For you cold rattle can painters....do you use enamels or lacquers?

I prime with lacquer primer year round, but seldom paint finish coats unless the weather is fairly warm with low humidity.



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I love sanding.

Enamel ... Rustoleum Painters Touch 2x

I do all the balsa in lacquer sanding sealer and prime with enamel. I'm fortunate in that I have an unfinished basement that stays within a degree or two of the house's temperature. I usually spray and then open the sill window to air out. If I'm doing a lot, I'll stick a fan in it.

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Retro-grouch

Me too, but since it was so cold during my last round of priming, I just flipped the furnace fan from Auto to ON. This subsequently made everyone in the house ill from paint fumes being recycled...

There's a large, concrete block privacy screen that conceals a pair of dumpsters near where I work. This provides a wind free, private, outdoor environment even when the temperature is less than ideal. It already stinks like hell in there, so who cares?

Yuk, Yuk

You're right, Tim, but I've always listened to the guys on this board. Still, I have a vintage Estes ARCAS that I just finished building, and I'm dying to paint it now if possible..............hence the thread.

Joe

Ill, schmill !
Recycled paint fumes just toughen ya' up; especially if using Aero Gloss/Brodak/Sig Dope for finish.
Tell the family to SUCK IT UP, and DEEL WITH IT or next time you will use EXTRA THINNER !
Those that don't like it can GRAB A GAS MASK !

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When in doubt, WHACK the GAS and DITCH the brake !!!

Yes, there is such a thing as NORMAL, if you have to ask what is "NORMAL" , you probably aren't !
Failure may not be an OPTION, but it is ALWAYS a POSSIBILITY.
ALL systems are GO for MAYHEM, CHAOS, TURMOIL, FIASCOS, and HAVOC !

Speaking of that... I always wear a respirator when I'm shooting paint. I might put a quick squirt of primer down without it, but if I have anything that takes longer to shoot than I can hold my breath, it's on with the respirator.

A little whiff of this or that won't hurt anyone, but if you're gonna be in the garage shooting paint for 10-15 minutes at a time - about how long it takes to me to get a coat down on 5-10 pieces - then get a respirator. (I usually paint in clusters of several airframes, nosecones, boosters, etc, so there's always several pieces which means I end up being exposed in the thick fumes for several minutes at a time.)

Also, I try to cover up to minimize the amount of overspray that gets on my skin.

I'm only shooting rattlecan paint, so it's not so toxic to the skin, but I still don't like to have too much on me, so long sleeve shirts, latex gloves, long pants and a hat all accompany my respirator.

Also, anybody laying down 2-part paints should be in full hazmat gear. That stuff's really nasty, and just getting on your skin can be quite hazardous as I understand it.

Y'all know GH is usually kidding around when he talks about enjoying breathing this stuff, but being serious for a moment, I wanted to remind everyone that you should be taking some precautions when you're painting.

(I usually wear a dust mask when I'm sanding, too. And always wear the respirator when I'm sanding fiberglass.)

Doug...trying to make my lungs last as long as I need them

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YORF member #11

Heck, I paint ALL winter. I just make sure the rocket I'm painting and the rattle can are both warm, that it's not snowing or raining, and that it's not too windy. I then bring the rocket into the perpetually warm laundry room to dry.

.....and as someone stated already--no bugs!

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Never trust an atom. They make up everything.

4 out of 3 people struggle with math.

Chemically, alcohol IS a solution.

NAR# 94042
SAM# 0078

Spray paint doesn't adhere well in temps below ~60°F and it comes out thin and runny as all hell, too. It is so not worth the hassle to try to apply spray paint in -10°F weather. I have gone down that road enough times to know that it ain't gonna work out. I am more than happy to wait until the weather warms up so that I only have to paint the rocket once. I have no shed or garage, so all of my painting is done outdoors under the big blue sky.

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SAM # 0011