Author Topic: Cheap thinner ?? (Read 2054 times)

Allan Perret · « **on:** February 13, 2009, 08:36:25 PM »

So what would happen if you used cheap lacquer thinner (like the general purpose stuff they sell at Home Depot) in Sig or Brodak dope. How would it affect the finish?

John Miller · « **Reply #1 on:** February 13, 2009, 09:01:10 PM »

I've used it with clear Brodaks. It seemed to work OK, but may have problems with the colored stuff. I had to as I ran out of the "good stuff."

Mark Scarborough · « **Reply #2 on:** February 13, 2009, 10:22:35 PM »

Ok, John, I love ya man, but, I gotta disagree, cheap thinner is rocket fuel, it does not have the components needed to allow the clear to flow, and to keep the surface open long enough for the solvents to evacuate the surface. It will likely lead to shrinking, and eveutually showing scratchs and other issues. It will also degrade the gloss of the clear even after buffing. Its NOT the place to save money. How many hours have you invested in your beauty? how much money have you invested in motor, hardware and balsa? and you want to save ten bucks using cheap thinner? please, do yourself a favor, use the products that are designed to work together. Its like using RC coolaid fuel in your 400 dollar custom built bar stock super stunt motor to save 5 bucks on fuel, its false economy and you may even get away with it for a while, but it will come back to bite you.

John Miller · « **Reply #3 on:** February 13, 2009, 10:55:34 PM »

I agree with you Mark, my man, but it was one of those times when no decent thinner was available. It would be a minimum of 3 days, or more to get more of the good stuff.

It did work, not as nice as the good stuff, but it did work for the little bit I had left to do. Of course, I didn't use it for the clear coats, but on the base coats.

If it wasn't for the fact that I had to "get'r dun", I would have waited for the UPS truck.

Leo Mehl · « **Reply #4 on:** February 14, 2009, 02:31:01 PM »

Quote from: John Miller on February 13, 2009, 10:55:34 PM

I agree with you Mark, my man, but it was one of those times when no decent thinner was available. It would be a minimum of 3 days, or more to get more of the good stuff.

It did work, not as nice as the good stuff, but it did work for the little bit I had left to do. Of course, I didn't use it for the clear coats, but on the base coats.

If it wasn't for the fact that I had to "get'r dun", I would have waited for the UPS truck.

If you are talking about sunnyside laquer thinner it will work better if you add menthal ethal ketone with it. this will cut into the last coat a little better but I agree with mark. Use one brand and stick with it. you will have less problems. Emergencies are a different matter.

Randy Ryan · « **Reply #5 on:** February 14, 2009, 07:49:58 PM »

Quote from: Mark Scarborough on February 13, 2009, 10:22:35 PM

Ok, John, I love ya man, but, I gotta disagree, cheap thinner is rocket fuel, it does not have the components needed to allow the clear to flow, and to keep the surface open long enough for the solvents to evacuate the surface. It will likely lead to shrinking, and eveutually showing scratchs and other issues. It will also degrade the gloss of the clear even after buffing. Its NOT the place to save money. How many hours have you invested in your beauty? how much money have you invested in motor, hardware and balsa? and you want to save ten bucks using cheap thinner? please, do yourself a favor, use the products that are designed to work together. Its like using RC coolaid fuel in your 400 dollar custom built bar stock super stunt motor to save 5 bucks on fuel, its false economy and you may even get away with it for a while, but it will come back to bite you.

Finished with Brodak clear and lacquer thinner from a local department store, only 2 coats at that.

Ralph Wenzel (d) · « **Reply #6 on:** February 14, 2009, 08:28:56 PM »

Cheap thinner is great for cleaning brushes and spray guns. I won't use it in dope or epoxy, at all. By the time I have a plane finished, the extra cost of using the proper thinner is nickels and dimes; it's just not worth the risk!

Wayne Collier · « **Reply #7 on:** February 15, 2009, 12:38:42 PM »

Keep in mind that not all cheap thinner is alike. I've heard that Sunnyside makes a decent cheap thinner, but I've never used it. I bought a can of Crown thinner a while back and wasn't very happy with it. The thought does cross my mind (especially after reading Leo's post) that a knowledgable person might start with cheap thinner and add MEK and or acetone to get a good thinner, but then it may not be cheap anymore.

