Prudent flatcote drying time?

I’m about to put the oils wash on a tank I’m building, and am itching to get on with it because I’m going away in a few days. I shot the testors flatcote on it last night. When will it be safe to put the oils wash on it, d’ya think?

When I work with enamels I give it 3 or 4 days minimum to fully cure. Wouldn’t want anything to eat into the underlying coat. That’s why I went to acrylics. I am too impatient!!

I think you’re right. I’m going to have to lie low on this one for a while. (Looks at watch.)

Based on Tiger Day, about as long as it takes to clean out the AB.[;)]

The really odd thing is I am the one telling someone patience! I cannot count how many times I didn’t listen to my own advice.

I’ve never used oil washes over dull cote but I usually let mine sit for a couple of hours depending on temperature, humidity, etc. and then go to work on weathering with pastels and alcohol washes and have never had a problem.

Larry
Just another way of doing things, but I always put on my washes prior to flat coating; that way, if there is any sheen resulting from the wash, the flat covers it up. It’s important to allow the paint to dry for a few days before doing this, but then I use more enamel washes than I do oil.

In addition, I spray Testor’s flat right out of the spray can. Since it’s a lacquer, it’s usually fully dry in about an hour.

Also, one technique I find useful in applying flats: I’ll often spray some flat out of the spray can and into a small plastic cup. I’ll take a brush (round 1/0 or so) and use it to place flat in hard-to-reach locations (like gun cradles in artillery pieces, or suspension arms, leaf springs, etc. behind or near road wheels), so that I don’t get any runs or thickened areas trying to force the spray into those areas.

If you have any concerns about results, check out the pics in my sig. They’re in the Ron George gallery.

Hope this helps someone.
Gip Winecoff

I am totally on the other end of the spectrum on this. I rarely every use a flatcoat on my models. I spray almost exclusively in Acrylics (Tamiya and Vallejo), and will add my filters and washes about 24 hours after applying the basecoats.

My suggestion is the same as some of the others and wait at least 72 hours before appying your wash.

Cheers

Mo

Thing is, I’ll be putting an oil wash over acrylics, so I put the enamel flat coat on as a barrier (I’d normally use gloss coat, and then flat coat, but I didn’t have any glosscoat.)

I’ll flatcoat again after the washes. No pastels on this puppy as it’s to be a wargaming piece and will be handled heavily.