Priming Miniatures in an Apartment?

[TheRedComet]

I'm looking to get back into miniatures painting. The problem is, I live in a smallish apartment in the city, so I don't know if there's a safe way to spray paint minis inside, and I can't go outside either. Is there a solution I don't know about here?

[Maingunnery]

I'm looking to get back into miniatures painting. The problem is, I live in a smallish apartment in the city, so I don't know if there's a safe way to spray paint minis inside, and I can't go outside either. Is there a solution I don't know about here?

There are several guidelines for such a situation:
- Open the windows (and balcony door is you have one)
- Don't smoke
- Do everything in smaller batches
- Use a lot of newspapers (or something similar) to cover more space, tiny paint particles will swirl around more in a small space. 

[worktroll]

Best answer - don't. Spray goes everywhere. Do you have a garage? If so, park the car on the street and spray inside the garage. I realise in the depths of a US winter this may not be useful advice.

Next advice - get a larger brush and do your priming by hand.

I don't think there's a good way to use spray painting inside a smallish apartment. :(

[Maingunnery]

Best answer - don't. Spray goes everywhere. Do you have a garage? If so, park the car on the street and spray inside the garage. I realise in the depths of a US winter this may not be useful advice.

Next advice - get a larger brush and do your priming by hand.

Priming by hand is a means of last resort. Getting good quality out of that is very hard.

I don't think there's a good way to use spray painting inside a smallish apartment. :(

I have done that during my college years, its quite manageable.


ps. Another tip, if you have a old closet or a small empty room, you can use it as a spray room. You spray, close the door and wait for the particles to settle and dry, then spray again.

[GunjiNoKanrei]

Do you have a large window you can open? Spray there. open the window, lean out far enough so that miniature and can are outside and spray (do cover the window frame and ledge with old newspapers though!). This works fine for small numbers of miniatures at a time, even when it is cold. At least it worked for me when we were living in the city.

Of course I was just too lazy to go outside ... which begs the question, why can't you go outside? If you have a backyard or parking lot just do it there. You could even just step out in front of the door, quickly spray the mini, ignore the strange looks from passersby :D and get back inside.

[cavingjan]

Use brush primer. Vallejo makes a really easy to use black and grey primer. It is no worse than doing a basecoat of color. I would not use your best brush.  Use some that is on its way to being delegated to the drushbrush role.

[DarkSpade]

I got some good advice for priming with an airbrush from the tips and tricks forums not too long ago.  Money has kept me from pulling the trigger on a good brush and compressor, but some test runs with some really crappy ones were very promising.

[NeonKnight]

I spray prime in my home office washroom all the time. Here is what you need.

A large piece if poster board.
A cardboard box closed on one end.

Make sure your bathroom fan us on the whole time.

Put the poster board on the bath counter and put the cardboard box on top. Have about 6 to 12 inches of the poster board in front of the box.

Put your minis on a small piece of heavy card and place inside the box. Spray your minis and remove from box as soon as finished so as to avoid any small paint particles settling on the minis.

Keep in bathroom with fan going for about 15 to 30 minutes to remove fumed.

[Maverick__]

Just like NeonKnight said:  Use the bathroom with the fan on and make sure to layout card board or news paper to spray against.  Wait for the miniatures to dry and done!  The fan will ensure the bathroom has negative air pressure and the fumes won't travel to the rest of the rooms.  It's a great way to spray during Wisconsin winters.  Just make sure the wife/mother/girlfriend won't be using the bathroom.  8)

I may be careful but a gas mask from home depot or menards would be a good idea while spraying in a small room...even with the fan running.

[Maverick__]

If your worried about spray particles settling in the bathroom:  Go to Menards/Home depot and get a box fan and a cheap furnance filter.  Place the filter in front of the fan and have the air flow from the fan pull air from the filter thru the fan.  Next get a comparable size box open the top and bottom of the box and afix it to the filter and fan with duct tape.  This will clean most of the excess paint from the air.

[klarg1]

I'd echo Worktroll's advice. Spraying primer inside a confined space is likely to make a mess, and the fumes are not good for you or anybody else in the apartment.

You *might* be able to get away with a window fan, respirator, etc., but I would suggest that you minimize risk and save money by using a brush-on primer.

There are many available, and they can work quite well. I haven't tried the Vallejo primers specifically, but for the ones I have tried, you can get a good base coat if you thin them down and apply two or three thin layers.

[Kiff_Stevenson]

Why can't you go outside?

Is it because you're scared of getting overspray on something?

I too live in an apartment, and I was worried about overspray. Here's how I solved that problem.

1) Go to your local hardware store or pharmacy and buy some very cheap latex gloves (not dish-washing or household cleaning gloves - these are too thick). Also, buy a mask! This won't cost more than $10 or so.

