Thinning Vallejo paint for airbrushing

[Gator]

I need help thinning Vallejo paint to use in my airbrush. Years ago Renee got me the big Model Color set and I love them. My problem is I'm a so many parts A mixed to so many parts B guy and most modelers who use Vallejo Model Color just blow me off when I ask about paint to thinner ratio for airbrushing. Do y'all have any tips for thinning?

 

[Iron Mike]

I've never had any luck spraying Model Color, with Model Air I use distilled water. There's a Model Color Thinner Medium available which might solve my Model Color problem, pretty sure Hobby Lobby carries it.

 

[moon puppy]

Kenny I use Tester's Airbrush thinner, big bottle at Hobby Lobby, a couple of drops per color cup of the Retarder, the brand name escapes me right now, that's available at Hobby Lobby, keeps the paint from drying on the tip. I thin it to a milky consistency if it's Model Paint brand. Model Air needs just a drop of retarder.
@rob hart Gave a great tutorial years ago at the old Swanny's site about thinning that I still think about when thinning. When you have your mix, dip a wire into the paint, it'll bead up and drop and then the next drop will bead up and stick to the wire, it's good to go.
I don't think we can tell you an exact ratio like you would have with your glues because there's too many other factors, each color mixture may have different ratios because of the formula used plus your environmental factors. Thinning in humid and hot south Louisiana may be different than dry cool Indiana or whereever else.

 

[ausf]

I bought a crapload of 5-15ml eyedropper bottles (same as the 17ml Vallejo ones) cheap on Ebay.

I take one, drop a stainless BB in it, fill it halfway with Model Color (about 60% with Model Air) and top it off with AB thinner. Works for mixes too, I haven't bought new paint in probably 7 years or so, I grab the iModelkit app and away I go. Just made a dead on Tamyia Mitsubishi interior via Vallejo (Zinc Chromate, Barley Grey and some white IIRC).

I spray very thin wet coats to preserve detail, so to keep the mix from getting spidery, I shoot around 8 PSI.

I never have an issue with tip dry or pebbly paint since.

Here's a 1/700 Arado with no primer, the paint thinned as described and masked, so you can see it covers well and keeps detail intact.

 

[Gator]

Humid and hot outside, nice and cool inside. I've got some dropper bottles that I bought for this reason. It sounds like I was shooting at too high of pressure.

 

[JSteinman]

Thin with their thinner and add retarder (they call it slo-dry) And flow enhancer,