Enamel paints are one of the popular choices in painting number of materials and these are usually ideal for the plastic models and some other mini painting. The enamel is very smooth and therefore, give very finished and polished look but most of the times the enamel paints are too thick to be used on their own and therefore, these need to be thinned before using, these are called the enamel thinner. The enamel thinner also comes in variety of types and one should know the right one to use to get the best of it.

You do not always need the enamel thinner with the enamel paint:

 

The reason of this is the sometimes the paint companies in australia use the airbrush which are specially designed to paint the enamel paint and therefore, it does not require an enamel thinner but in case, a regular brush is used then painters need to thin the paint first. It also depends on the surface and personal preferences as well. Some people prefer the thick coats while other may not.

Choosing the enamel thinner of your choice:

Some people use the acetone as the enamel thinner but this is not good when painting over plastic. Other enamel thinners include the turpentine which is also not a best choice. The best kind of enamel thinners are the white sprit and mineral sprit. Some people may say that you can use the water to thin the enamel paints and use as a substitute for enamel thinner but this is possible only with the kind of the enamel paints that are water based because if the enamel paint is oil based, the water addition will ruin it as it will not be able to mix.

The right steps to use the enamel thinner:

First of all, as mentioned earlier you need to choose the right kind of the enamel thinner that matches with the kind of the enamel paint and the surface that you are painting on. Secondly, you need to add the right amount in the paint because if you add too much or too little then it will end up destroying the texture and will not give you the consistency that you desire. Thirdly, you need to first test the mix on the sample and use it to paint a part of the wall to see it is giving you the right coverage and look. If you think the paint is not yet thinned to the amount you require, do not add huge amount at one time but keep on adding the thinner in small amounts and mix and check first after applying again to the wall. When the consistency is correct then use the clean brushes and start applying the paint.