Can you paint with a rattle can in winter?

[hd3]

Per title. It's just started snowing here. I tried to varnish with a spray topcoat once and the moisture made it to all bubbly. Can I prime my models with snow around? Or do I have to wait until winter ends to start my next batch of models?

[Scribe]

Its all about that relative humidity I believe (dont take my word for it!) as I've primed on a cold/dry day before, but I've also had a humid day leave a set sticky that had to be redone.

[andes]

While I've not done it myself, I've heard that you can prime in wintery conditions as long as both the paint and models are at room temperature. I'd run an experiment on old sprue first.

[Bryan Blaire]

From what I’ve seen (although never actually done it with snow on the ground), like Scribe said - it’s all about relative humidity and I’ve also done my best to keep the temps for the models somewhat consistent.

 

I primed some terrain with a rattle can outside on a cold, dry day (about 35-40 degrees F for the high) and then immediately took it into the garage to dry.  It took a lot longer to dry that I recall, over several days, and I took the opportunity to open the garage door and blow fumes out with a fan a couple of times.  I did gently warm the can with some warm water from the tap before starting to spray, but I feel that helps all the time, not just when it’s cold.  There should be some videos on doing this safely on YouTube - don’t turn your spray can into a fragmentation/shrapnel hazard.

 

Check your spray can as well - it may give you recommended temp ranges to use it in.

Edited November 27, 2023 by Bryan Blaire

[pawl]

In short:

Keep your models and can inside before spraying.

Shake the can until your arm goes numb.

Swap hands and repeat.

Soak the can in warm (not not!) water for 15-20 minutes.

Shake again.

Take models into the garage and spray. Don't wait around for the can to go cold here!

Take your models back inside if possible, and leave them somewhere with good airflow while the paint cures (this is longer than the time it takes for them to be dry to the touch).

 

No garage? Go outside, but as before spend as little time outside as possible.

 

You definitely can spray in the cold, it just takes a little care. =]

 

(admittedly little concern is given for humidity here, but I've been able to prime on days when it's just finished raining, so I think that a combination of luck and primer choice probably play a part here too)

[Karhedron]

Priming in the cold is generally OK if following the above instructions. Base colour spraying as well if you are careful and stick to dry days.

 

After bad experiences, I don't spray varnish in the winter because it is very prone to turning cloudy if moisture gets trapped in the spray (an effect called "blooming"). I normally save up the models I paint over winter and varnish them on the first warm dry day of spring (which, here in the UK, usually comes in June ).

[Sky Potato]

As others have said, as long as the relative humidity is quite low, you'll be OK - so avoid rainy days. As long as its not actually snowing, just having snow on the ground isn't an issue.

 

In cooler temps (below 5 degrees C), I'll either rest the spray can on the radiator for 10 minutes or soak in water from the hot tap for about 5 minutes. All I'm looking to do is raise the temperature of the spray can to room temperature, or very slightly warmer. Keep the model you're spraying at room temperature as well, so do all your spray prep and admin inside - shake the life out the can, get the models on a spray stick etc.

 

All I do as I step outside is spray straight away and then come back inside. I have the luxury of being able to keep the sprayed models in the garage to dry, so if you don't have that then you'll need to consider where to keep the models as they dry. The smell of the spray paint usually dissipates within 20 minutes or so, so if you have absolutely nowhere else to put them, keep them outside for 20-30 minutes until they're dry to the touch before bringing them back into the warm to fully cure.

 

And as Karhedron points out - definitely don't varnish with a spray can in cold weather. I nearly ruined my Tyranids from the Leviathan box doing just that earlier this year.