I like to use Model Master or Tamiya spray paint for small parts or even as a quck spray. I recently used some flat black on some cockpit parts for a Spitfire. Several days after spraying, the surface seems to still have a slight tacky feel. Am I missing a step or is this normal?
I sometimes use primer and sometimes I do not. If I use a primer it is Mr Surfacer 1200. I really like the way it goes down.
You could have a couple of different things going on. In high humidity situations most paints do not like to dry properly and it can actually cause clouding in some cases as the moisture can get trapped in the paint. The other thing that comes to mind is the paint may not have been mixed enough causing it to not cure properly. In the summer if you can when you are done spraying move your model in to an airconditioned room. The drier air is much better for any paint to cure properly without clouding or other problems.
Soulcrusher[oX)]
Hi Ron…No, this is not normal. What soulcrusher stated is good advise. The spray can probably wasn’t mixed enough, or, it might have been that the mix in the can isn’t quite right and it was nothing you did. I have bought spray paint in the past that would never dry properly. The title of your post indicates that you are asking an additional question. The main difference between airbrushing and spray cans is that spray cans put out a lot of paint, and can sometimes cover small details. With an airbrush, you have far more control of the amount of paint being applied. You can actually spray a line that is only a sixteenth of an inch wide. The one drawback though is the extensive amount of cleaning that must be done to the airbrush after use. Overall though, it does a far better job that a spray can. There are a number of modelers on this site though that use spray cans, like Krylon, and get great results. So, there are no set rules. Use what works for you.
Thanks for the advice! You are right about airbrushing and the cleanup. That is why I like the can for small quick jobs. Thanks again!
I just had this happen with a can of MM Primer. After three days it was still tacky. I used the rattle can. I stripped the paint and shot Krylon flat black. That worked. I think my can was old. Not sure how long of a shelf life paint has but this can was about a year old. I decanted it and disposed of it.
Trying short-cuts can open doors for problems.
I have a hard time calling the use of a spray can a short cut. Its more like a different way of solving the same problem.