which is true about paint? Maybe both?

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Digger1

which is true about paint? Maybe both?

Post by Digger1 »

...that when you're spraying in high humidity, the moisture in the air will mix with the spray stream keeping the paint from drying properly or


...that, because of the high humidity, the paint's VOCs won't evaporate while resting on the painted surface?
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Kylwell
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Post by Kylwell »

The higher the humidity, the slower paint will dry. If you've got a moisturetrap (and you should) there should be little dampness in your AB air. Heat will speed the outgassing or you can switch to something like lacquer, but lacquer isn't too fond of high moisture (IIRC).

Best thing I did for my hobby was move to Colorado. Not that I moved here for that purpose but it did help.
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Post by Mr. Badwrench »

Even in the most humid conditions there isn't enough moisture in the air to affect the paint as it comes out of the airbrush. Humidity is measured in grams of water per kilogram of air. At 100% humidity a kilo of air might only contain a couple dozen grams of air. (I couldn't find how much volume a kilo of air displaces, but I can't imagine it is a small number. Several cubic meters would be my guess). Such a small amount of water in such a large volume of air, even at 100% humidity, it's less that a drop of water in a quart of paint.

However, paints dry by evaporation. (At least acrylics do). The relatively dry air wicks the moisture from the paint. If the air already has a lot of water in it it can't absorb it as fast.
I speak of the pompatous of plastic.
Digger1

Post by Digger1 »

yeah. I made a boo-boo. It feels pretty cool and dry here but the RH is at 74% and I painted the Klingon K'tinga down with a rattle can.

Hope it dries.
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Post by Kylwell »

Heat & a fan. Both will help speed the process.
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Post by Digger1 »

k

I've got the oven preheating to 500° and the fan and the model sent upright and at an angle on a chair. The oven will provide the heat and the fan will blow the hot air onto the model sitting on the chair.

Will I need to flip the model after a spell?
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Post by Kylwell »

Mike, I hope you're kidding.

Just keep it warm a place a fan nearby. Heck, put it over a heating pad. Too much heat will deform the model. I once destroyed a beautiful kit while taking pictures of it because the 2 100w lamps were too close.
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Post by Digger1 »

well, I wanted it warm enough to radiate some heat. It seemed a good temp since you can't feel any heat through the fan.

In fact, because of this, I don't know what good the fan is doing.
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Post by Kylwell »

Just keep a close eye on it. I'd hate for something to droop.

Somewhere I've got pictures of the truck as it slowly slumped into a pile of goop.
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Post by Digger1 »

yeah, I shut the oven off. Just making the house really warm except right in front of the fan :?

How's about those radiant heat lights just outside my shower?

The model is dry, I just wanna make sure it's dry.
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Post by Kylwell »

Just put the fan on it for a day.

I understand. I've painted a model, looked dry, felt dry, but when I started handling it for longer period I was leaving finger prints and shifted paint.
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Post by Digger1 »

still a little tacky. I set it outside on my porch to bake in the sun. It's 73° with 51% RH. Really nice day.

In an hour or so, I'll flip it over.

Maybe I should put it in the car with the windows up :-k
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Post by Kylwell »

Naw, you want air movement. A car's a enclosed area, might get warmer but never less humid.
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