Enemal dry time

[Twentecable]

Guys I am sorry for this newbe question but I havent been working with enemal paints since a lifetime of a Neanderthal. What is the drying time of enemal to the point I can pick it up and spray other areas?

 

Thx Lars

[bmwh548]

Is it actual enamel or some lacquer type paint? I leave enamels for at least 24 hours to dry, depending on how thick the paint is it could take even more. If it's lacquer it's pretty much dry in an hour or two (even faster if the coats are really thin).

 

If it's enamel (like Revell, Model Master, Humbrol....) use the correct thinner. I learned the hard way that some paints don't like generic thinners. I've had Revell that was still tacky after a week because I used some generic car paint thinner and perfectly dry after a day or two with White Spirit.

[Black Knight]

My Humbrol or Revell matt colours enamel is dry to touch and handle after about 1 hour, a bit longer for the gloss paints [unless I add dryers]

You can speed up the drying by adding a few drops of Terebine Dryers ~ just a few drops. I put about 7 small drops into gloss enamel and its dry to touch and handle in about 20 minutes.

Dry and hard are two different things; it might be dry to touch after and hour, but it make take a few hours, even over-night for it to be hard enough to mask over

[bmwh548]

29 minutes ago, Black Knight said:

Dry and hard are two different things

 

Good point. It could be surface dry but not completely cured so you might put fingerprints in it when handling too much. It's why I let them dry longer.

[Twentecable]

Thx guys. I want to prime my model with enemal black. I should be able to paint most the first go and then add the paint to the areas where the model rested during drying time.

I think I will wear glives to protect against fingerprints.

 

Greetings Lars

[Black Knight]

I sometimes use Humbrol 33 matt black enamel as a primer/undercoat, especially if I'm doing a silver finish. I can put the silver on about an hour after the matt black, but sometimes, whilst doing the silver, the matt black will rub off where I handle it ~ because its not yet hard

[Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies]

I've masked and sprayed 3 enamel colours on top of one another in around 2 hours end to end before. The only reason I haven't beaten that yet is because I'm slow at masking.

 

I would leave them much longer if I planned to brush paint over the previous colour, but when spraying using matt or satin enamels (gloss needs a while longer) and appropriate thinners it's the peripheral activities that dictate how long it takes me to get something done, not the paint drying time.

[Twentecable]

Thx so much for all replies and suggestions.

Greetings Lars

[Space Ranger]

My general rule is: If I can still smell the paint, it's not fully dry/cured. However, that does not mean I can't spray over it after a reasonable period, usually 24 hours.

 

[sapperastro]

I would give it 24 hours, or at least overnight just as a precaution. Anything else, and you risk taking bits off, even though it may seem dry.