Modeling in Florida!

If you're moving your workbench and paint booth indoors, humidity shouldn't be a factor. In the stable controlled humidity of air conditioned comfort you should have consistant performance.

Right now here in NE Wisconsin we have the opposite problem...to dry. With forced air heat we must inject moisture into the air, otherwise the air gets too dry and static electricity across the surface of the model plays havoc with getting a good paint job.

I strive to keep the humidity at or about 50% year round.

I'm in Sarasota, about 50 miles south of Tampa.  I've got my bench in the garage.  It's not too bad in the mornings or evenings, but can be brutal during the day.  I have big box fan that helps somewhat when it gets real hot, but I still tend to avoid modeling in the middle of the day.

I occasionally will move into the kitchen table when I'm doing stuff like detail painting, decaling or working on ship rigging (plus my wife doesn't think I'm being as antisocial as when I spend hours out in the garage).

A moisture trap for your airbrush is also a good investment (I found out the hard way when  the clear coat on a  Blue Angel F/A-18 turned a foggy white).  While a moisture trap might helps during high heat/high humidity conditions, there are days during the rainy season that I don't even try to do any painting.

When I moved here twenty-four years ago there were about a half dozen hobby shops, a couple of train shops and one that was exclusively wooden ship models.  All but one train shop are gone now (unless you count the few models that Michael's arts & crafts stocks).  The train shop has a good selection of paints, glues, etc., but most of my purchases these days come online from Squadron, Sprue Bros. or Model Expo.

We also used to have a fairly active local IPMS chapter, but that folded about five years ago when several of the core members literally died off.  The younger members didn't the interest in continuing the club.

Mark

Mark: I hear you about the middle of the day! I think the temp is about 10* cooler there than Ft. Myers where I am. I was out in my garage last year at 10pm and remember just dripping over my kit! As for the shops I am in the same boat. We hae 1 here. I get most of my odds and ends there and an occasional model if I see something I really want. Michaels comes in very handy! I got the moisture trap set up so I am good there. I have had a couple times that even that is overwhelmed!

Lucky for us the heat comes on about 2-3 times a year only! Although a basement and Snow (an excuse to stay in!) would be great! Except for the shoveling of course.

Travis

As they say you can dress for the cold, but can't take enough off in the heat without burning something you'd rather not. Snow, it is best handled with a mechanical device, preferrably something with a motor. The other nice thing about winter...no bugs and you don't have to worry about mowing or watering the lawn.