Thinning Out Touch-Up Paint

[ZeeOSix]

I have some Dupli-Color touch-up paint, the kind in the 1/2 oz bottle with the brush built into the cap. After some use, the paint starts to thicken up and it's harder to get a good touch-up result. It has to be semi-thin to work the best I've found. I was wondering if I could thin it back out by using the proper thinner.

I don't know if this paint is enamel or lacquer. The package says: "Contains toluene, ketones and acetates."

What kind of thinner would work properly to thin it back out? I planned on adding one drop at a time to the bottle until the viscosity was ideal again for touch-ups.

 

[dave123]

MEK
Acetone
Ethyl acetate
Normal butyl acetate
MIBK

 

[NMBurb02]

Any issues with adding more toluene?

 

[dave123]

Originally Posted By: NMBurb02
Any issues with adding more toluene?

Potentially yes might not be ideal.

 

[qwertydude]

The main thinner is going to be MEK. Having apprenticed in a paint shop a while back, I know Duplicolor paints and their particular smell tells me MEK is the best thinner for it, although lacquer thinner will work in a pinch I find that lacquer thinner will tend to cause some particular paints to separate if stored long term. MEK avoids this settling problem longer, let it sit long enough and it'll still separate but it will re-mix easier than with lacquer thinner.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Originally Posted By: qwertydude
The main thinner is going to be MEK. Having apprenticed in a paint shop a while back, I know Duplicolor paints and their particular smell tells me MEK is the best thinner for it ...


Where could I pick up a small amount of MEK?

One of the thinners listed by another member was acetone. Isn't finger nail polish remover basically acetone? Could I buy some finger nail polish remover and use it as a thinner in this paint?

 

[qwertydude]

Finger nail polish remover is not pure acetone. It has water and surfactants in it so you can't just use it. Pure acetone simply dries out and cracks your skin.

If you can't find small amounts of MEK, it's a thinner used mostly by paint shops so you'd only be able to find quarts of it at automotive paint supply shops.

So the next best thing to use is lacquer thinner. Even pure acetone just doesn't work right with those paints. Also lacquer thinner is widely available at Home Depot and Walmart. Home Depot only sells MEK substitute, may or may not work.

 

[ZeeOSix]

Looking on line at the local Lowe's and Home Depot stores, they show lacquer thinner and acetone as both being available. I'm assuming the acetone is pure, unlike fingernail polish remover.

Of the two, would the lacquer thinner still be the best choice to thin out the Dupli-Color touch-up paint?

 

[qwertydude]

Lacquer thinner is generally considered a universal solvent for paints, it's not an exact chemical but a mixture that's designed to work with most quick drying paints. That's DRYING not curing, two part paints like epoxy, urethane or acrylics based stuff is when you really need MEK. But general touch up paint lacquer thinner will work. MEK just works a tad bit better, MEK substitute most likely ethyl acetate just doesn't work right and lacquer thinner most likely will work better.

 

[ZeeOSix]

qwertydude - thanks for that info. I'll pick up some lacquer thinner then and give it a try since MEK is expensive and hard to come by. I only need a few drops of thinner, but I can probably use the lacquer thinner for other chores around the garage. I can get the lacquer thinner in 16 oz size, so don't have to buy a lot to get some.

 

[qwertydude]

I would be very careful with lacquer thinner. It's a very powerful solvent still and will craze plastics if you think to use it for things like removing sticker residue. Mineral spirits yes, good for sticker residue and safe for plastic.

Lacquer thinner is good for degreasing metal parts though.