"My first spray-paint disaster" Topic

So I was finished cleaning and assembling a bunch of Antenociti vehicles and took them out for priming. A can of medium gray from citadel, sounds good. When all parts were well covered I noticed everything looked… grainy.
Another look at the can. Ah yes, the old structure paint, somewhat useful for priming terrain, not so much for 15mm vehicles.

I wasn't planning on a desert camo scheme, but now that seems the easiest path. It's either that or stripping and starting over. Oh well.

Been there, done that!

A 40-figure commission I had e a few years back, a mixture of Reaper/Ral Partha and Citadel Dark Elf mini's, all painted up as Drow for a client's RPG.

Reached for the dullcote and proceeded to spray them down with a misting of silver spray paint.

AAAAUUUUGGGGHHHH!!!!!

I have heard that a light brushing with a certain solvent can smooth out the graininess, but I cannot remember what solvent! :(

Paint Thinner? Just a guess…

Same her Mardaddy. Spent 3+ hours on a Confederate General figure, reached for the Dullcote and promptly painted him white on one side.

I have one suggestion that just MIGHT work.
Read the label. Works every time it's tried.

15mm Confederate brigade. Wrong cap on can and reprimed instead oc dullcoting

I put a big label on each can…

Men, read instructions?

Surely you jest, John.

Either that, or you are a blasphemer!

"Read the label. Works every time it's tried."

learning from your mistakes is a good thing
but even better is to learn from someone elses

Trust but verify.

MRS Bunkermeister has clutched her heart in agony at your misfortune.

Mike Bunkermeister Creek
bunkermeister.blogspot.com

Read twice, spray once.

I've switched to using my airbrush for everything except Dullkote now. Only one spraycan = no chance of disaster!

Reached for the dullcote and proceeded to spray them down with a misting of silver spray paint.

reached for the Dullcote and promptly painted him white on one side.

Wrong cap on can and reprimed instead oc dullcoting

I'm happy to say I've never (yet?) done that. I have a cardboard box as my spraypainting "booth". Before I spray the figures, I spray the side of the box to verify the color. Works every time.

Read the label? Pfft, the top of the can was gray, wasn't it?

@Mardaddy, Phil Hall, Wolfshanza: Hearing about someone who's been worse off actually makes me feel better. Sorry about that.

10 Ral Partha 25mm Republican Roman Triarii.. beautifully painted.. and "dullcoted" with Flat White.

AAAAGGGGHHHHH!!! Learned the harsh lesson early in 1986 and have not repeated it since, thankfully.

I feel your pain. I had a can gone bad of Army Painter grey do me in a couple of weeks ago. It "hiccuped" just as I was finishing and coated my figs with about a millimeter of paint on one side. Then I went for the new can of grey and it was spraying very non-uniformly and did the same hiccup trick for me. :(.

So that gets me thinking my paint shelf got over cold or over hot at some point. It certainly wasn't the weather that day. It was as close to perfect as it gets.

I grab a can of citadel white. Goes on perfect. Unfortunately that can was close to empty.

Army Painter white? Even from 4" away, I'm getting "dust" not paint. Then I shake the dickens out of the can and it behaves for short bit before pulling the "hiccup" routine on me. Fortunately that was while spraying a building w/out a lot of detail.

Green? Good, but a little "dusty", but after the globs of paint with white and gray, I was probably a little careful and held back a bit.

Army Painter Desert Yellow? Perfect.
Army Painter Skeleton Bone? Perfect. These two got me through most of my last project and I had no problems that I recall. In fact, I remember thinking I got some of the best primes I've ever gotten.

What's going on with the greys and whites from AP I don't know, but that scare had me falling back to finish the lot with what I started this whole hobby with 20 odd years ago: brushed on testor's flat gray enamel as a primer for figures. I figured I'd experimented enough for one weekend.

I read twice and spray once… on the board to the side of my figures… ALWAYS.

Friends have made that mistake… I never intend to duplicate it.

That is one thing I really appreciate about TMP.
I learn from other people's mistakes.

I keep hearing horror stories like these and that FORCES me to check cans twice before I spray anything!