Paint Additives

Gday all,
A good mate of mine suggested that i add Penetrol to oil based paint and Floetrol to water based paint.
The oil based paint does seem to flow and spread a lot easier than with out it added, but at the moment i am adding it with out much idea of the ideal dilution rate.
On the tin, the dilution rates are very broad and not being a painter, not that easy to understand.
Perhaps, somebody on the forum can suggest the ideal dilution rate (mils of additive to ltrs of paint) that will give the spray like finish(no brush marks) that is claimed on the tin or the mix that worked for them.

The same applies for the water based paints too (Floetrol)

Thanking you in advance.
Steve

Whats wrong with turps and water for thining??


Al :confused:

Al,

Probably nothing, but i need details on the products mentioned.

Maglite, check out http://www.floodaustralia.net/brochures/index.htmlTheir PDF on Penetrol says to start with 10% and work up to 25%. Spoke to a couple of painters here where I work, and they say that when they have used similar products they just add "enough for it to work properly". Seems like there might not be an exact measurement, more a "play it by ear" (or brush). Though, like Al said - they usually just use turps to thin.

And always add the floetrol to only what you are going to use that day, not to the whole can. I kept aside some gloss white acrylic I had diluted with floetrol in a sealed pail, 2-3 weeks later it had yellowed and lost the gloss.

Cheers
Michael

I have used Penetrol and from memory added it as though it was turps, that is to a nice consistancy.

I consider myself a fairly decent mug painter but was having real trouble with some Bristol paint on the extensions at home. I had been using turps with this paint and was really getting the cranks but then someone recommended Penetrol and it went on like a dream.

I also tried the Floetrol in the acrylic paint and while there was some improvement it was not as dramatic as the Penetrol in the oil based paint.

Jon