Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Now that the weather's getting colder, I'm finding myself with more time indoors. This leads to more time spent painting (I need more hobbies that don't involve hunching and/or squinting), which leads to a bit of a problem. Most of the time, I seal my little dudes with a nice spray gloss coat. I'm a bit ham handed, so I don't like to play with painted models until they're sealed, otherwise they end up looking godawful. And I am HORRIBLE at repainting. When something's done, I like to get it coated as quickly as possible - done and done.

But I live in New Jersey, where - at the time of writing - there's about a foot of snow on the ground and an arctic cold front moving in. Spray in this condition do not fare well. Do you guys have any advice about priming / sealing miniatures in cold weather? Unfortunately, I don't have a basement or garage option, so I'm pretty much limited to brush on or quickie outdoors options.

Any chance you have a hood over your stove with a fan that vents outside? Unless there's vehement objection from parents/housemates/significant other, you could always kick the fan into high gear and build yourself a little spray booth (i.e. a cardboard box with the top and on side cut off) to pop under the hood.

I've also sprayed successfully in the colder months by warming the can under hot tap water, running out back to spray, then stashing the stinky minis in the bathroom with the fan running (again, venting outside - although, this only worked at my parent's house, since the slum lords around here would never pay to put a fan in the bathroom of houses he rents to college kids...).

Krylon makes matte sealers that you can use indoors. I've just sprayed some of my figures and the odor isn't that bad ... or, you put them into a tray, step outside to give them a coat, then immediately bring them back inside to dry.

You can spray in the cold. Here is the secret:

Keep both models and spray indoors where it is warm. Go outside with everything, spray quickly and immediately bring everything back inside to dry.

This worked for years when I lived in Northern Ohio.

I do the same thing as Todosi here in Utah just take them out on a flat carrier object and spray bring them in than I use a hair dryer =)