Minimum temp for Tamiya rattle cans ?

[Goodwrench3]

Hi all:  

I was hoping to get one more model painted yet this year, but up here in Wisconsin it's already turned cooler.  

I have to spray paint in the garage due to my wife's sinus issues.  I was wondering what is the minimum temp. for the Tamiya spray paint  ?     I.e.  where do you start running into finish problems ?   60 deg. ?  70 ?

Thanks

 

[thatz4u]

will work at 60 degrees F, take a little longer to dry....at least in Ohio

[Goodwrench3]

Thanks -- I can bring it into the house after spraying.  It's just the fumes during spraying that she cannot tolerate  ...    at least in Wisconsin  ?

[Rodent]

I have successfully used it in the mid-50s. Parts to be painted should be house temperature, and I warm the can in some hot water before spraying. Parts come back in and get hung up in the laundry room to dry. In some cases, I have found that it almost works better in lower temps than it does at 90F.

 

[Goodwrench3]

28 minutes ago, Rodent said:

I have successfully used it in the mid-50s. Parts to be painted should be house temperature, and I warm the can in some hot water before spraying. Parts come back in and get hung up in the laundry room to dry. In some cases, I have found that it almost works better in lower temps than it does at 90F.

 

Thank you !   Obviously, when painting a body with Tamiya spray, you'd be doing it with multiple light coats -- i.e. first a "dust" coat, wait 5 or 10 min., then a light coat, wait 5 or 10 min., and maybe 1 or 2 "wetter" coats  ?

So while you will start with a body at "room temp", it'll be out there for about 30 min or so by the time you get the last coat sprayed.  Not sure this really matters, though  ?

 

 

[gman]

Bring a pot full of hot water out to your painting area to keep the spray cans warm during your painting session- place can back in warm water between coats, shake and carry on as needed. You may see less texture on your painted parts when sprayed in a cooler environment compared to spraying the same paint on a hot day, where the paint will gas out quicker before it flashes.

Build up coats slowly- my first couple of experiences with Tamiya TS spray was painting in a cold garage, and I found it runs pretty easily when cool and you hose the paint on in wet coats. I used to have luck with enamels hosing on a thick final coat, but Tamiya lacquers are thinner and respond best to light coats built up in layers. They also polish out nicely, should you end up with some texture.

[Goodwrench3]

1 minute ago, gman said:

Bring a pot full of hot water out to your painting area to keep the spray cans warm during your painting session- place can back in warm water between coats, shake and carry on as needed. You may see less texture on your painted parts when sprayed in a cooler environment compared to spraying the same paint on a hot day, where the paint will gas out quicker before it flashes.

Build up coats slowly- my first couple of experiences with Tamiya TS spray was painting in a cold garage, and I found it runs pretty easily when cool and you hose the paint on in wet coats. I used to have luck with enamels hosing on a thick final coat, but Tamiya lacquers are thinner and respond best to light coats built up in layers. They also polish out nicely, should you end up with some texture.

Thanks -- super good information.

So when spraying in cooler temps -- i.e. 60 deg.  --   how long should I wait between light coats  ?   That's always been a mystery.   5 min ?   20 min ?    

Thank you 

 

[gman]

You want your mist coats to "tack up" and become sticky before continuing with more coats, to provide some tooth (so your heavier coats don't run). On a hot day, that may be a few minutes. On a colder day, you'll want to allow some more time between coats.

One good thing with lacquers is that solvents in subsequent coats form a chemical bond with your previous coats, as the solvents in the paint bite into what has already been sprayed on your model. With enamels, should you be more familiar with them, the surface of your paint coat forms a skin. Coats applied with the re-coat window will skin on top of the final coat, while coats applied long after previous coats have cured will form an additional skin on top of the final coat. Enamels cure from the outside in, while lacquers behave differently, drying on the outside while melting coats underneath. With hobby lacquers (Tamiya, Testors lacquer series) that isn't much of a problem, but with automotive grade lacquers, too heavy a coat can have the solvent melt through primer and affect the plastic.

With hobby lacquers, warming the cans allows the paint coat to flash much like it would on a warmer day, rather than run and drip in your paint surface. I have stolen that technique no matter what I am spraying, and find it works much better and gets you a finer aerosol spray than using a cold can as well.

 

Edited October 5, 2020 by gman

[gman]

If you want to better nail down how long a mist coat should dry before spraying another, if you use a paint stand you can see if those mist coats that are drying on the stand (off the model body) are dry to the touch, or are at best slightly tacky- if so, more mist coats are probably OK at this time.

