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1 shot thinning

Hand Lettering topics: Sign Making, Design, Fabrication, Letterheads, Sign Books.

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Jake Bertrand
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Feb 16, 2017 11:53 pm

1 shot thinning

Post by Jake Bertrand »

Hello everyone.

New to the site and to sign painting.

I've got some 1 shot paint and brushes on the way.

What is the best method and product to thin the paint? 1 shot sells High Temp Reducer, Low Temp Reducer, and Chromaflo. Are one of those preffered, or is a common paint thinner exceptable?

Thanks
Tyler Tim
Posts: 209
Joined: Fri Feb 03, 2012 12:12 am

Re: 1 shot thinning

Post by Tyler Tim »

Hello Jake...

I started lettering some 30 yrs ago. I've never thinned by pouring it into the paint. I would put some paint into a folded cup... pour some turpentine into a small tin cup. Load brush pallet on glossy magazine page if the paint felt stiff/draggy I'd dip the tip of the brush into the turps and pallet a few times to improve the flow of the paint.... then letter. Load and pallet and dip in turps. And when I pallet I always moved to a clean spot on the page. This has worked for me for all these years and was picked up from a old painter when I first started.
Sure I paint thing for my amusement and then offer them for sale. A brushslinger could whither en die from lack of creativity in this plastic town my horse threw a shoe in. :shock:
Jake Bertrand
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Feb 16, 2017 11:53 pm

Re: 1 shot thinning

Post by Jake Bertrand »

Thanks Tyler.

I'll pick up some turpentine.

Have you ever tried any of the 1shot reducers or flow enhancers?
Doug Bernhardt
Posts: 1077
Joined: Fri Apr 09, 2004 9:29 am
Location: Ottawa Canada
Contact:

Re: 1 shot thinning

Post by Doug Bernhardt »

All of those thinners are pretty great. I used turpentine for years and even old fashion paint thinner (from the hardware store) but a few years ago I was at a Letterheads meet and a discussion of the various merits of each I'm now a big fan of the thinners from one shot. Permanent paint films etc are my main concern and they are all formulated with one shot in mind.
Rich Hawthorne
Posts: 52
Joined: Fri Jun 01, 2007 12:22 pm
Location: Portland, Oregon USA

Re: 1 shot thinning

Post by Rich Hawthorne »

I use the 1-shot low temp reducer whenever I thin 1-shot paint for air brushing. I've also used mineral spirits but I find that white spirits works very well to break up clots and thin the paint. I never put it into the can unless it has turned to sludge and I am attempting to save some of the paint. Instead I put a small amount into a cup and thin that. The 1-shot reducers are quite expensive (for me anyway) so I tend to use it when I need to get the viscosity down to something that will run through my airbrush. I have even used it with pearlesent 1-shot paints. If I am brushing, I almost always use white spirits or straight up turpentine.

HTH

Rich
Doug Bernhardt
Posts: 1077
Joined: Fri Apr 09, 2004 9:29 am
Location: Ottawa Canada
Contact:

Re: 1 shot thinning

Post by Doug Bernhardt »

I wouldn't worry about Hi-temp vs Lo-Temp reducer as far as quality goes. They are all brewed with with our use intended.
Rick Bowerman
Posts: 8
Joined: Fri Nov 16, 2012 8:58 pm

Re: 1 shot thinning

Post by Rick Bowerman »

I use the One Shot reducer. Turps is bad for your health was told to me by a well known pinstriper painter. Smells like its bad for you too

Dont use mineral spirits to reduce one shot. It makes it runny and very slow to evaporate and dry and it weakens the paint's properties
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