paint drying time question

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

Just sprayed some polyscale grimy black paint about an hour ago. How long would you let it dry before laying tape on it for the next color? I was thinking 24 hrs but am looking for opinions from guys who airbrush a lot.

Thanks

Mike

2

According to their website, Testors (who own PollyScale, Floquil, etc.) recommends 24 hours between re-coating. Some info for several types of paint is given HERE: you’ll need to scroll down some distance for the particulars regarding PollyScale.

Wayne

3

Thanks Wayne. That was what I thought. Guess I will move onto another project for today

4

when i do primer then a color , its the same day , usually in an hour , but when masking is involved its at least 24 hours. And by the way remove the masking tape within an hour … If you wait over night it will harden and you might not get as crisp an edge…

5

Thanks. For whatever reason my primer was still a little tacky so I waited a day or two. I sprayed the grimy black to day and when it was dry to the touch,(within 30 min) I removed the masking. All I have left is to shoot the red and do some grimy black weathering in the grills.

6

Good answers above.

Additionally:

  1. It’s good to stay away from the “bargain” tapes and use the higher quality masking tapes such as 3M’s Fine Line tape or the Tamiya masking tape. Bargain tapes can be hit or miss and there’s nothing more frustrating than having performed a “beautiful paint job” only to peel the tape off and seeing that the paint has bleeded through underneath the tape and is on an area that was not to receive the paint you just applied.

  2. In colder environments give the Pollyscale more time to cure.

7

I agree with antonio about the quality of any masking tape.

I use the 3M Fineline tape for any color separation. The vinyl tape will give the crispest parting line. I is available in various widths from 1/8th. I perfer to use 1/4", too narrow can become a bit dificult to control for those longer horizontal breaks. If you need something narrower, just cut the tape on glass w/ a new razor. When not when using any tape, don’t place the roll down on any surface that may contaminate the side/ edge. I will place the roll on the zip lock bag that I store the tape in. Nothing worse than dirt causing a fuzzy edge due to improper handling of the tape. Place it back in it’s packaging and also in an additional ziploc bag immediately when done. The tape will last many years handled this way.

The beauty of the vinyl 3M tape is that it will conform to the surface when the edge is “burnished” (finger nail, or small stick of styrene) into the hinges, door receses and other contours of the parting line. You will experience almost no bleed under at all. Remove the tape as mentioned and do pull it back at a sharp angle just as the paint surface sets.

Cutting the tape to about 1/8" will allow you to follow curves say for the ATSF or other curved nose paint schemes. After the #M tape is placed, then any basic masking tape will work to protect the rest of the previous paint.

8

I use regular masking tape (not the blue or green type) and always apply it first to a sheet of clean glass on my workbench. This allows me to trim away the factory edges, which can get dinged or collect fuzz and dust. It’s also a good place to cut it to the width required (I usually start with 1 1/2" or 2" wide tape). I burnish the edges with my fingernail or suitable tool as the tape is applied, and remove it as soon as the paint is dry to the touch. To lessen the risk of lifting previously applied paint, draw the tape back over itself at as sharp an angle as possible as you remove the tape.

Wayne

9

All good advice,thanks everyone for posting your tricks of the trade. Hopefully others will find this helpful.

Mike

10

One more bit of advice for you, that I picked up from another thread in this forum a while ago…

When you’ve masked for the new colour, give a light spray first of the base colour (i.e. what is under the masking tape…). This will help “seal” the edge of the masking tape. If any bleed through occurs on this spray, it will be the same colour as what is underneath, and therefore shouldn’t be noticeable.

I’ve tried that technique now on several projects, and combined with a careful masking job, the results are great.

11

I use common kitchen skewers to make burnishing tools. A couple of quick passes on the disk sander wheel on my bench sander is all it takes.