[Goodwrench3]

4 minutes ago, gman said:

If you want to better nail down how long a mist coat should dry before spraying another, if you use a paint stand you can see if those mist coats that are drying on the stand (off the model body) are dry to the touch, or are at best slightly tacky- if so, more mist coats are probably OK at this time.

Super.  That gives me something to work with.

Thanks

[Rodent]

5 hours ago, Goodwrench3 said:

Thank you !   Obviously, when painting a body with Tamiya spray, you'd be doing it with multiple light coats -- i.e. first a "dust" coat, wait 5 or 10 min., then a light coat, wait 5 or 10 min., and maybe 1 or 2 "wetter" coats  ?

So while you will start with a body at "room temp", it'll be out there for about 30 min or so by the time you get the last coat sprayed.  Not sure this really matters, though  ?

 

 

I typically paint outside because I am too lazy to move the cars out of the garage. Because of that, the parts I am painting come back inside with me between coats. I don't want a stupid squirrel stealing my parts and using them to sharpen their fangs with.

[Goodwrench3]

...   Or a bee landing on it and leaving prints in the paint ...  LOL.    This time of year we seem to get a lot of bees.    ?

 

[gman]

16 minutes ago, Goodwrench3 said:

...   Or a bee landing on it and leaving prints in the paint ...  LOL.    This time of year we seem to get a lot of bees.    ?

 

Very true- they are attracted by a sweet smell in the solvent. I have been chased by bees, wasps trying to get a taste of drying paint on something I just sprayed.

[gman]

1 hour ago, Rodent said:

I typically paint outside because I am too lazy to move the cars out of the garage. Because of that, the parts I am painting come back inside with me between coats. I don't want a stupid squirrel stealing my parts and using them to sharpen their fangs with.

I have yet to be chased by squirrels, but will keep my eyes open next painting session ?

[Rodent]

1 minute ago, gman said:

I have yet to be chased by squirrels, but will keep my eyes open next painting session ?

LOL, their latest annoying thing to do is to gnaw on my plastic sprinkler heads to the point of chewing right through them. I would hate to see what they could do to model parts..... 

[NOBLNG]

7 hours ago, gman said:

Bring a pot full of hot water out to your painting area to keep the spray cans warm during your painting session-

Better yet, get a food de-hydrator. You can keep your spray can in there to keep them warm. And you can dry the painted model in it. No dust or bugs on it either once it’s in there.

Edited October 6, 2020 by NOBLNG

[gman]

I have been on the fence about getting one of those for many years. As for modelling aids on-hand, have water, have pot, but as of yet, no food dehydrator.

On our cross border travels, I came across a number of dehydrators at a good price, but sadly never pulled the trigger. One day. It's a great tip.

[Goodwrench3]

Same here.  Guys in our modeling club use them all the time to speed things up.  Most are "Franken-drators" -- I.e. the have chopped them up, modified them, etc.  I just haven't had the urge to do this yet.

 

 

[espo]

I have had a Dehydrator that I have used off and on for many years. While they work well a majority of the time I do wish mine had an adjustable thermostat to regulate the heat. What I have found is mine anyway can start to melt curtain types of plastic mostly used on older hard to replace kits.  They aren't that expensive but be sure to get one that is adjustable and maybe even a timer as well. 

[Rodent]

Missed out on an adjustable temperature dehydrator at my neighbor's garage sale a while back. Saw it, went home, thought about it, texted her and she said that they had just sold it. Lots of folks buy those things for what they are intended for and then hardly use them. I think she wanted $10 for it and it was in the box.

[Goodwrench3]

Yep that was the other big point that guys mentioned -- temp control ability is critical.  I think they had theirs set at like 100 deg. F.  -- no higher.

 

[espo]

I think my old single temp model is stuck on medium rare . 

[slusher]

I have painted at 50 degrees and bring my car and parts in the house. My paint is at the temperature of the house no problems. Randy a member I Canada paints in the winter. RandyB or D..

[Goodwrench3]

12 hours ago, slusher said:

I have painted at 50 degrees and bring my car and parts in the house. My paint is at the temperature of the house no problems. Randy a member I Canada paints in the winter. RandyB or D..

Wow.

Hmmm...   maybe with some heaters in the garage I could get it up to 50 deg. on some winter days and not have to "shut down" model building completely over the winter.

[Rodent]

Some of the "colder climate" guys have stated that they take advantage of warmer weather to do a bunch of painting so they have a stockpile of kits to work on in the winter when it's too cold to paint.