MY PAINT'S NOT DRYING ! MY PAINT'S NOT DRYING!!!!!

First, some facts please...

MM enamel or acryl?
How did you paint it? Spray can or airbrush...
When did you paint it?

My answers depend on these answers.

Enjoy your modeling...

If you used regular thinner,you could have thined it out a bit to much.Esspecailly if you used an air brush.You my want to mix some more up but with less thinner and then shoot it.This will give it a hard shell and will dry.I use a 3 to 1 ratio on enamels,1being the thinner.If you don't want to do this just wait a week,then it should dry good.Digger

Please forgive me as I was in a panic.
MM enamel, I airbrshed it, About 1 1/2 hours ago(around 7:00P.M. Pacific time).
I think I went to heavy on the body.

I used about a 2 to 1 mix paint to thinner ratio.

Russianfist,

ONE hour and a half!!!

Go to bed!

Seriously, enamel paints should not be touched, handled, or messed with for AT LEAST 24 hours. I will not even put a second coat on my enamels in less than 2 hours.

Relax...

Enjoy your modeling...

Well usually when I use MM paint it drys flat within 20 minutes and is fully dry in a couple hours.
But then again I was using fast reducer.

You are correct.

When I shoot MM enamels thinned with MM thinner, if I've applied a thin coating, it will appear dry and flat in as little as 10 or 15 minutes. However, it is not cured in that period of time. As I said, I usually give it at least 24 hours to fully cure. When brushed on, enamels can take much longer - as long as a week - to cure.

If you've "pooled" the MM in some areas, they may never loose their semi-gloss appearance. However, after top coating with Future, applying a wash, dullcoating, and weathering, I don't think you'll even remember where the spots were.

Enjoy your modeling...

On the subject of paint curing, what's the chief advantage of waiting 24 hours on enamels to cure? I live in a very low humidity area and during the warmer months particularly, enamels dry very quickly (by dry I mean to the touch) using ordinary aribrush thinner. Sometimes they try so fast that it interferes with the airbrush tip if I'm painting for an extended period.

I typically spray the pre-shading/primer coat, followed by the basecoat, then any camo patterns over the top. It then usually gets to sit overnight (or a week depending on if painted on a Sunday...) before it gets sealed and weathered just because of my usual work habits. I'm not aware of any problems introduced by following this method but then that may be due to my own ignorance about problems/flaws I'm introducing unwittingly too...

russianfist,
I used enamals for years, but switched to Model Master Acrylics last year. They are really nice! They dry in a few minutes, and easy clean up. I suggest you give them a shot.

wbill76,

I have heard of numerous problems associated with not letting enamel paints cure completely. For armor modelers, and a lesser extent others, the biggest problem I read about are pre-wash coats of Future being placed over uncured enamels. The solvents in the enamel are deprived of the air they need to evaporate completely. I've read about these solvents discoloring or breaking down the Future coats, warping small or thin parts over time, or in extreme cases, even causing the underlying enamel to slowly "slump" on the sides of models.

The other problem is caused in even the most apparently dry (but uncured) enamels when subsequent washes or paints are applied that have compatible solvents to the original paint. If an enamel in completely cured, it can literally be washed in the same solvent as was in the original paint (but I wouldn't recommend it - obviously). This is because the paint vehicle has been allowed to actually change on a molecular level into something harder than before. However, with uncured enamels, even a couple of drops of solvent can cause the curing process to stop and the paint vehicle to once again break down.

Granted, most of these are probably severe cases, but my thoughts are these. If the manufacturer recommends 24 - 48 hours for the paint to cure (or longer in some cases), why in the world would we as modelers jeopardize the look of a $15, $30, or even $100 model because of nothing more than being impatient. It's just not worth the risk with the amount of money we put into today's models.

Enjoy your modeling...

Foster,

Thanks for the clarification and it makes sense from the wash/future/finishing standpoint. I don't use solvent based washes or future, in fact I hardly use washes at all and when I do they are water based over a laquer seal.

I agree about jeopardizing the finished look out of impatience and can understand why it would be wise to leave the paint to cure before working on the finishing stages that some use with washes and weathering as opposed to charging ahead. Thanks for the info!

Well it turned out better than I thought.
The paint is now dry to the touch but still smells wet so I am going to wait until the weekend to let it cure and then put a clear gloss coat on it.
I have never had that happen before and I think it is due to over painting it plus the cooler weather and the thinner all in combination.
Thanks all for easing my fears.

QUOTE: Originally posted by russianfist Well it turned out better than I thought. The paint is now dry to the touch but still smells wet so I am going to wait until the weekend to let it cure and then put a clear gloss coat on it. I have never had that happen before and I think it is due to over painting it plus the cooler weather and the thinner all in combination. Thanks all for easing my fears.

russianfist,

It definitely sounds like those are the most likely causes, but it will work out over time. I keep forgetting that I'm in the minority by doing all of my painting inside the house with a constant 74 degrees and probably 35% humidity.

You can place your model in a relatively warm, dry location, and the paint will cure faster. In a choice between the two, pick the dry location over the warm.

Enjoy your modeling...

Ha i was painting with the same color the other day and i hade the same problem. I lightened it up with some yellow and tried again and it was fine. I think i may have put too much htinner in it because the second coat i barely had any.
Another problem may be that you sprayed it too close, try to do it dry next time.