How cold is too cold to paint outside?

[vamach1]

So lately I have experiemted with painting outside in 39f degrees and there does not seem to be any adverse effects.  This is just Testors flat primer on a plastic body (or another coat after sanding) but I was surprised there's no difference that I can see compared to the normal recommend warmer temps.  The model and paint are warm from being inside, I dash outside and spray for 15-30 seconds and go back inside.  Haas anyone else tried something this crazy?

[cobraman]

Oh, another Cobra headed our way ? I would think if you just dash out for a short time you should be ok. You didn't warm the paint can up in some warm water first ? My main problems here are the summer temps. I spray in my garage but need to do it early. Summer temps make the spray paint dry on the the way to what I am painting.

[vamach1]

A cobra no - just an oversized MG. . I was inspired by your King Cobra and I had to do minimal sanding of mold lines.  While I was at it I also compared it to the Fujumi kit which of course is not a real 427 but a modern compromise.  I am toying with cutting out the trunk but that would require sacrificing a good body.  When the other one is ready for primer  I'll post side by side pictures are there are distinct differences between the two bodies.  Suffice it to say the Fujumi engine is shameful and needs some replacement parts to make it presentable.   I figured the paint was warm enough being inside near the fireplace.  

Edited March 8, 2019 by vamach1

[Hotrod 97]

This is the method I use since I do not have a paint booth yet. All my parts and paint are kept inside until I’m ready to paint. I painted a body and chassis in 21f degrees the other day without any problems. Then again, humidity was quite low.

I second Ray - if you only paint outside and bring the painted items back in, you should be fine.

BTW, is that a ‘70 Grande on the left?

[vamach1]

2 minutes ago, Hotrod 97 said:

This is the method I use since I do not have a paint booth yet. All my parts and paint are kept inside until I’m ready to paint. I painted a body and chassis in 21f degrees the other day without any problems. Then again, humidity was quite low.

I second Ray - if you only paint outside and bring the painted items back in, you should be fine.

BTW, is that a ‘70 Grande on the left?

It's a 70 Coupe I converted from the 70 Boss 302 kit.  Not sure if I will give it the Grande treatment.  I have not done a vinyl roof before.

[Hotrod 97]

2 minutes ago, vamach1 said:

It's a 70 Coupe I converted from the 70 Boss 302 kit.  Not sure if I will give it the Grande treatment.  I have not done a vinyl roof before.

Whichever you decide, that’s a cool conversion.

[shoopdog]

I routinely paint interior panels and chassis's outside without any adverse affects. I do always place my can of paint in a bowl of hot (faucet) water first for a few minutes.

[Jim N]

I have painted in my garage when the temperature in the garage was in the 30's.  I left the parts in the garage because my wife is really sensitive to the fumes.  I will bring the paint back in the house.

[Bainford]

In my mid to late teens I did all of my model building out in the garage. I would routinely work and paint out there in winter temps as low as -10c (about 14 f) and never had any issues short of occasional excessive shivering, so no free-hand custom painting until the weather warmed up. I never knew anything about pre-warming the paint, etc. Flash times were a little slower but otherwise no adverse issues.

[Rodent]

Last weekend I was doing some chassis/interior painting for a Revell Chevy truck. Tamiya paints and Testors Metalizer mostly. It was in the mid 50s and raining, and I was painting on my front porch. I got cocky and primed the roof section, then a coat of Tamiya white. Looked really good! Another coat of white and TS13. I was afraid it would blush because of the rain, but it looks great. No dust when it is raining! 

[my80malibu]

On 3/7/2019 at 4:18 PM, cobraman said:

Oh, another Cobra headed our way ? I would think if you just dash out for a short time you should be ok. You didn't warm the paint can up in some warm water first ? My main problems here are the summer temps. I spray in my garage but need to do it early. Summer temps make the spray paint dry on the the way to what I am painting.

This is why I have been considering switching to acrylic paint,  Mission Model paint has a poly additive,  that looks very interesting in the video, and is very convincing in person. The paint has no Oder and is easy to mix,cleanup is a breeze, a good candidate for indoor painting. 

[Tommy124]

I heard that the air temperature is secondary as long as you heat up both the model to paint and the rattle can. I believe however that this will work only to a certain extent. Furthermore, I am pretty certain that gloss coats are far more sensitive than primer, for instance. Also the air humidity might be an important factor... 

19 hours ago, my80malibu said:

Mission Model paint has a poly additive,  that looks very interesting in the video, and is very convincing in person. The paint has no Oder and is easy to mix,cleanup is a breeze, a good candidate for indoor painting. 

I second that!

Edited March 11, 2019 by Tommy124

[BigTallDad]

On 3/7/2019 at 6:28 PM, vamach1 said:

I figured the paint was warm enough being inside near the fireplace.  

That might be a risky thing to do.

[vamach1]

8 hours ago, BigTallDad said:

That might be a risky thing to do.

Well, not that close.   It's gas and does not put out much heat beyond a few feet.

[steveracer]

This topic may calm my new normal here at the steveracer ranch.

My wife kicked my painting operation out of the basement.  Even though I have a MicroMark spray booth vented outside, she can't stand the fumes and things turned ugly.

So I am gonna move the booth out to my non-attached garage, which has some heat, and can get to maybe 45 degrees or so after some time.

