Winter Painting

Geez, man; I'd at least try to paint. I have no problem at all spraying Tamiya paint in the dead of winter. In fact, I prefer it to spraying in a humid summer. Unless you're painting glossy lacquer, I wouldn't worry about it until you at least try it on a spare hull or piece of plastic. I think you'll be fine, honestly.

Thanks to all of you for your input. I guess I'll try to rig up a spray booth of some type for the garage, maybe in the bed of my pick-up, and use my gazillion-watt work lights for heat. Sounds like I should be able to do some brush painting in the office (workroom), with either the enamels or acrylics.

waynec: I'm only about 180 miles west of your location.

i usually prime in the garage, especially if i have a lot. always airbrush acrylics in the bunker and have a filter going plus wearing a respirator but that doesn't get upstairs. even the enamel primer is ok if i crank the filter. also i have a big bunker and i leave after priming. at least here in Denver we will usually have one or two days a week in the 40s unless there is a cold front lingering.

my bu ker is probably in the 60s and i don't have any acrylic issues.

M1,

I had similar problem. I tried to heat my garage, no good. I finally built a spray booth using and old fan from some electronic thingy and a plastic tub. I vent the fumes out of the window via a 4" dryer hose. My wife through a fit about it, but I finally won. Come to find out she didn't have anything to worry about. No paint fog, no paint on the walls, no smell permeating the house, it's all good.

However, If that option is out, Acrylics don't do well under 60 deg (15 c), but like Bish said, I can spray enamel lower than that.

I also paint out in the shed and have found I have problems especially with Acrylic if I paint in the winter at night. So I tend to try and leave any Acrylic painting until a weekend when I can do it during the day and it will be dry before the night frost sets in. Enamels I have not had any issues with. The temps here at the moment are ranging from about 5C to -3/4C.