Can I use Testors Spray cans in a garage?

JohnnyK

Second you should warm the spray can in warm, not hot, tap water.

When I was first getting back into scale modelling, a couple of years ago, I read about warming rattle cans before using them, so I tried it. I wish I hadn't! Instead of a nice, smooth, glossy finish on the airplane model I was building, I got a not-so-lovely "orange peel" effect. Apparently, I got the paint so warm that the paint droplets were already partly dry when they hit the model. Since then, I've just kept the paint stored in my apartment at room temperature, 20 degrees C/70 degrees F. 

I have the same problem as the OP. My condo is too small to use as a "spray booth," and it would be a major pain the in the butt to set up and take down a spray booth every time I wanted to use it. Instead, I bought a banker's box, used lots of duct tape to seal it, and installed a 40-watt tungsten light bulb to heat it to an approximation of room temperature before using it. It's worked great, although I do need build a bigger, somewhat roomier one.

Bob

Just try it and see how it works.

TheModeler

 

 

Don Stauffer

Testors Glosscoat and Dullcoat are lacquers, and they behave different than most acrylics or enamels. Testors did make an enamel glosscoat but it went over like a lead balloon.

The problem with lacquers is that their solvent is very fast evaporating, and that rapid evaporation cools the paint surface by a lot.  So much so that the temperature can fall below the dew point on a humid day.  If that happens, water (dew) condenses on the surface and turns it matt white.  So humidity is more important than temperature.  Compare both- if temperature is only a few degrees above the dew point, do NOT spray Glosscoat or Dullcoat.  This is true even inside in humid summers.

 

 

 

Wait--What is the "dew point" temp for Dullcote/Glosscote?Are you saying it's fine to spray Enamels without too much humidity,but with Lacquers you do?I don't think I have any humid areas of my house,and outside it's freezing,so do you have any reccomendations/ideas?

 

No, I was referring to the dew point of the air.  Air always contains some moisture.  The dewpoint is a measure of how much. It is the temperature at which the air would be saturated and condense out.  If the temerature is 70 degrees and the dew point is 65, if you cool the air or a surface, water will condense on surfaces.  The rapid cooling of lacquer thinner can easily drop the paint surface temp five or ten degrees, and if dew point is within that amount of cooling from air temp, dew will condense on paint.  This is called blushing.  Old model airplane dope (and real airplane dope) had very volatile thinner also.  I learned about blushing when recovering old airplanes.

Don Stauffer

Testors Glosscoat and Dullcoat are lacquers, and they behave different than most acrylics or enamels. Testors did make an enamel glosscoat but it went over like a lead balloon.

The problem with lacquers is that their solvent is very fast evaporating, and that rapid evaporation cools the paint surface by a lot.  So much so that the temperature can fall below the dew point on a humid day.  If that happens, water (dew) condenses on the surface and turns it matt white.  So humidity is more important than temperature.  Compare both- if temperature is only a few degrees above the dew point, do NOT spray Glosscoat or Dullcoat.  This is true even inside in humid summers.

Wait--What is the "dew point" temp for Dullcote/Glosscote?Are you saying it's fine to spray Enamels without too much humidity,but with Lacquers you do?I don't think I have any humid areas of my house,and outside it's freezing,so do you have any reccomendations/ideas?

Testors Glosscoat and Dullcoat are lacquers, and they behave different than most acrylics or enamels. Testors did make an enamel glosscoat but it went over like a lead balloon.

The problem with lacquers is that their solvent is very fast evaporating, and that rapid evaporation cools the paint surface by a lot.  So much so that the temperature can fall below the dew point on a humid day.  If that happens, water (dew) condenses on the surface and turns it matt white.  So humidity is more important than temperature.  Compare both- if temperature is only a few degrees above the dew point, do NOT spray Glosscoat or Dullcoat.  This is true even inside in humid summers.

I assume he is referring to letting the parts have a few minutes outside to let some of the solvents evaporate as the paint begins to dry, before bringing it in. Basically, leave the stink outside for a bit, as it off gasses the propellants and other stuff in the can besides the paint. 

Justinryan215

The spray cans I always keep my "every day use" cans (primers, clear coats) on my bench in the house, and when I need to spray them, I take them out to my Noninsulated garage, spray what needs spraying, give the piece a few minutes to flash off, then bring both back into my workbench.  if the model or figure is not too big to fit, I put it into my old food dehydrator set on low to fully dry.

Basically, the cans should be between 70-80 degrees for best paint ans spray performance.....

 

Ah,good idea.But what do you mean by"Flashing off"?

I sprayed my models in the garage before I built a spraybooth. I used an empty wine case carton to contain the overspray and to limit the amount of dust that fell on the wet paint. First I would keep the model in your house immediatly prior to painting in the garage. Second you should warm the spray can in warm, not hot, tap water.

The spray cans I always keep my "every day use" cans (primers, clear coats) on my bench in the house, and when I need to spray them, I take them out to my Noninsulated garage, spray what needs spraying, give the piece a few minutes to flash off, then bring both back into my workbench.  if the model or figure is not too big to fit, I put it into my old food dehydrator set on low to fully dry.

Basically, the cans should be between 70-80 degrees for best paint ans spray performance.....