crazy. I have testes it by leaving a rubber o-ring, a teflon ring and a badger head assembly in the undiluted liquid for a week and all was still in perfect condition. Even Iwata cleaner discolours brass if you leave it in for a few hours. I want to try and mixt my paint with this "wonder stuff" and see how it holds up. But it is pink so I hope it does not discolour the paint.

Appolgies for resurrecting an old post.

Andre what is this "pink" thing you are talking about, is it Pink Clean?

 

[AndreZA]

Slowmow, I get the stuff from the local fleamarket but I think it's the same stuff Builder's Warehouse is selling as "Pink Clean" or pink something.

 

[Slowmow]

Andre, if its Pink Clean, then I got it made as I work for the distributer of it. We are selling it in 5L's

 

[ko.]

Homemade Reducer Use this without the glycerin for cleaning and with for reducer.. I personally dont use it for reducer anymore (whatever is recommended by manufacturer now) but as a cleaner it rocks.. this IS the original recipe this type of window cleaners can be found at any auto parts store because amonia DOES EAT CHROME and it isnt slow