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As September comes to an end I find myself doing my annual fall checklist for hobby related things. I tend to do certain things at certain times of the year due to the weather, and as I live in Iowa, the winter and summer are polar opposites.

Winter means I can't use spray paint. It's much too cold and wouldn't adhere correctly. Which means I either have to wait until April, or spray inside and risk a divorce from my wife, lol. So, winter is when I do a majority of my scratch builds and simple model assembly. Although I do some hand painting, I am forced to store all painted models in an airtight container until I can clear coat them in the Spring. To prepare for this, I just base coated 110 marines and a handful of vehicles.


Am I the only one that does this, or are others of you lucky enough to live in a more hospitable climate?

What are seasons?

LOL, here in Iowa it is the difference between 5 feet of snow and 110 degree heat with 100% relative humidity.

One year (some years back now) I was waiting for summer so I could spray some varnish and undercoat some minis, unfortunately that summer we got alot of rain, and then it got very hot all of a sudden. So I was out of luck.

So then I tried brush on varnish, and just washed the minis and painted them without a primer.

So now I only use brush on varnish and while it does take much longer I do not paint fast enough for it to be a serious issue. Painting without a primer it a bit trickier, but it means I can paint without the wait, so I think it is worth the trade off.

Fall means I can actually use rattle can primers/varnish again. So yey.

For me, winter limits my painting time. It's dark before I leave for work and dark when I get back, so painting tends to just happen at weekends

 cuda1179 wrote:
LOL, here in Iowa it is the difference between 5 feet of snow and 110 degree heat with 100% relative humidity.

heh, whilst the weather in my Shire like corner of the UK isn't that extreme there's a chill in the air, not cold enough to mess with priming but the big spiders are starting to move back into the garage for the winter

Less painting in Autumn/Winter as there's not decent daylight available when I've got time to paint except weekends,

I do some under artificial light but it's not as easy or fun

In Summer here, it's too humid and often too windy to use spray paints (small house with no room suited to spray painting inside, so I do it outside).
And I don't live in the tropics. It's supposed to be "temperate" here. But we still hit high 30s (*c) in summer with up to 94% humidity.

In winter, it's too wet and windy to use spray paints. It doesn't snow where I am, but temperatures of 8-12*c are still common.

I generally do a large batch of priming in those two weeks when it works to do it. Then they get locked in the shed until they stop outgassing from the primer coat.

When it's too hot or to wet or too windy, I bring them inside, and do the rest by hand with a hairy stick.

 cuda1179 wrote:
As September comes to an end I find myself doing my annual fall checklist for hobby related things. I tend to do certain things at certain times of the year due to the weather, and as I live in Iowa, the winter and summer are polar opposites.

Winter means I can't use spray paint. It's much too cold and wouldn't adhere correctly. Which means I either have to wait until April, or spray inside and risk a divorce from my wife, lol. So, winter is when I do a majority of my scratch builds and simple model assembly. Although I do some hand painting, I am forced to store all painted models in an airtight container until I can clear coat them in the Spring. To prepare for this, I just base coated 110 marines and a handful of vehicles.


Am I the only one that does this, or are others of you lucky enough to live in a more hospitable climate?

Brush on primer is your greatest ally in this situation. I'm in the same boat as you, as up here, in the middle of the Scottish Highlands, the winters are rough, and it rains most days, so spraying is non-existent for me.

Luckily, I stumbled on the solution a few years ago, and it's called brush on primer. BUY IT NOW!

It comes in dozens of colours, and you don't need to buy these tiny little GW pots which are way over priced. Vallejo and lots of other companies give you more for less. And the quality is probably better IMO

Seriously, BUY IT NOW!

apologies for the caps, but it's that good and will solve your spraying problem.




Automatically Appended Next Post:

 chromedog wrote:
In Summer here, it's too humid and often too windy to use spray paints (small house with no room suited to spray painting inside, so I do it outside).
And I don't live in the tropics. It's supposed to be "temperate" here. But we still hit high 30s (*c) in summer with up to 94% humidity.

