Spray Paint Storage

[OrangeBob]

I live in a very hot climate and I was wondering if it is bad to keep spray paints in the garage (where the wife would prefer) or if I should move them inside and out of the heat. My last few spray coats have not been great, and I wonder if it is due to the heat in the garage.

I always remember that my dad kept spray primer in the garage growing up, but he wasn't using it for expensive plastic army guys...

[Grand Master Belial]

Is it humid where you are? I get the fuzz when I spray on a high humidity day (Hot or Cool)

[Grotsmasha]

Storage is less important than where you spray (I keep mine inside in a cupboard).. A cool, but not cold, ventilated, but not breezy place is ideal. Also if it's really hot, avoid direct sunlight, as it can partially dry the painter mid-air.

 

Cheers,

Jono

[OrangeBob]

Any advice, then, from hot, humid climate people? The only thing that seems to save me, is to set an alarm for early morning and then roll out of bed and spray away while it's "cool." 

 

And yes, it's humid, so any advice about how to reduce "the fuzz" would be  greatly appreciated.

[Grotsmasha]

Any advice, then, from hot, humid climate people? The only thing that seems to save me, is to set an alarm for early morning and then roll out of bed and spray away while it's "cool." 

 

And yes, it's humid, so any advice about how to reduce "the fuzz" would be  greatly appreciated.

 

I live in Brissie, Australia, I get humid. Typically, I spray in the late afternoon in the shade of my house, about an hour before dusk, and have little to no issues (about 20-30 deg. celsius)

 

Fuzz is created by the mentioned paint drying the air, spraying a little closer than typical has worked for me as there is less time for the paint to react to the air. When doing this be sure to shake the can very thoroughly, more so than usual (not sure why, but it makes a difference). You still want to be at least 1.5 feet away (30cm). Don't panic if immediately after you notice small amounts of pooling, this is caused by spraying closer and the aerosol not having evaporated yet, it'll take a little time to do so. If you still have pooling in 20 mins, the paint was applied to thickly.

 

Cheers,

Jono

[Carlson793]

The only time I can spray with humidity over 50% is to wait for late afternoon, when the sun is just starting to spread on my back porch, and with a good breeze (steady 5 mph or intermittent 10 mph). Didn't pay attention to the breeze part a couple weeks ago, and three of the five models I'm currently doing for ETL have a pretty rough surface. The Knights I primed the next day with a breeze have a nice smooth finish.

[OrangeBob]

Great advice Grotsmasha and Carlson793. The only confusion left is that there seems to be conflicting ideas on whether or not to spray in shade or sunlight. Any thoughts on that topic?

[Major_Gilbear]

Spray in the evening - where you are, the heat of the day dries out the air; when the sun starts to go down, the cooler air dries the paint more slowly (what you want for a smoother coat). Spray in shade or fading light if you can - the bright (and hot) sun will dry the droplets in the air as they travel to tthe model, and that's part of what causes the fuzz. In humid conditions, the droplets react with the moisture in the air as they travel to the model, also giving you fuzz.

 

Keeping the cans somewhere warm isn't automatically the kiss of death for them (as long as they are not cooking in 40C-plus heat or anything), but prolonged heat/cold tends to spoil their effectiveness - rattle cans are cheap and cheaply-made afterall, and are not designed to protect the contents for very long outside of more temperate conditions.

 

Using automotive sprays is generally better than hobby sprays too - they stick better, dry harder, and have more solvent in them (which helps coounteract the humidy and temperature a little whn using them, thus making them a little less sensitive). The cheap brands are good becuase they are cheap and if you have to chuck away a $3 can every month it's no biggie (compared to ruiing $50 of models anayway!). Just make sure that when you prime with rattlecan sprays, that you leave them to cure for a full 24 hours as a minimum. The extra solvent can take a while to fully leave the surface, even if it's touch-dry after half an hour.

 

Hope that helps! ;)

[OrangeBob]

Major_Gilbear, your comments are so helpful. Thanks for your reply. If you don't mind me asking, I've only ever worked with rattlecan sprays. Can you tell me what the other option is?

[Major_Gilbear]

Major_Gilbear, your comments are so helpful. Thanks for your reply. If you don't mind me asking, I've only ever worked with rattlecan sprays. Can you tell me what the other option is?

 

The other option is to use a bottled primer, applied with an airbrush or a bristle brush. I understand Vallejo's primers are very highly regarded by a great many folks.

 

Beyond that, you can try other things like Gesso... And whilst I know Gesso has its evangelists, I don't really feel it's very suited to models inteded for gaming. This is because it's more prone to chipping (actual chipping, and not just scuffing) if a part of the model flexes at all (for example, if you drop the model, it falls over on the table, the banner pole catches in the foam of your case...).

 

The bottled primer has less solvent and is less smelly, and is particularly suited for those that can't really prime outdoors for much of the year (becuase they are in a flat/residence, or weather conditions, ect). Gesso is even "safer" than that still, but takes a good long while to dry fully.

 

With my comments here, please keep in mind that I'm a "do a job as well as you can first time around" kind of guy, as my time is limited and I always prefer to spend a little time upfront getting it right than corner-cutting and struggling/cursing later on - and sometimes that means spending a little more money too and waiting for a good day/condition to prime a batch of models. As with so much in life, planning goes a long way - even in a creative hobby! :)

[OrangeBob]

Major_Gilbear, thanks again. I think your idea about planning is the winner. Next year, and in the years ahead I think I will cease spraying operations from June - September, based on extreme heat in my area. I usually don't do more than one small vehicle or half a unit of marines per month, so I would simply have to build and prime in advance of this four month period.

[Grand Master Belial]

I do use the Vallejo Brush on black primer and is good for touch ups when the spray can missed an area or when I am only painting up a single miniature. I recommend it.