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How Cold Is Too Cold To Spray?


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I agree about the 70 degrees. With lacquer, moving air is more important than temp for drying, but much below 70 and the solvents can act funny and it may not dry evenly. Same applies for over 90. Dries too fast.

Also if you're using spray cans the nozzels can chill down enough to make them sputter. Bad.

If you have to shoot in the cold make sure to get a fan on the surface. Set it back far enough so that it doesn't mess with the pattern or suck theo overspray into the motor (boom) and turn it on low. Turn it on before you spray so that any dust that's gonna get stirred up is gone by the time that you spray. This helps even out the drying.

Also remember that this stuff is actually as explosive as the cans say. Remember no pilot lights or open flames. The fumes are heavier than air and spread like crazy.

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  • 2 years later...

I read somewhere about a "65" rule. Don't spray under 65 degF or over 65% humidity. As I did my own spraying, I found that as the weather got to these limits, problems developed. The humidity one seemed worse. The lacquer developes a white look that may come out but maybe not completely.

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I read somewhere about a "65" rule. Don't spray under 65 degF or over 65% humidity. As I did my own spraying, I found that as the weather got to these limits, problems developed. The humidity one seemed worse. The lacquer developes a white look that may come out but maybe not completely.

Yep, I believe that is called moisture blushing. Happens in high humidity. You can get it out with a blush remover.

Sounds like a good rule to me.

CMA

Edited by CrazyManAndy
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  • 2 months later...

This is a problem that I have been battling with my current project. Cannot spray in the house (I like my organs and nervous system), but garage too cold....

I have set up a oil radiator heater in my garage on high, right near where I spray and where the guitar dries. It kinda dumps heat out, but it also keeps the area around my guitar warm enough--somewhere in the mid to high sixties. If you try this, make sure that you turn off all open element heaters (well, any heat source really) to avoid flashing the fumes. What an unfortunate way to lose a project! I like to play with mine a couple of times before I burn them :D

And by the way people, please spell lacquer correctly. Not laquor or laquer. It helps my sanity when people spell correctly (if you are not sure, feel free to take three seconds and check it out--google or mirriam-webster). Thanks!!

Brian

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This is a problem that I have been battling with my current project. Cannot spray in the house (I like my organs and nervous system), but garage too cold....

I have set up a oil radiator heater in my garage on high, right near where I spray and where the guitar dries. It kinda dumps heat out, but it also keeps the area around my guitar warm enough--somewhere in the mid to high sixties.

Same here. I haven't started spraying yet, but any day. I've got one of those radiant oil heaters too so I'm glad you mentioned that it's helping.

Problem here in Virginia is that it seems there was a one-week window between too humid and too cold. But I guess conditions are never ideal when you're a hobbyist right?

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FWIW if you're using 2-part poly or any kind of catalyzed finish, the manufacturer will usually specify a minimum temperature that will give a full cure. The problem is that the chemical cross-linking that happens with these kinds of finishes is inhibited at low temps...so the final product will not cure as hard as it would above these min temps.

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