In winter, it's too wet and windy to use spray paints. It doesn't snow where I am, but temperatures of 8-12*c are still common.

I generally do a large batch of priming in those two weeks when it works to do it. Then they get locked in the shed until they stop outgassing from the primer coat.

When it's too hot or to wet or too windy, I bring them inside, and do the rest by hand with a hairy stick.

Brush on primer. Buy it now.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 OrlandotheTechnicoloured wrote:
Less painting in Autumn/Winter as there's not decent daylight available when I've got time to paint except weekends,

I do some under artificial light but it's not as easy or fun

A daylight bulb and a half-decent lamp, and some brush on primer.

Seriously, mate, buy the above and you'll never look back, and you'll be painting in the winter time until your heart's content.


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 Forgotmytea wrote:
For me, winter limits my painting time. It's dark before I leave for work and dark when I get back, so painting tends to just happen at weekends

Daylight bulb and a good desk lap.

I think people get the general idea of my message by now

Like many here, I’m a spray primer guy (sorry, Do_I_Not_Like_That, I’ve used Smelly Primer in the past, not the biggest fan of brush ons). My late summer/fall involves a lot of build projects as I try to squirrel away enough things to last me the winter. Of course, my already primed and waiting pile is big enough to last me over a year at my current rate of painting, so I don’t need to add more to it. But if I want to field that repulsor before June, I need to get it off the workbench and hope for a clear day. Which get more and more rare as fall marches on.

 Nevelon wrote:
Like many here, I’m a spray primer guy (sorry, Do_I_Not_Like_That, I’ve used Smelly Primer in the past, not the biggest fan of brush ons). My late summer/fall involves a lot of build projects as I try to squirrel away enough things to last me the winter. Of course, my already primed and waiting pile is big enough to last me over a year at my current rate of painting, so I don’t need to add more to it. But if I want to field that repulsor before June, I need to get it off the workbench and hope for a clear day. Which get more and more rare as fall marches on.

Fair enough , but I would recommend Vallejo brush on primer to anybody. The finish is very good IMO.

Here in the Netherlands, there are only 2 seasons. Summer and fall. And the summer is pretty short.
At least I can spray prime year round. Just need to wait for a gap between all the rain.

Well for me, thanks to developing an allergy to the smell from most glues, it means nothing gets assembled end of October til about Feb unless good weather coincides with a day off, and even then nothing gets spray undercoated for same reason.

Right now I'm hoping Autumn stays tame until a week Sunday so I can get the last of my Deathguard models delivered and assembled then sprayed, short of any limited editions that'll be it for buying until late Feb as it just sits in boxes.

Plus I ended up spending one entire week in July assembling Burning of Prospero boxes from last November. Never want to see another Mark iii again lol

If you use ca glue and let it cure underwater for 10-20 seconds, it helps to control the fumes (as well as preventing any frosting).

I live in Scotland and the nights become dark early.... I use a lamp to see (I think it's called electricity for those of you who seem to think you can only paint during day-light)

I also use spray undercoat indoors. I have these things called "windows" which I open and they allow for "ventilation". Perhaps those claiming not to be able to use spray for months on end could look into getting a few installed in their homes.

I'd recommend a spray booth.

Picked one up last year, and it's allowed me to spray with impunity ever since. Provided the conditions in my room are favourable, which they always are.

Only downside is that it really needs a new filter, but not sure where to get such!

More gaming, more painting. Winter is when I tend to do the most hobby as I'd rather get outdoors bbqing or hitting the beers with mates after work in the summer.
I do try and do a few larger terrain projects in the summer as it's far more pleasant to work outside with wood, foam, sprays, dust etc.

