how long does it take to dry for acrylics

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by David Jake

sorry i'm a n00b, but it didn't say in customizing guide exactly how long it takes to dry.

by Darko

It really depends on the paint brand and how thick you put it on. I use Model Masters and Tamiya (both of which I recommend, very chip resistant) and they set up in about 5-10 minutes. Of course, you're going to want to leave any painted parts sitting over night or so before you handle them too much or move the joints, so they can fully set.

by David Jake

thanks, yeah boy they dry quick, which kinda sucks cuz the paint dries quick too.

the first guy i did was i had tripwire legs on a steeler guy, so i painted the boots black, which came out okay, but i tried to paint the belt, ehhh a little off. overall on that guy a D.

the second guy i did a 06 viper painting all the red to green, i did a little better, i'd say a C. It's tough i can't even image doing like some camo scheme.

by Doc Rob

If you find your paint drying up too quick, you can buy an extender, which lengthens open time.

Deco Art Brush N' Blend Medium Extender can be found at places like Michael's where they keep they sell craft paints; it goes for the same price as craft paints and comes in 2 oz. bottles. I use it to extend the open time of paints, and to keep paint mixes I store fresh longer. Just a quick note: when you add it to the paint, the color of the paint in the tray changes; don't worry about it, as the paint will return to its proper shade when it dries.

by ZombieGuide

not long at all.

im all about effeciency, so i work on about 5 figures at a time. while 1 part is drying, i work on another.

also, make a hair drying part of your tool kit. blast your paint with that and have it dry in about 2 seconds.

by David Jake

thanks guys.

hey in regards to the extendor, doesn't that make it hard to just the color when your mixing paints on the trey?

by Doc Rob

David Jake wrote:thanks guys.

hey in regards to the extendor, doesn't that make it hard to just the color when your mixing paints on the trey?


Not really. Mix the paints first, then add the extender and mix that in.

Now what I usually do is mix up my batches of colors (keeping track of what I used and how much) until I get the adjustment dead-on, or as close as I can (usually the latter), and only add the extender once I'm sure (I usually paint only a section or small spot as paints look different dry than they do wet.) Extender's main purpose, really, is to keep the paint in your mix tray from drying up too quick.

by David Jake

cool, thanks.


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