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Priming miniatures in cold weather.


Crizza

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So, back from the days I started priming my first metal figures I know that paint my not stick or if left out over night has the tendency to crack.
It's about -1°Celsuis where I live, I got figures to prime and no way to do it indoors.
Is it possible to shake the can inside, run outside to prime and then place the figures somewhere warm?
Or am I doomed to wait till it gets warmer?

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It's -5 for me here, so I feel your pain. What I do is get a priming board of some kind (I use a long piece of Cardboard) Stick your minis to it however you like I use a small amount of stickytac, then shake up your can inside where you've been keeping it nice and warm. Step out, prime them quickly, then let em dry inside. I put them in my hobby room with the door open and a fan running just in case, but so far there's no fume issues either way. If you miss any spots just go back in with some black paint from the bottle or pot and touch up. Then paint away.

 

long story short...do what you just asked to do!

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I've not sprayed any models when it's that cold I don't think but when it's cold I will quickly spray the model(s) and then bring them indoors - don't leave them out in the cold! Be aware that even if not using spray paint indoors by returning the sprayed models indoors they will still bring the smell with them.

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That's a good idea, I hadn't thought of bringing them back in. Don't forget a good shake of the spray can is always a good idea anyway, but for colder weather I like to give it a longer shake indoors (i.e. in the warm) to help prepare. I would be interested in hearing how it works in the colder temperature, as while the best thing is to wait for warmer weather that is not always possible.

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Last year I used a box in a warmed room in the cellar to prevent ruining the room, but that's out of the question.
Guess I'll finish building the Contemptor and then give it a spin.
 

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I would honestly wait. The temperature (and any moisture) can ruin the spray as it travels through the air from the can to the model - even if you bring them in again to dry somewhere warm and safe (which I always do all year round anyway), it's still a pretty big risk.

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Just primed a tank in -1 / -2 in  Switzerland with Army Painter Dragon red with no issues. Paint seemed a bit thin, but the can is almosSou

 

Sounds like you had a high ratio of solvent-to-paint left in the can then, which I'm certain will have helped! Glad it came out okay for you.  :)

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I have primed in cold (-5°C) dry weather without any issues. Here is what I do :

- models are blue tacked to a piece of cardboard

- spray cans are in my garage, which is not heated (yet not as cold as outdoors).

- everything gets taken outside

- can is shaken, paint applied (as usual in a thin layer from a good 30 cm distance)

- everything is brought back into the garage, paint allowed to dry until no smell (i.e. a solid hour minimum, overnight in a worse case scenario)

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Something that will make you independent of outside temperatures and humidity levels is an airbrush with spray booth, and Vallejo primers. I know that it doesn't answer your immediate question but it is something I highly recommend you to do in the long run.

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Have you considered just using a brush-on primer? Vallejo's Acrylic-Polyurethane surface primer cleans up with water, is self-leveling (does not pool), covers nicely, provides good tooth for basecoats, and resists chipping and wear.  It can be used in an airbrush but you can also brush it on (I do, because weather here is seldom conducive to spraying).

 

You might think it's not as good as a spray primer, but I guarantee it will work better than trying to spray in sub-optimal weather conditions.  

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GW also has their 'Imperial primer' though I'm not sure if that's true primer or just matt black paint, they advertise it as being able to be used instead of spray though. I've only ever used it for touching up where black spray missed though, can't really say how it works on a full model.

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So one suggestion from my RC car days, if the can is cold, warm a bowl of water and let it sit for a few minutes to up the pressure and get a steady spray pressure. It also helps on cans that are somewhat low.

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So one suggestion from my RC car days, if the can is cold, warm a bowl of water and let it sit for a few minutes to up the pressure and get a steady spray pressure. It also helps on cans that are somewhat low.

Or if you are in a hurry, heat it with a butane torch... a microwave does wonders in a pinch!

 

SARCASM WARNING

 

 

Seriously tho, I have a sad little bunch of old minis I didn't get past priming that look kind of fuzzy due to bad priming. Always test something before you appy to mini...

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So one suggestion from my RC car days, if the can is cold, warm a bowl of water and let it sit for a few minutes to up the pressure and get a steady spray pressure. It also helps on cans that are somewhat low.

I put the can in the back pocket of my jeans while I prep my spray area.

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Actually, warming up the primer can is a good idea under any circumstances and I always do it. As NovemberIX mentioned, it increases the pressure inside the can, which means more pressure coming out of the nozzle, which means the paint is atomized even more (smaller particles) and gives a smoother finish. I shake the can for a couple of minutes, fill up the bathroom sink halfway with warm (not hot) water, then wrap the can in a hand towel before placing it in the water. Let it sit for about 5 minutes, and then shake it for another minute before using it. Works really well with the lower quality primers to get a smoother coating out of them.

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