Which thinner should I use with Quick Drying Enamel?
For spray application, use ACRO Q.D. Enamel Thinners with Quick Drying Enamels. A Grade/Lacquer Thinners can also be used, but they are faster and more aggressive and are therefore not the preferred choice where controlled flow and finish are important.
ACRO Q.D. Enamel Thinners are the recommended thinner for Quick Drying Enamels, especially for spray application. They are specifically formulated for Quick Drying Enamels, QD Primers and High Gloss Enamels and provide the more appropriate solvent balance for thinning, atomisation, flow and levelling.
ACRO A Grade/Lacquer Thinners can also be used with Quick Drying Enamels, and ACRO lists them for general use with Q.D. enamels, NC lacquers and Q.D. primers. However, lacquer thinner is generally a stronger and faster-evaporating solvent system, so it should not be treated as the first-choice spraying thinner when a controlled finish is required.
If the lacquer thinner is too aggressive, too fast for the spraying conditions, or too much is added, the paint can lose wet-film body and flow too quickly. This can contribute to runs or sagging from excessive reduction, while rapid solvent evaporation can cause dry spray, poor flow and orange-peel texture because the coating starts drying before it has levelled properly.
For this reason, use ACRO Q.D. Enamel Thinners as the normal and recommended thinner for spraying Quick Drying Enamels. Use A Grade/Lacquer Thinners only where appropriate and with careful control of the reduction and spraying conditions. Do not use Turps for Quick Drying Enamels; ACRO lists Turps for alkyd brushing enamels and other slower-drying alkyd systems instead.