Construction oil paint can be thick or fully ready to use. With thick-wiped solvent, a solvent for oil paints must be used. Enamels of this type are mixed in a certain proportion with a solvent liquid. This is necessary if the paint is dry or it will be used as a primer. A suitable diluent is selected based on the characteristics of the surface to be painted and the absorbency.
The main solvent groups
Today, there are five groups of substances that are used in finishing work as solvents.
These are oil distillates, or by-products of oil refining, various alcohols, ketones, ethers, as well as glycol ethers.
Oil distillates
Everyone knows what turpentine is, and it could be credited to the sixth group of fluids. However, its performance is very close to oil distillates, and it is best to include it in this group. Each specific solvent for oil paints from the group has its own characteristics. The most common are petroleum distillates, which are also called hydrocarbons. The molecule of such a substance is a carbon and hydrogen atom. The liquids that are included in this group are produced through the processing of oil, or rather its separation into fractions under the influence of temperatures. Turpentine is a distillation product, however, it is not obtained from oil at all, but from resins of coniferous wood.
Petroleum solvents are used to work with waxes, oils, paints, oil-based enamels. Any solvent for oil paint, the composition of which is based on hydrocarbons, has characteristics and properties that are similar to the properties of oils or waxes. Sometimes these fluids can be used in the manufacture of lubricants or compositions for cleaning and caring for furniture. Distillates, in which there are significantly fewer oils, such as toluene or xylene, can be used to remove oil stains and are most often used to degrease surfaces.
Any products based on petroleum distillates can be mixed in various ways and in any proportions. Alcohols and glycol ethers are not used with oil paints. They have other characteristics and properties.
How to dilute oil paint
If necessary, a solvent for oil paints can always be bought at any hardware store or hypermarket. There are several fluids that are suitable for working with oil-based dyes.
Solvent "647"
This is an affordable and popular solution. The substance is supplied in the form of a liquid with a rather pungent odor. During operation, care should be taken - the composition is very easy to light up. As for its properties, then with it the paint has a uniform consistency.
White Spirit
This is the most widespread and popular liquid. If you look into chemistry textbooks, then this solvent is a special grade of gasoline in composition, designed specifically for paint and varnish production. The specific gravity is 0.77 kg, and this liquid will boil at 140-150 degrees.
It is made by distillation of oil. White spirit is a colorless, liquid composition that has properties that allow it to dissolve the binders contained in oil paints. Another characteristic - the liquid has a low evaporation rate, which is very positive for artists.
Turpentine
It is no less popular solvent for oil paints than white spirit. The composition is widely used for mixing and liquefying not only oil dyes, but also alkyd-styrene. Turpentine is also used in the process of production of varnishes, which are based on digging, rosin or dammar. There is for sale peeled or unrefined turpentine.
Before chemists created white spirit, turpentine took pride of place in the main liquid for dissolving varnishes and paints. This is an essential oil with a complex chemical composition. Get it in the process of processing terpentine, resin and parts of coniferous wood saturated with resins. Today, modern industry produces three types of turpentine - wood, pneumatic and turpentine products.
Wood liquid is obtained by processing special technologies of wood resin and coniferous branches. In fresh form, it is a liquid with a yellowish or brown tint, which may disappear during processing.
Stump turpentines are produced by special technologies from the pneumatic parts of conifers. Terpentins are pure essential oils that are obtained by distillation of the resin. It is extracted only from a growing tree. So turpentine in the production process will not lose its unique properties and valuable elements.
Kerosene
This liquid is perfect for use as a solvent for oil-based dyes. It is often used to restore old hardened oil paints. For greater effectiveness, drier can be added to kerosene - for example, any turpentine. But this can increase the drying time of the oil paint.
Petrol
This composition is familiar to everyone. It is a clear, colorless liquid with a characteristic odor. In everyday life, pure gasolines are often used as solvents for oil dyes, alkyd enamels, pentaphthalic compounds, putties and varnishes. Gasoline can also be used as a solvent for phthalic oil paints. With it, the oily liquid will acquire a matte shade. The component is popular in construction - it is used to dilute thick-grated paint.
"Tee"
This mixture is popular with artists, but can also be used in painting works. The liquid contains refined linseed oil, turpentine, isopropyl alcohol and dammar varnish.
With the help of this “tee”, it is possible to quickly give the oil dye an optimal consistency without difficulty. Artists love this solution because it not only helps to dilute the paint, but they can also clean the tools. This composition significantly improves the permeability of the painted surface, and in painting allows you to make the picture more accurate.
How to replace the solvent for oil paints
Oil paints can be used in different ways, but in any case, solvents are added to the dyes. Now there are many different solvent mixtures for enamels and paints, and each has its own disadvantages and advantages. It happens that there is no way to use a special tool. The most common replacement option is ordinary gasoline. In addition to it, turpentine or white spirit can be used with great success.
Odorless solvents
The paint and varnish industry is now more developed than ever - on sale you can find a huge number of types and subspecies of diluents and solvents. With all the practicality of white spirits and turpentine, they are quite toxic and have a characteristic smell. But what if a person prefers an odorless solvent for oil paints? There are several options. Artists appreciated all the benefits of linseed oil - it is a good solvent for oil dyes. One of its properties is the almost complete absence of smell. However, there is a minus - a long drying time of the paint.
It is recommended to use "Tee" - an industrial mixture, which also practically does not smell. Well, the best odorless oil paint thinner is a composition from the Tikkurila brand. It is offered in transparent plastic bottles with the inscription yellow. This composition dries quickly, but lasts for a long time. Also, the composition of Diluent is odorless, but in itself it is quite harmful.
Solvent Reviews
Artists prefer to use the Tee. It has almost no smell, and at the same time the consistency of the paint is obtained as it is and is necessary for work. Specialists in painting work speak well of the industrial solvent "647". But according to them, if this composition is not at hand, then ordinary gasoline is no worse. These formulations perfectly dissolve even very old oil paints.
Lots of positive reviews on Tikkurila products. Solvents from this manufacturer are widely used in various industries - both in art and painting. Artists and painters are pleased with the characteristics of the composition.
What is the most suitable solvent for oil paints? One that is at hand. When working with oil paints, you only need to remember that this composition can be dissolved only like that - and then there will be no problems with the choice.