Rattle can primer still sticky

[HandsWithLegs]

I did some priming with a rattle can last night, and after almost 18 hours it still is sticky in some areas areas, some more or less depending on the model. I accidentally got some primer + paint in one can stuff so that might have something to do with it. My questions are is this normal, and if not is there anything I can do to fix it? I really don't want to have to strip them all and start over.

[Scribe]

I believe this is an issue of humidity. I'm not sure it can be addressed, but its been a very long time since I've painted anything. 

[HandsWithLegs]

I believe this is an issue of humidity. I'm not sure it can be addressed, but its been a very long time since I've painted anything. 

Hmm, the humidity was pretty low. somewhere between 50-60% but you might be right

[Gederas]

I believe this is an issue of humidity. I'm not sure it can be addressed, but its been a very long time since I've painted anything. 

Hmm, the humidity was pretty low. somewhere between 50-60% but you might be right

That's still enough to mess with primer, depending on the brand. I'd say leave it for a while more in a dry place.

 

Edited August 3, 2020 by Gederas

[Scribe]

Yeah, depends on your location. I'm on the Canadian west coast, I can only primer on hot days, when the wind is low lol.

[Arkhanist]

Can be a various causes including humidity, not shaking the can enough, applying additional coats before first coat is dry, or the model not being fully clean. Leave it to cure somewhere warm and dry for 3-4 days and see how it is. Basically, it's down to the solvent/paint mix not being quite right on the model, either too much or not enough.

 

If it hasn't cured after 4 days or so, there's a decent chance if won't ever cure properly. At that point, you can either strip and clean and start over (usually the better option), or you can try a thin coat of spray varnish over the top to seal it in - once that dries, it should no longer be tacky. The risk though is you may not get the best smooth finish you might have - depends how high a quality paint job you intend to reach in the end!

[Fajita Fan]

I use paint/primer from Rustoleoum and that stuff works fine when the layers go on right. If it’s too hot, too humid, too cold, too dry, or too windy then your layers can have trouble bonding.