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There’s a vast range of model paints & finishing accessories on the market, this week we review Tamiya’s Lacquer Thinner.

Tamiya acrylics are a great way to paint your models. They are safe, can be diluted with water & will give a good finish. But Tamiya Lacquer Thinner can help improve their performance.

Here in the UK, the yellow-topped Tamiya Lacquer Thinner (Ref: 87077) can be pretty hard to locate. We got ours abroad as we were really keen to give it a go.

Usually most modellers here use the conventional Tamiya Acrylic X-20A thinner (Ref: 81040) to dilute their airbrush coats. It’s widely available in most shops & does a pretty good job. It seems to be an alcohol based thinner that is slightly thicker than water. It has an alcoholic odour that’s not too overpowering – however, as ever, a mask & a spray booth is advisable. When used with the Tamiya XF paint range, it gives a smooth ultra-matt finish.

Its lacquer counterpart is completely different. We used it on our staff car to show you exactly how. Firstly, it appears to be a very strong solvent-based thinner. This stuff smells a lot – it should not be breathed in – so use safety measures.

When mixed & sprayed, it changes the behaviour of the XF paints completely. As you can see in the images, it makes the paint dry thicker, harder & glossier.

Once fully dry, you are left with a smooth but very durable finish that takes decals & washes well.

In our case, we applied further lightened base coats using the Lacquer Thinner. We then built up further coats on top using other paints – in this case Lifecolor - before applying decals & matting the whole model down.

In future, we would probably use Lacquer Thinner for big projects, i.e. larger models requiring good coverage, a durable base coat & a solid foundation for multiple weathering coats.

All in all, it is well worth using, but the only inconvenience is its overpowering stench & the care needed handling the stuff. That means you can’t just crack on with painting a quick coat - we certainly think twice before we use it & only do so when we are ready to don our masks, gloves & safety gear & are ready to endure the toxic pong.