# Paint curing, what's your solution?



## 440s-4ever (Feb 23, 2010)

It's well known that hobby paints and hobby thinner/solvents tend to be on the slow drying side. 

So what's your solution? Infinite patience?

I've been curing on top of the house's furnace, nice little toasty spot that warms em up into the 90s every time it cycles. But the weather's turning, and sun curing season is right around the corner.


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## pshoe64 (Jun 10, 2008)

*Secrets of Impatient Slot Car Painters*

I use a hair dyer set on warm. Speeds up the process a bit depending on what type of paint you are using. Acetone and alcohol thinned paints seem to dry a bit faster. Looking forward to seeing what others do to get past the dreaded curing times of their latest works.

-Paul


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## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

I generally use automotive lacquer paints and enjoy a quick 10-15 minute dry time. The only enamels I use are Metalcast by Duplicolor and they dry fairly fast too if you don't overdo it. Hilltop turned me on to lacquer very early on, but I don't use clear. I use future. I do have a can of clear, and judging by the finishes he routinely puts out,I will have to give it a go. My first slot painting mis-adventure was using Testors and if I hadn't stripped it 8 months ago, I bet it'd still be soft and tacky!!! :tongue:


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## bobhch (Apr 22, 2007)

*Phssssssssssssst...*



pshoe64 said:


> I use a hair dyer set on warm. Speeds up the process a bit depending on what type of paint you are using. Acetone and alcohol thinned paints seem to dry a bit faster. Looking forward to seeing what others do to get past the dreaded curing times of their latest works.
> 
> -Paul


Paul,

Yep I am a hairdryer warmer too in the winter. In the summer my garage turns into a hot paint drying oven all by itself.

Last summer I went crazy and painted up a whole bunch of bodies and just put them away for the winter. I still have bodies that need to get finished up.

It gets hot here in Nebraska in the summer. I have taken our 3 car garage and turned one of the spots into a painting booth. Spray with the door open. Today it was painting weather but, I held back. Was thinking about it......wait for it....wait for it....wait for it.....Phsssssssssssst-ing is gonna happen soon I can tell. :woohoo: Can you feel it? Ooooooh yeah!

Almost forgot my golden rule:JUST WALK AWAY! Hands off sucker. lol

Bob...spray like mad in the summer...zilla


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

*Active ...then passive, works for me.*

I practice self control! (with limited success ) 

I try to use avoidance, experience, and distraction. Like spaying an neutering I believe prevention is the first step.

Most of us have a life time of paint failures to learn from. LOL! 

Generally I know what I'm spraying. If I dont, I ALWAYS squeeze off a test shot first. Unless it's fast drying, extremely flammable, or preferrably both :thumbsup: I relegate it to the garden shed, regardless of how purdy it looks or how bad I want it. (this part is always difficult)

Of course once it's shot yer stuck. My longtime mantra is also known as the Bob-zilla rule: "Just walk away!" I dont particularly like the idea of turbocharging crud directly onto a fresh paint film with hair dryers or heaters. Heat lamps can be dangerous too.

The sunny window sill always has good air movent. When combined with another cool "slotproject" to distract me things seem to cure themselves no problemo.


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## NTxSlotCars (May 27, 2008)

I use all kinds of paints, because I can't seem to find some colors in any one type.
So, I'm a fan of spray it and forget it, to the point I may forget what I was doing with it.
Otherwise, if I'm really excited about it, it's gonna have a finger print on it somewhere.
Pinesol is my best friend.

Rich


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## 440s-4ever (Feb 23, 2010)

NTxSlotCars said:


> if I'm really excited about it, it's gonna have a finger print on it somewhere.


Yup!

Hairdryer would work fine, after they're 24 hour dry of course. But you only get one limited heat cycle. To me curing is a longer process aimed at packing months of drying into days or hours.

My fave for summer curing non-slot projects is the bed of a black pickup. But fear it'd warp the heck out of a slot body.


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## roadrner (Jul 21, 1999)

I have one of those little forced air electric heaters that osscillates. This way I can stick four or five bodies in front of her to dry and not worry about over heating a resin cast body into blobville.  rr


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## pshoe64 (Jun 10, 2008)

roadrner said:


> I have one of those little forced air electric heaters that osscillates. This way I can stick four or five bodies in front of her to dry and not worry about over heating a resin cast body into blobville.  rr


I have one of those buried in the garage somewhere. I think it has found a new purpose in life!:thumbsup:

-Paul


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## videojimmy (Jan 12, 2006)

440s-4ever said:


> It's well known that hobby paints and hobby thinner/solvents tend to be on the slow drying side.
> 
> So what's your solution? Infinite patience?
> 
> I've been curing on top of the house's furnace, nice little toasty spot that warms em up into the 90s every time it cycles. But the weather's turning, and sun curing season is right around the corner.


I've done that too, it works pretty well


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## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

Hmm. If I painted a body and put it on my furnace to dry, it would look like a furball when I went to get it.. I hate my dungeon..errr... basement..:lol:


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## NTxSlotCars (May 27, 2008)

One time I used a heat gun.


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## slotnewbie69 (Dec 3, 2008)

i was a proponent of the blow dryer method too,until i took a magnifying glass to my work(26mm lead miniatures)and saw all the pet hair that congealed in the paint!)patience,people,patience!as bob just walk away zilla says,"just walk away!"
and that said maybe a plastic shroud arond your painting area to let the paint cure away from airborne particles would be a good idea too!


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## roadrner (Jul 21, 1999)

NTxSlotCars said:


> One time I used a heat gun.


I did too, one time, long time ago.  rr


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## 440s-4ever (Feb 23, 2010)

Walking away is good, but curing offers real benefits if it's destined for track time. 

When using "incompatible" paints curing avoids walking away for 2 months. Compatability rules can be bent if the undercoats are really, really dry & topcoats go on thin & gentle


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## WesJY (Mar 4, 2004)

NTxSlotCars said:


> I use all kinds of paints, because I can't seem to find some colors in any one type.
> So, I'm a fan of spray it and forget it, to the point I may forget what I was doing with it.
> Otherwise, if I'm really excited about it, it's gonna have a finger print on it somewhere.
> Pinesol is my best friend.
> ...


RICH!! thanks!!!! I left my fingerprints on one body!!! arggghhhhh i couldnt remember how long it was there and now back to pinesol! LOL..

Wes


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## bobhch (Apr 22, 2007)

*The summer heat will be here soon!!!!!*



WesJY said:


> RICH!! thanks!!!! I left my fingerprints on one body!!! arggghhhhh i couldnt remember how long it was there and now back to pinesol! LOL..
> 
> Wes


Dang Wes....It has been a long winter and better get my pinesol jars ready.:freak:

newbie that idea of covering your bodies is a good solution to keep the dust off. My basement is pretty dust free as there isn't all the movement from the kids and such down there so, I put my bodies downstairs after a painting session. Looking forward to my garage turning into a solar powered oven soon. Bake them bodies I say!!

Bob...oh heck everyone should just start painting with flats (lol)...zilla


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

I guess I'm the only one that reads Car Modeler, but I use a fruit and jerky dehydrator. Low heat and usually variable heat, nice racks to stack and about 90% dust free. I got one at Post Tool for about $25 that had 5 racks, extra racks were $3 more. And when you're not drying paint you can make tasty snacks.


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## bearsox (Apr 22, 2006)

*Anyone ever just use a heat box ? I'm thinking you get the ole Earl Scheib bake a finish . 25 or 30 watt bulb in a simple cardboard box and easy bake your finish.

Bear :wave: *


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