"Get your bare metal ready to prime!" Topic

If you live on the east coast in the DC area, tomorrow is going to be a warm winter day. Get a bunch of metal ready to prime tonight!

I have a whole fleet of Cold War Soviet ships I hurriedly based up in anticipation of the warm spell… plus some internal organs for a body statue for one of my daughters, a "home science" kit she wants to paint and complete.

I had already primed a pile of stuff before the cold got here… but it was nice of you to mention this!

Chalfant

Just watching the weather for that very reason. I'm expecting figures in the mail tomorrow. I really wanted it rainy tomorrow and clear Friday. Oh well.

Thanks for pointing that out.
We got early cold weather (by the standards of only living here a few years) and I've already gotten into the brush on habit, so it didn't even dawn on me. I've got a covered walkout from the cellar, so the rain we're supposed to be getting won't bother me.

I try to stick to smaller batches in the prep-prime-paint cycle these days anyway, so spray priming vs brushing ends up being an efficiency toss up. I find I get painting projects done more quickly that way and am less apt to feel like there is a mountain to climb.

I've had some ready to prime – for weeks now. Perhaps the warm weather will get me off my duff. Thanks for the heads up.

You can also buy (Amazon carries them), or build a vented paint booth, complete with furnace filter (captures solids of paint, dust, etc.) and an activated charcoal filter (captures the chemical vapors), to do this inside. It is fairly simple to do, and there are plans available on the Internet: Google search, as well as searching on the Instructables web site. In-line duct fans are available (e-Bay, and elsewhere), to facilitate pulling the paint, and fumes, into the filters, to keep it contained.

Haven't built mine yet, as I am putting together plans for a vented hood in my insulated garage, for stick welding. Want to learn from that, first, to see if I can use it for paint, as well. Cheers!

57F in Pittston Pennsylvania!
And by coincidence, I did indeed prime a unit of cavalry this morning.

Switch to gesso and you'll never have to worry about the weather when your priming again.

You don't need to worry about weather in the first place. If you keep the spray can and the models indoors, then go outside and do a quick spray, bring them indoors to dry, the temperature and humidity mean nothing.

I have used this in Northern Ohio (100 degrees and 100% humidity in the summer and subzero temps in the winter) Florida (humid…always) and California (hot and dry or chilly and dry) for more than 18 years and never once had a problem.

Already on top of it. Primed a bit yesterday and today, got a few more to trim to prime this afternoon and tomorrow… and then it's back to the freezer here (well, "deep refrigeration"). Should set me up with enough to paint for the winter, though!

Wimps. You can prime in the cold – just keep the spray cans in side.

But now I have an indoor spray area in the new shop! Woot-woot.

It's been balmy in Cincinnati for a few days, but Thursday promises snow. I've decaled and Glosscote/Dullcoted 40 X 1/285 planes and have another batch coming on for the next break in the weather.

Oh sure, rub it in.

We'll be sending you a cold, arctic blast to punish you, soon. Enjoy!

Priming is done with brush, it's the clear dull coating that keeps me waiting for that first day in spring with no humidity and 75 degrees.

I have a dozen Strain figures from Sedition Wars sitting on a pizza box waiting for Primer Day. Woo Hoo!

95% humidity. bummer, huh?

48 15mm hellenistic pikemen ready to be primed!

Pizza boxes are the best for priming!

I'll try to get on something. The in-laws coming to visit over thanksgiving saw all my kit tiedied up and partially stowed away, and I've been slow to get back to it.

Most lengthy painting sessions start with me just sitting down and casually "inspecting the troops".

If I primed with a brush, I would never, ever get anything done.

I don't think there has been a day this year that I wouldn't have primed figures on. The idea that you can't spray figures in the cold or with humidity is a myth.

The idea that you can't spray figures in the cold or with humidity is a myth.

Says the guy who has never "fuzzed" up figures.

Quite frankly, not all of us have the luxury of priming outside and immediately bringing the figures in to dry. The stuff lets off fumes for several hours even after they are dry to the touch. I've done exactly what others say is AOK. Put my figures in the basement. the fumes then get cycled through the house by the heater.

The other reason is that the primer can dry quickly in the air causing the "fuzz" effect which, for those who have never seen it, is when the primer goes on rough and chalky. Dry air can cause this because the dry time is much faster than intended. Sometimes it hits the figure dry. Humidity can slow the drying process. Not sure this is a huge issue. It's the excessive heat and dry air that cause the problems.

Mmmmm. Dullcote fumes wafting through the house make me smile. And giggle. I can spare a few brain cells. I'm usually too clever for my own good, anyway.

Got the 40 airplanes Dullcoted, but they're going to need another coat. Got the next 16 Glosscoted on one side. Flocked 50 flats of figures, they're up for spraying next. Have another 103 flats to flock. Oh yeah, I'm productive!

Warm…what's that? English weather rocks…but not in a good way

Drat. It rained all day today, and now the deep freeze is coming on.

Oh well. Got two units primed at least.