If I heat the model, some paint, use the booth and perhaps get a food dehydrator out there to set the model in, I should be ok?

I will also move the compressor and air brushes out there, because I was really afraid of the metalizer paint smell in the house.  

Do you think I will be successful, and stay married this way?

[TransAmMike]

I try to heat up my garage to around at least 55 degrees to paint. At my age, anything colder than that is to cold anyway for my old bones??

[SCRWDRVR]

I don't see where that would cause any issues in fact the humidity will probably be lower in the cool air also which will help you out some... By the way love the 70 coupe...

[Dave G.]

13 hours ago, steveracer said:

This topic may calm my new normal here at the steveracer ranch.

My wife kicked my painting operation out of the basement.  Even though I have a MicroMark spray booth vented outside, she can't stand the fumes and things turned ugly.

So I am gonna move the booth out to my non-attached garage, which has some heat, and can get to maybe 45 degrees or so after some time.

If I heat the model, some paint, use the booth and perhaps get a food dehydrator out there to set the model in, I should be ok?

I will also move the compressor and air brushes out there, because I was really afraid of the metalizer paint smell in the house.  

Do you think I will be successful, and stay married this way?

 Right now today I shoot more acrylics than solvent paints anyway. In either case I'd prefer to see 55-60f as a low side. Not that you can't paint at 45 but it's completely more relaxed up nearer 60 from several angles, imo. But a space heater can heat your immediate work area to at least that from 45 deg fairly easy I would think. The paint nor the plastic surface know the rest of the garage is only 45.

Every time I see one of these posts where the wife is intolerant of the hubbys paint project I'm curious if she gives the same regard to acetone soaks of her own fingers and lacquer paint jobs of their nails ! Often there are legit concerns though, like she has asthma. Fortunately my wife and I may have had some mountains not worth climbing but my hobby and painting weren't among them. She supported it in fact. I was a very blessed man for 47 years and I know it, she just beat me home to be with the Lord.

[TransAmMike]

13 minutes ago, Dave G. said:

 Right now today I shoot more acrylics than solvent paints anyway. In either case I'd prefer to see 55-60f as a low side. Not that you can't paint at 45 but it's completely more relaxed up nearer 60 from several angles, imo. But a space heater can heat your immediate work area to at least that from 45 deg fairly easy I would think. The paint nor the plastic surface know the rest of the garage is only 45.

Every time I see one of these posts where the wife is intolerant of the hubbys paint project I'm curious if she gives the same regard to acetone soaks of her own fingers and lacquer paint jobs of their nails ! Often there are legit concerns though, like she has asthma. Fortunately my wife and I may have had some mountains not worth climbing but my hobby and painting weren't among them. She supported it in fact. I was a very blessed man for 47 years and I know it, she just beat me home to be with the Lord.

 So sorry about your wife Dave, thats very sad. My wife now of 45 years (been together 47) loves me to model, even picked out a model for me to build yesterday (the Drag 91 Mustang) at HL.  Keeps me occupied while she cross-stiches.

Good post , my 2 space heaters get the temp up to around 60 in my garage when the starting temp is around 45 degrees.

[Pete75]

No modellers will likely give the same answer ?. FWIW, I generally use Tamiya acrylic cans & have formed the view that spraying below 10C/50F increases the risk of runs developing. However, I often sidestep the issue with the "spraying out the back door" method ?

[Dave G.]

5 minutes ago, TransAmMike said:

 So sorry about your wife Dave, thats very sad. My wife now of 45 years (been together 47) loves me to model, even picked out a model for me to build yesterday (the Drag 91 Mustang) at HL.  Keeps me occupied while she cross-stiches.

Good post , my 2 space heaters get the temp up to around 60 in my garage when the starting temp is around 45 degrees.

Thanks Mike. Ya she just passed Dec 20th, heart attack and gone in less than 3 minutes or so at 1:15am.  And so we go on, ya never dreampt nor did anyone else that she would go before myself, after all I'm the one who took all the ambulance rides ! But danged if she didn't beat me home. Praise God she knew the Lord and we know where she is ( absent from the body is to be present with the Lord for those who know Him, 2 Corinthians 5:8).

So space heaters. Well from your latest photos it looks like it all works for you Mike !

[TransAmMike]

24 minutes ago, Dave G. said:

Thanks Mike. Ya she just passed Dec 20th, heart attack and gone in less than 3 minutes or so at 1:15am.  And so we go on, ya never dreampt nor did anyone else that she would go before myself, after all I'm the one who took all the ambulance rides ! But danged if she didn't beat me home. Praise God she knew the Lord and we know where she is ( absent from the body is to be present with the Lord for those who know Him, 2 Corinthians 5:8).

So space heaters. Well from your latest photos it looks like it all works for you Mike !

 

24 minutes ago, Dave G. said:

Thanks Mike. Ya she just passed Dec 20th, heart attack and gone in less than 3 minutes or so at 1:15am.  And so we go on, ya never dreampt nor did anyone else that she would go before myself, after all I'm the one who took all the ambulance rides ! But danged if she didn't beat me home. Praise God she knew the Lord and we know where she is ( absent from the body is to be present with the Lord for those who know Him, 2 Corinthians 5:8).

So space heaters. Well from your latest photos it looks like it all works for you Mike !

Well thats tragic, and it seems you're handling it as well as can be expected, God Bless.