What's the best thinner for oil-based paint?

Author: Prof. Camylle Kuhic I  |  Last update: Saturday, May 3, 2025

You can use turpentine, white spirit or paint thinners to thin down oil-based paints for use in a spray gun. The best ratio for oil-based paints is 3/1. That's three parts paint and one part thinners. Oil-based paints vary quite a bit; not all of them can be thinned and used in an air sprayer.

What is the best thing to thin oil-based paint with?

Turpentine, Mineral Spirits (white spirits, paint thinner) and Odorless Mineral Spirits are all useful for oil painting if all you use is paint and oil (no resins). Turp is a natural products distilled from pine-type trees and has more odor, but many people find it pleasant.

What thinners for oil paint?

Use the most refined/lowest odour White Spirits, i.e. Gamsol (often identified as the best), Shellsol, Low Odour Solvent and Sansodor to thin oil paint, linseed oil, and oil paint mediums that already contain petroleum distillates (e.g. Alkyd mediums such as Liquin and Galkyd). Drying time aprroximately 6-8 hours.

What is the best solvent to remove oil-based paint?

The best solvents for cleaning oil paint are turpentine, oil of spike lavender and odourless mineral spirits like Gamsol. Oil of spike lavender is the most effective, yet least toxic solvent at breaking down oil paint.

Is mineral spirits better than paint thinner for oil painting?

Mineral Spirits: Slower evaporation, allowing for a smoother paint application and finish. Paint Thinner: Faster evaporation, which can lead to brush marks or an uneven finish if not managed carefully.

Choosing an Oil Painting Thinner

What do oil painters use to dilute their paint?

Highly dilute the paint with spirits of turpentine or white spirit, to decrease the proportion of oil in it and make it more fluid. Wait for the layer to be thoroughly dry before applying the next one.

What mineral spirits are safe for oil painting?

Gamblin Gamsol Odourless Mineral Spirit is a low-toxic solvent, designed specifically to be a safer oil painting medium in class settings. It's low-toxic because nearly all the harmful aromatic hydrocarbons have been removed so that less than 0.005% remains.

Can I use rubbing alcohol as a solvent for oil paint?

Rubbing alcohol is a powerful solvent that can easily clean away a layer of oil paint.

What is the best paint thinner for oil paint reddit?

Gamsol and sansodor both work for oil paints. Any white spirits or turpentine will work. Enamels require their own thinners though. Best to just stick to specialty products like Tamiya X-20.

What is the most commonly used solvent in oil paints?

While the most popular solvent is turpentine, some others have smells that are easier to handle. Oil painting often requires the use of solvents both to dilute the paint and to clean brushes and other tools. While the most popular solvent is turpentine, some others have smells that are easier to handle.

How to make oil paint flow better?

Adding a few drops of linseed oil can make the paint much more fluid if flow is an issue. Also, definitely feel free to put on a thin base layer to get big shapes in, then come back in the evening or the next day and start adding on top - the base will have tacked up a smidge, making layering on top easier.

Can I use vinegar to thin oil paint?

For artist's paints, Kings Framing and Art Gallery recommends that you can use white vinegar to thin oil-based artist's paint. They recommend you put the paint you want to thin in a bucket and add half the amount of the straight white vinegar into that paint before stirring the mixture thoroughly.

What is the thinning agent for oil paint?

After pouring your paint into a tray, pour in a larger amount of turpentine or mineral spirits to dilute the mixture. For a thinner paint job, add in 2 cups (470 mL) of paint thinner into 1 cup (240 mL) of oil paint. Using a paint stirrer, mix these 2 substances together to create a watered-down base for your project.

Can I use acetone to thin oil-based paint?

Depending on the job, you can use either mineral spirits or acetone. Both the solvents are used to thin paints. However, mineral spirits thin oil paints, while acetone works as a lacquer thinner. Unlike mineral spirits, acetone is not water-soluble and has an offensive odor.

Which is better, paint thinner or lacquer thinner?

Lacquer thinner is more powerful than paint thinner. Lacquer thinner is so powerful that it will even soften cured, dried lacquers and other oil-based coatings. Lacquer thinner can damage plastic and rubber and it can even strip car paint. Lacquer thinner acts quickly and aggressively to dissolve lacquers.

What happens when you mix isopropyl alcohol and oil?

When you try to mix water and oil or alcohol and oil, the polar molecules stick together, keeping the oil molecules from getting between them-and the two don't mix. When you try to mix water and alcohol, they mix fine, since both are made of polar molecules.

What is a homemade solvent for oil paint?

Making an Oil Thinner for Oil Paint
  1. Gather your materials. You'll need both lemon oil and linseed oil as well as a mixing bucket and stirring stick. ...
  2. Mix lemon and linseed oil. Measure out ¼ cup (59 ml) lemon oil and a cup (237 ml) linseed oil into a mixing bucket. ...
  3. Thin paint with the lemon and linseed oil mixture.

How to thin oil paint?

The most basic way to thin oil paint is by using a solvent such as mineral spirits or turpentine. Solvents will thin the paint very rapidly and thoroughly and are low viscosity, which means they have a more watery consistency.

Which solvent will dissolve oil-based paint?

A paint thinner is a solvent used to thin oil-based paints or clean up after their use. Commercially, solvents labeled “Paint Thinner” are usually mineral spirits having a flash point at about 40 °C (104 °F), the same as some popular brands of charcoal starter.

Will WD 40 remove oil-based paint?

Limited Effectiveness on Tough Paints: For oil-based paints or stains that have set deeply, WD-40 might not be powerful enough.

How do you rehydrate oil-based paint?

Heat treatment: if the oil paint has become too thick, you can use heat treatment. Warm the tube briefly in warm water or wrap it in a hot towel. This process will help soften the paint and restore its flow.

What is the best thinner for oil paint?

Distilled Turpentine, derived from pine resin is what should be used to thin your paint. It should not be confused with the cheaper, petroleum-based Turpentine substitute which will not bond properly with the paint and will lessen the life of your artwork.

Will mineral spirits thin oil-based paint?

Mineral spirits thins oil-based paints while acetone thins lacquers such as nail polish. Additionally, mineral spirits is not water-soluble and presents less of a fire hazard than acetone.

What does Gamsol do to oil paint?

Gamblin Gamsol is the safest solvent for thinning oil paint, modifying paint mediums and studio clean up. It works wonders for cleaning thick paint out of brushes and other painting tools. Gamvar on the other hand is the miracle varnish that protects and conserves your work much, much faster than most varnishes.

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