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Greetings fellow northerners,

I'm living in Winnipeg, Canada, and since a few weeks ago we've been having temperatures below freezing level, and it is common for the temperature to drop to -30C throughout the winter.

Will this affect my use of spray primer on warhammer miniatures?

I don't want to prime indoors for obvious health reasons, does anyone have any tips or experience that they can share with me?

When it's cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey, then your only real options are to either get a climate-controlled zone for spraying, or resort to the hairy stick (paintbrush) method and do it by hand.

Or airbrush which is becoming my method due to same cold issues. Don't have enough models to last me a winter!

In the past I've had to prime in sub-zero temperatures. If you have a space that's free from wind (like a garage), you can spray prime, but follow these directions:

1.) Don't do it if it's really cold in there. Anything worse than -5C, forget it. Use a space heater in the garage/shed to warm it up or wait for the odd warm day.
2.) Set up everything before you bring the minis in there. Go in with warm minis and paint, spray, then retreat back to warmth, with the minis. It'll still stink a little, but the propellant and airborne particulate are dealt with. You can seal them in a plastic box to keep the stink to a minimum.

Really though, you're better off priming by hand, or buy an airbrush. I'm still kicking myself for not buying one 10+ years ago.

Here's the secret for priming in cold or humid conditions.

Store both the spray can and model indoors for at least 8 hours so they are both at room temperature. When you are ready to spray have everything prepared indoors first. Go outside, do a quick prime coat and immediately bring everything back indoors. If the fumes are bothersome set up a fan in a window to help vent the off gassing as the primer dries.

That said, an airbrush is a godsend for priming if it's in your budget.

Airbrush here, not weather that bad but got fed up of only being able to prime outdoors maybe one day every two months

I live in Alaska, so I deal with this for all but a few months of the year. The advice given above is great - prepare well and be outside for only a short time while spraying. I often will put my models in front of a space heater to dry as well.

The paint you choose also plays a significant factor. I have had really great results from Krylon's primers and sealers. They are beasts and stick well in humidity, dryness, cold, and heat. Avoid Rustoleum. I have had slight fogginess with Rustoleum sealer once, and it was on terrain so NBD, but once was enough to toss it.

Thanks all so much for the quick replies!!

Out of curiousity, why the airbrush? Purely because you can use it outside when its that cold?
Or because you can use it inside with less mess?

I'm askign as i'de love to get mine out and use it (been boxed away since a house move) but the wife is convinced that it will leave 'paint dust' everywhere!
Ive even got an extractor unit to use (though that was a birthday present from just before the move so hasnt been used to know/demonstrate the difference!)

I don't seem to have problems as long as the spray paint itself is at room temp when used. I haven't primed in super cold conditions though, only a few degrees below freezing.

Deathwatch101 wrote:
Out of curiousity, why the airbrush? Purely because you can use it outside when its that cold?
Or because you can use it inside with less mess?

I'm askign as i'de love to get mine out and use it (been boxed away since a house move) but the wife is convinced that it will leave 'paint dust' everywhere!
Ive even got an extractor unit to use (though that was a birthday present from just before the move so hasnt been used to know/demonstrate the difference!)

If you have one of the small indoor booths that can ventilate out of a nearby window, there is practically zero paint dust. Often I can use mine without turning the fan on with no issues, but usually I only do that for quick touch ups and such.

On a separate thing about sub zero temperatures, if you store your paint in the same area where you're spraying and it remains cold for several days, you'll want to move the paint ASAP into the warm.

The polymer base in the paint will separate and get damaged at temperatures below 5 degrees, if it freezes, it's basically curtains for the paint.