Mark Scarborough · « **Reply #8 on:** February 15, 2009, 01:04:33 PM »

I understand that if you are in a pinch you may want to try something, but how many hours have you invested when you get to that point,, how many dollars,, I am sorry but it just doesnt make sense to save even 20$ on thinner, when you take into account the risk you are taking, its just not worth it,
but then, I have painted for a living for 25 years so I may have a different perspective. Trust me, I have tried all sorts of stuff, and finally reallized its just NOT WORTH THE RISK
but do what you want,, for me,, its a false sense of economy, . its chemsitry folks,, chemistry, and there are reasons that the correct thinner is the correct thinner,, companis spend hundereds of thousands of dollars researching this stuff, and we in our garage are going to come up with something better by luck, sorry dont think so,,
Please for your own sake,, and sanity, use the correct thinner,,

Alan Hahn · « **Reply #9 on:** February 15, 2009, 02:20:36 PM »

One time I tried some Sunnyside thinner to clean my brushes after doping (Sig), and the results were less than stellar. Instead of cleaning, the dope residue on the brush sort of "curdled". Glad I didn't try to clean my spray gun! Acetone did clean off the residue. So from now on I use real thinner in the dope and acetone to clean up afterwards. That seems to work ok.

Acetone isn't cheap (anymore but neither is MEK--$20 last time at ACE), but I'm guessing Sig Thinner may have appreciated in cost too since I bought my last gallon for ~$20 at Sig..

Wade Bognuda · « **Reply #10 on:** February 15, 2009, 04:11:43 PM »

Painting 101:

Matched systems only. This should be common knowledge. All paints are chemically engineered to work as a system, any time you mix and match, the problem may not be apparent initially, but these techniques WILL bite you at some point. Also, READ and FOLLOW the directions on the label. The paint company spent a lot of money in testing to be able to put those labels on the side of the can, and it is important to the manufacturer that the materails work. If you want to save some money, use Krylon and thin it with gasoline, it works. Be sure to by regular, the premium is more expensive ( gasoline).

Wade Bognuda · « **Reply #11 on:** February 15, 2009, 04:14:13 PM »

Quote from: Mark Scarborough on February 15, 2009, 01:04:33 PM

I understand that if you are in a pinch you may want to try something, but how many hours have you invested when you get to that point,, how many dollars,, I am sorry but it just doesnt make sense to save even 20$ on thinner, when you take into account the risk you are taking, its just not worth it,
but then, I have painted for a living for 25 years so I may have a different perspective. Trust me, I have tried all sorts of stuff, and finally reallized its just NOT WORTH THE RISK
but do what you want,, for me,, its a false sense of economy, . its chemsitry folks,, chemistry, and there are reasons that the correct thinner is the correct thinner,, companis spend hundereds of thousands of dollars researching this stuff, and we in our garage are going to come up with something better by luck, sorry dont think so,,
Please for your own sake,, and sanity, use the correct thinner,,

Exactly.

billbyles · « **Reply #12 on:** February 15, 2009, 05:59:14 PM »

Quote from: Alan Hahn on February 15, 2009, 02:20:36 PM

One time I tried some Sunnyside thinner to clean my brushes after doping (Sig), and the results were less than stellar. Instead of cleaning, the dope residue on the brush sort of "curdled". Glad I didn't try to clean my spray gun! Acetone did clean off the residue. So from now on I use real thinner in the dope and acetone to clean up afterwards. That seems to work ok.

Acetone isn't cheap (anymore but neither is MEK--$20 last time at ACE), but I'm guessing Sig Thinner may have appreciated in cost too since I bought my last gallon for ~$20 at Sig..

The lacquer thinner that curdles the dope is the low VOC stuff such as the DuPont V3608S. I fully agree with Mark; why try to save pennies with all of the labor hours that you have invested.

Author Topic: Cheap thinner ?? (Read 2054 times)

Allan Perret

Cheap thinner ??

John Miller

Re: Cheap thinner ??

Mark Scarborough

Re: Cheap thinner ??

John Miller

Re: Cheap thinner ??

Leo Mehl

Re: Cheap thinner ??

Randy Ryan

Re: Cheap thinner ??

Ralph Wenzel (d)

Re: Cheap thinner ??

Wayne Collier

Re: Cheap thinner ??

Mark Scarborough

Re: Cheap thinner ??

Alan Hahn

Re: Cheap thinner ??

Wade Bognuda

Re: Cheap thinner ??

Wade Bognuda

Re: Cheap thinner ??

billbyles

Re: Cheap thinner ??