Hey all-just painted my FFA Hellcat with Model Master Acrylic Gloss Black (and I can’t seem to paint gloss black to save my life!) and due to various reasons, needs to be lightly sanded and a second coat added. My question is-how long should I give the paint to cure before sanding?
Thanks
Bob,
I would wait 48 hours and then sand and repaint. [;)]
[#ditto]
Unless you force dry/cure. Even then, 24 hours.
Well said Ross. Use a hair dryer and cure it real good and 24 hours should be just fine.
Humidity plays a huge factor in cure time. If you keep your model in a non-temperature controlled area in South Florida, then 48 hours is not enough. If you’re in the desert of Arizona, 24 hours is more than enough.
Watch using a hair dryer to cure paint…you’ll be amazed at how quick plastic warps at even low heat…unless your totally crushed for time, avoid the hair dryer, or any other form of artificial heat.
Thanks all. I won’t have a chance to sand until Wed. pm at the earliest (72 hrs) so that should be good.
Thanks again.
Let me reiterate that, you can use a hair dryer to speed the drying process but you must keep it moving over the model and not let it get too hot or you can experience the problems IYAAYAS mentioned.
What I prefer is a drying booth that anyone can make for very little money and it works fantastic.
My thanks to Greg (Plasticmod992) for letting me know about this a year or so back.
Here is mine. It is nothing more than a cardboard box lined with aluminum foil and a 100 watt lightbulb. I hang a towel over the front fastened with two clothes pins to keep the heat in and a model is completely dry and ready for clear coating or decaling in a matter of hours…(Not sure of the exact times as it’s been a while since I used it).
Maybe Greg can provide some input here for us? Greg?
Sorry ti bring up an oldie but I have a question specific to this statement. How can you tell that the paint is completely dry or cured? Is there a way to check or is it based on experience?
Thanks
Vincent
Here is the roof of my Black Widow.I used Tamiya X-2 Gloss black.I let it cure 3-4 days before polishing it out with an LMG enterprises polishing kit.Then I gave it a thinned closs coat to really bring out the mirror-like shine! 
Is the paint dry?-Usually I have painted spruce or unexposed plastic that I can touch to test. As far as cured-that’s more of a matter of experience. I try to let my final coats (acrylic) cure at least 24 hrs before applying Future and then another 24 hrs before decals.
Your mileage may vary…
Not exactly precise, but you can try the “sniff test” - if you can smell solvent, it’s still out-gassing and not fuly cured.
Gloss colours may take considerably longer to cure because they form a less permeable skin compared to “flat” colours (thanks Ross [:)]).