Primer cure time?

Squall67584 · Post by **Squall67584** » Thu Aug 13, 2009 11:47 pm

Generally how long does it take primer to cure? I painted a model about 6 hours ago, and while it can be touched, it still feels a bit "soft" as if it hasn't fully cured yet. I remember reading that if it still has a smell, then it hasn't cured, and it still smells like paint. It's also pretty humid here, even though the model is inside the a/c right now. I'm going to give it 24 hours, hopefully tomorrow it'll be cured. I want to paint!

Rogviler · Post by **Rogviler** » Fri Aug 14, 2009 12:53 am

It depends on the primer. Some have to be topcoated within a certain amount of time or else you have to wait anywhere from 24 hours to about a week. It should say in the can.

Even if it's still soft you can put your topcoat on. The bigger danger is waiting too long and being in the "do not topcoat" timeframe and then you can get orange peel and/or poor adhesion.

-Rog

Squall67584 · Post by **Squall67584** » Fri Aug 14, 2009 9:47 am

Hmm, I read the can, and it says it can top coated after an hour. It also says "Maximum top coat adhesion and durability will be achieved in 5-7 days." Does that mean I have 5-7 days to paint it, or have to wait a week before I can? I was waiting for it to harden due to some imperfections that have to be wet sanded out. The rattlecan I'm using is Rust-Oleum Plastic Primer.

Rogviler · Post by **Rogviler** » Fri Aug 14, 2009 10:34 am

Oh, okay, so that's a different type of primer... Based on the information on the RustOleum site it looks like what it does is bond to the plastic and basically provides a paintable surface for things like lawn chairs that can normally be hard to paint.

So the 5-7 days is when the primer is fully bonded to the plastic and ready for topcoating, so you should wait until after that time for best results.

If it's a model kit, you can probably get away with painting sooner, but I wouldn't know about sanding it so you'll just have to try it. If you get little beads of primer building up in your paper then it's too soon.

-Rog

Kylwell · Post by **Kylwell** » Fri Aug 14, 2009 11:48 am

More the reason to use Mr. Surfacer or Tamiya Fine Primer.

Squall67584 · Post by **Squall67584** » Fri Aug 14, 2009 2:27 pm

What's the time intervals for Mr. Surfacer? I have a small can of the stuff, but everything is in Japanese.

Kylwell · Post by **Kylwell** » Fri Aug 14, 2009 2:37 pm

Depending on temp & humidity, 1/2 to 4 hours.