Diecast Model Guides
Adjust a Test Mix with Vallejo Airbrush Thinner 71.061
Vallejo Airbrush Thinner 71.061 helps adjust the consistency of compatible Vallejo paints for spraying. The useful starting point is a small test mix: find out how the paint behaves through your clean airbrush before changing a whole bottle or covering a model. Reference 71.061 is the 32 ml size.
Start with the paint range
Check the instructions for the paint you are using. Airbrush-ready paint may spray well without added thinner, while a thicker paint needs a different preparation. Vallejo's Model Air basic-use guide, for example, gives optional thinning at one part Airbrush Thinner to three parts paint. That is guidance for Model Air; it is not a recipe for every acrylic, primer or varnish.
Premium Color has its own Premium Color Reducer. A familiar brand name does not make every additive interchangeable. Choose the product specified for the range, then use the test to decide how much adjustment your setup needs.
Make the test useful
Mix the paint thoroughly and dispense a small amount into a clean mixing cup. Add thinner according to the paint's instructions and mix again. Spray a short line and a small patch on a spare surface prepared like the model. The line shows how controllably the paint starts; the patch shows coverage and surface texture.
If the spray looks coarse or spits, pause before adding more thinner. Check for dried paint, an obstructed nozzle and an air supply that does not stay steady. Several different problems can produce a poor pattern. Once the equipment is clean and working, change the mix in small steps and repeat the same test. Keeping distance and pressure steady makes the effect of each adjustment easier to see.
Thinner, flow improver and cleaner do different jobs
| Product | Useful question | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| Airbrush Thinner | Does this paint need a more fluid spraying consistency? | Follow the paint-range instructions and test a small mixture. |
| Airbrush Flow Improver | Does paint begin drying on the needle during spraying? | Clean the tip and consider the recommended additive for that range. |
| Airbrush Cleaner | Is there paint residue left in the equipment? | Clean the airbrush according to its instructions before diagnosing the mix. |
Thinner can also delay drying, but these products still have different intended uses. Cleaner is not the substitute for an approved paint-thinning medium.
Move from the sample to the model
Choose a mixture that sprays evenly and leaves the coverage you want when dry. Apply controlled light coats, allowing the surface to settle between passes as directed for the paint. If the sample runs, pools or becomes too transparent for the planned base coat, reconsider the mixture and spray technique before continuing. More thinner is not automatically a better result.
For the preparation sequence, use our airbrush mixing and first-spray guide. It connects paint choice, mixing and the first test without treating one ratio as universal.
Choose the exact bottle
Vallejo Airbrush Thinner 71.061, 32 ml
The 32 ml bottle is the reference discussed here. Review the full 71.061 identity when choosing the thinner for your paint.
Questions before you paint
Can I put thinner into the original paint bottle?
Prepare the amount needed in a separate clean cup. This lets you adjust one session without changing the remaining paint or introducing used mixture into the bottle.
Is 71.061 the same bottle as 71.261?
They are different size references in the Airbrush Thinner family. This guide concerns 71.061, 32 ml. Select by the full reference and bottle volume.
Do I need to thin every airbrush paint?
No. Start with the paint-range instructions and a spray test. Add the specified thinner when the paint and setup call for it.
Browse model paints and finishing supplies for the rest of the project, or return to the Hobby Learning Center for related guides.
