Randy Ayers Nascar Modeling Forums

Tcart77 · Joined: 28 May 2019 Posts: 25

Hey everyone,
As fall is here I am sad because my model building slows almost to a halt. I live in Midwest and cold weather makes it impossible to paint. How does everyone handle building in the winter time. Is it possible to paint in the house without making a mess and smelling up the place. I guess some have basements or garages with heat. I just have a desk in the family room and paint out in the barn when weather permits. Any suggestions on how to continue the hobby in winter?
Thanks

Firefly · Joined: 28 Jan 2018 Posts: 810 Location: New Jersey

Unless you get influenced to look into a spray booth, you might consider airbrushing. And you may also consider airbrushing acrylic if the color selection works for you, which is somewhat less smelly.
_________________
Bill Jobson is my real name.

BVAUGHN · Joined: 29 Jan 2018 Posts: 504

I paint several in the fall to build in the winter months
Bill

18degrees · Posted: Mon Oct 14, 2019 3:36 am Post subject:

Last winter i put together chassis and primered bodies, stuff that uses metallics and flats. Did the bodies this summer... well, some of them. Currently working on one and have another that still in primer.

And i also live in the Midwest and do my painting in a shed with no heat.
_________________
ON DECK/IN THE WORKS: too many started to list...

james220 · Joined: 29 Jan 2018 Posts: 162 Location: Roanoke VA

get as many as I can painted and ready to glue together in the good weather. Put them together in the winter. I have no indoor space for painting only spray paint out side. I do any detail painting (with brush) I need all year.. Even though I live in the south winter weather can be brutal and sometime summer humidity is awful. But it seems to work.

Dennis O · Posted: Mon Oct 14, 2019 12:07 pm Post subject:

There are many plans for constructing an indoor paint booth that are not CRAZY expensive and can be vented out a window. Here is a sample....

https://makezine.com/2015/08/08/build-an-easy-and-cheap-tabletop-spray-booth/
_________________
Dennis
Artificial Intelligence is no match for Natural Stupidity.......

kurth · Joined: 06 Feb 2018 Posts: 57

A spray booth will let you paint indoors. An airbrush will help make less of a mess since there will be much less over spray.

If that is not an option, you might still be able to paint outside, but be very quick about it. warm up the spray can in warm water, and maybe even heat up the body a little with a hair dryer, run out side and spray the paint quickly and bring it back inside to dry.

bangor boy · Joined: 29 Jan 2018 Posts: 451

Trying to do any painting in a Canadian winter is obviously challenging.

A row of dense cedars and a couple of plastic tarps clipped on ropes around a sunny lower back deck, eliminate wind to create a micro-climate area that's warm and still.

It'll be a brisk -13C or so here the next two days. This Sunday, the temps will soar to a balmy, sunny 6C and I'll likely have an area to paint in more like 12-14C. Good enough for a quick, mid-day session.

And a rare chance to sit out and tan afterward.

I'm painting diecast bodies, so the oven is set to about 150 to warm them up. The spray cans - acrylic - will also be warmed in water. Everything is covered as it's moved outside to retain warmth.

Then, spritz spritz here, spray spray there and a couple of ooh-la-la's and they go straight back to sit in household warmth under the kitchen fan atop a big box.

Not sure how warm plastic bodies should be, but there's how I try to be opportunistic in winter weather.

Orangeastre · Joined: 29 Jan 2018 Posts: 212

Sounds like some east coast weather.

Barry · Joined: 23 Mar 2018 Posts: 33

I agree with bangor boy. Living in the 'Great White North' as I do, it can be interesting trying to paint a model when it's -15C, or colder. You just have to wait for it to warm up a bit. I usually spray in the sunshine, and put the parts in my unheated garage to dry, and, gas out. Using automotive primers and touch up paints just takes a bit longer to dry. Yes, it can be a challenge, eh?
Barry Kennedy
Ontario, Canada

bangor boy · Joined: 29 Jan 2018 Posts: 451

Oh, for sure, there Barry boy. Winter can be a tempestuous mistress. Looks like we're in for 8-10 inches by Wednesday

Still, a nice mild spell that let me get three cars painted and cleared. All part of my ongoing (never ending, shurely? Ed.) effort to create a collection of 1.24 champions cars.

Progress on the '51 Hudson Hornet of Herb Thomas, the '77 Oldsmobile of Cale Yarborough and the '89 Pontiac Grand Prix of Young Russell Wallace.

Pics up soon.