I do paint with artificial light, (and even a painters lamp with daylight bulb sometimes when I need to get colours to match up)

but its not as easy/fun as doing so in natural light and my eyes get tired much faster, 12-14 hours painting a day on a sunny weekend is simple, under artificial light i'm lucky to stick for 4 or 5 hours

(I think my main issue is shadows, how they're created and where they fall with point sources. I used to run a very bright room light and 2 or 3 lamps with diffusers to combat this but I've been told it's antisocial to make the room into a mini lighthouse so had to stop)

My ideal set up is a table, desk lamp, daylight bulb, and brush on primer. Gets me through the winter no problem

For people who can't spray or glue whatever reason, and I respect that, why not try and make some terrain?


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 OrlandotheTechnicoloured wrote:
I do paint with artificial light, (and even a painters lamp with daylight bulb sometimes when I need to get colours to match up)

but its not as easy/fun as doing so in natural light and my eyes get tired much faster, 12-14 hours painting a day on a sunny weekend is simple, under artificial light i'm lucky to stick for 4 or 5 hours

(I think my main issue is shadows, how they're created and where they fall with point sources. I used to run a very bright room light and 2 or 3 lamps with diffusers to combat this but I've been told it's antisocial to make the room into a mini lighthouse so had to stop)

Even 3-4 hours is a good target, as after a while, you'll have something to show for it, so don't knock it.

3 hours max is my daily limit and I can get a regiment together in 2-3 weeks, and I'm happy with that.


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 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
I'd recommend a spray booth.

Picked one up last year, and it's allowed me to spray with impunity ever since. Provided the conditions in my room are favourable, which they always are.

Only downside is that it really needs a new filter, but not sure where to get such!

At a stretch, you could rig up your own DIY spray booth with a box and a hoover. Crude, but gets the job done.

Here in the uk the weather makes sod all difference. Its pretty much crap all year around! I tend to get more done in the winter because of social schedules but not much.

Since I use an airbrush, I ignore alot of primer stuff.....mostly
But during summer if I mus primer outside I have to wait late at night.
I have to check the day for when its not raining during winter.
Weather can also affect how willing I am to paint or how willing I am to sit down and play video games.

Here in Michigan, I can usually spray in short doses in our basement in the winter, the main problem is that I can't buy any sprays or bottles of paints online, as they will freeze before I can get them at the mailbox. Which is you fortunate, as I love ArmyPainter stuff, but cannot get it locally at all. So I have to stock up in the next month or so.

 cuda1179 wrote:
LOL, here in Iowa it is the difference between 5 feet of snow and 110 degree heat with 100% relative humidity.

Here in Missouri we just about get those two in the same week some years! I've had to run the air conditioning and the heater within 36 hours of each other before.

As for what I do hobbywise, in the spring and fall I try to get as much primed as possible. Occasionally we get a mild summer or winter day in which this is possible, but often my work schedule prohibits me from taking advantage of it in the winter since it gets so dark so early. Honestly I've got enough primed to last me a year without priming a single other thing, but I still make sure to do it so I have lots and lots of options on what I can paint.

I live in Alaska so May-September is filled with summer activities and little hobbying. Now that it is cold and dark, the nerd bunker is in full swing and I can actually make it to tournaments and games.

I also prime and varnish all winter long without a problem. Step outside, spray, put models in front of garage space heater to dry. Krylon spray is a beast.

I get very depressed during the holiday seasons, usually my hobbying (and basically everything else) grind to a halt.

Easier to grab a train to hit the three hobby stores near me than drive. It's great in the summer, stroll to train vs tolls/rage/30 minute drive.

I also paint more during the winter

I live in North Florida... there really isn't a change in season per se... so I really don't have too many issues with the changes... Though the less said about humidity the better.

It's pretty much never not humid and/or raining, so everything from primer to varnish is brush on for me. I get plenty done, even with the extra drying time.

I try to stack up on primed miniatures before autumn starts, as spraying outdoors will be impossible :(