Peeling paint.

If I had to guess-- and it's just my guess-- I'd say the room temp is probably a little too low.

Are you de-tacking the tape? What brand(s) of paint? What kind of tape?

Temperature sounds a bit low to me also, but I have no practical experience to back up my guess.

Sorry Greg,

I forgot to cover that.

MM or Tamiya acrylic, MM enamel. That's all I've ever tried to use.

Tamiya masking tape for the seams with blue painters tape for the larger areas. I've never had problems with this combo before.

Steve

BLACKSMITHN,

My wife agrees with you, and thinks the temp is actually lower than I think it is.

If you have used the same paint in your painting area before without problems it sure sounds like a temperature related problem.

50 degrees is at the very bottom end of what typical paints can be sprayed. Have you used a thermometer to measure the specific area where you painting? Unless you are using a scientific grade thermometer it might be at least 1 to 5 degrees off which could put it below the 50 degree minimum temperature.

However, when I have sprayed painted in cool temperatures the paint not adhering well was the least of my problems as it would craze or crinkle to the point I prayed it would just peeling off! It didn't!

Throw in the humidity factor and things really get complicated!

Did you clean the model and use primer before adding the top coat?

I'm thinking the cold weather has some effect to why the paint is peeling off. Or not bringing in the parts painted inside to cure better instead of leaving it outside.

I'd try painting in 65F or warmer.  Anything below that is getting risky.  I sometimes have to warm up my basement in Minnesota winter.  Just do not spray while heater is on.  I always turn my electric heater off when spraying, though I brush paint with it on (I use enamels with turpentine).

I'd tend to agree that if the combinations of primer, paint and tape never gave you a problem in the past, seems to aim at temperature.

Only other comment is after a disaster with blue painters tape a couple years back, that stuff will never touch a model of mine again. Is way too aggressive in the tackiness dept. But that said, if you've used it before with no problem, my opinion might be moot.

I agree, I just started with these problems after summer. I'll have to come up with a new solution when it comes to painting when It's cold outside.

The wife is Leary about my spraying in the house, even with a paint booth.

Winter can really play havoc with modeling, especially painting. The area of my shop that is best insulated will get to 60 degrees plus using a propane space heater, but I view that as marginal, and it is definitely a bad idea to spray any solvent based material with a heater on.

What hasn't been said directly is that everything has to be as warm as you can get it; the paint, the AB, the model itself. Anything in the process that chills the paint affects the outcome. I can see from your 2014 review that you don't normally have any issues with painting, so it's gotta be temperature.

During the cold months I try to be content with building and shooting primer, and save the finish coats until spring. Hope this 2c helps & Happy New Year!

Mike

Looks like I'm gonna have to prime my kits at my dad's house in his cellar. The missus won't appreciate me priming in our cellar. Either that, I'll have to build my own airbrush paint booth.

Yes Mike, it helps, thanks,

I do believe temperature is my problem.

Now does anyone have any suggestions on how to convince my wife that I need to paint in the house?

Man, it's hard to imagine not being able to just paint my models right there at the bench in my study.  Barring some serious allergy to paint, I just don't see how the minute amount of paint that is used to paint a scale model could disturb anyone.  I use only enamels on my models and I don't think anyone else in my house has ever been able to tell when I was spraying or not!  Maybe all the years I worked as a professional painter, exposed to all sorts of paint, epoxies and solvents, numbed my senses somewhat but none of my family has ever complained about any paint smell in more than 25 years.  I guess it smelled like money to them!

Gary

Texgunner,

Probably so, It doesn't bother me either, but I often kid my wife that she has the olfactory senses of a K-9. I swear, she could smell the paint if I sprayed in the open air.

If the cold garage is your only option, you might try warming your paint bottles in a pan of hot water and then heating the model with a hair drier prior to painting and then again after you have painted. The hair drier is one of my favorite modelling tools ever.

Jay

Thanks Jay,

I use a propane heater to heat the tarped area and a heat gun to warm up the airbrush and subject. I transport the paint out to the garage from the house.

I just knew this was going to be an issue. The last time I built models was 15 years ago and I had an indoor "war room" to do it in. I started up again in mid 2014 so no issue at the time.

I'll just have to come up with a different solution.

Steve

My only other suggestion would be to try Gunze Mr. Color paint. Don't know how the cold would affect it, but it has the best adhesion of any paint I have ever used. I routinely mask over it within minutes of spraying and hitting it with the hair drier.

Jay

Well, while the wife was at the hospital (our daughter just birthed our 3rd grandson), I brought the AB rig in and sprayed a Future coat. If she asks about the smell, if there is any by the time she gets home, I'll tell her I was waxing the floor. 

Why don't you buy or build a spray booth?

I am going to build one.

Here's my solution to the problem. I just need to get a dryer hose and cut a hole in a piece of plywood and fit it into a window.