2) Choose a warm and dry day, then take your prepped minis to a park or other green area that doesn't have people's cars or other valuables nearby.

3) Put on the mask and the gloves and hold the mini by the base at arms length. Spray the mini at that distance in short, controlled bursts - varying the angles. BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO INHALE AS YOU SPRAY - EVEN THOUGH YOU ARE WEARING A MASK.

I would never spray inside. I just don't want to risk my health or the health of my family and pets.

Best of luck!

edit: regarding point 3 - you can affix your prepped mini to the top of clean plastic pop bottle (with the cap still on) with poster putty if you really want an even coat of primer on the sides of your base.

[DarkSpade]

2) Choose a warm and dry day, then take your prepped minis to a park or other green area that doesn't have people's cars or other valuables nearby.

And therein lies the problem.  If he lives anywhere near where I do, there won't be a warm dry and/or day for another 5 months.

[Maingunnery]

Are you guys over-spraying? I never had to use a mask.

[mdauben]

I go out on my apartment's balcony to do my spraying.  I use a couple old  clipboards to put the minis on, with a bit of 2-sided tape to keep them in place.  Hold the spray can in one hand, and the clip board in the other while I work.   

In good weather, I just leave them out there to dry.  If its raining/humid/too cold, I spray them out there (in really bad weather like right now I stand in the balcony door so the overspray goes outside but the minis are not exposed to the cold/wet weather) and then put them in my guest bathroom with the fan turned on to vent the fumes as they dry. 

Works for me.   8)

[Maverick__]

Are you guys over-spraying? I never had to use a mask.

No.  If your outdoors, which is preferred, you don't need a mask.  But if you spray in an enclosed space, a mask would be a good to use.

[TheRedComet]

Hmm, it's starting to look like I need to use brush-on primer, sadly. My apartment is rather small (at least in the world of spray painting stuff), and the window probably isn't big enough for some of your suggestions. I don't even have a bathroom fan! I do have a fire escape thing outside my main window, but I actually haven't been able to open that window, ever. And it's very cold outside these days.

I guess I don't want to go outside because I'm a little self conscious, or something. I'm in NYC so there's nowhere to go where there isn't always someone walking by. Hell I'm not even sure if there's some law against spray painting outside or something, what with concerns of graffiti and all that.

I've never seen brush-painted primer, what's the good stuff? Where do I find it? I think I'd prefer gray primer.

[cavingjan]

No.  If your outdoors, which is preferred, you don't need a mask.  But if you spray in an enclosed space, a mask would be a good to use.

Agreed. I do both at times and my indoor location has good ventilation but unfortunately needs to have a backstop to avoid painting unintended floors. Every time I primer inside, I end up leaning a lot of black stuff out of my nose. I never have that problem outside. I do use a half mask respirator now with much reduced issues. Although in winter I just brush primer.

[worktroll]

I've never seen brush-painted primer, what's the good stuff? Where do I find it? I think I'd prefer gray primer.

Anything that goes on thin. You could water down something thicker, but I'd recommend the Lifecolor range of paints - they're much thinner than the Citadel and Humbrol acrylics I tend to use.

Get a bigger brush with firm bristles - 1/3" or so - and try not to flood the mini. You'll be suprised how far the paint will cover. The firmer brush helps get the paint into the panel lines.

[TheRedComet]

Do you mean Lifecolor for brush-on primer only, or for painting in general? I've been conflicted about what brand of paint to use overall, since I hear Citadel colors are overpriced, and they changed their color lines anyway. I used Citadel last time around, but that was before their color refresh/redo.

What's a good, reliable site to buy this stuff? The only local store I know of that sells model paint only has Reaper MSP and Citadel, and at MSRP too.

[worktroll]

I'm using Lifecolor for both. The paint range is really good for "military" paints, but it is very thin (meant for airbrushes, perhaps?)  OTOH I can get different effects thanks to the thin paint layers.

I used to use Citadel, but a few years back they totally re-arranged their range into different thicknesses and purposes, and also changed the names. I've tended not to buy them any more.

Humbrol have a high quality acrylic range now, but their colour options aren't as good as others. But I'm finding more and more Humbrol paints which match the old Citadel colours almost exactly (eg. Humbrol French Blue = Citadel Ultramarine Blue). So I go to Humbrol for the strong colors, and Lifecolor for the shades. From the sounds of it, this is what the Apple Barrel acrylics provide to people in the US.

Unfortunately I've had bad luck with Vallejo paints, which many of the most experienced painters here swear by. I suspect they may require mana levels not accessible to me as a table-top painter to be effective :D

W.

[Col.Hengist]

Paint on primer. It's what I use and I live in a house, with a garage and over half an acre. I don't like spray on primer. I used it for years and always had places that didn't get covered and when I went back over them it over covered other places.
 With paint in primer I can get just as much as I like and don't have to worry about the above problems.

[TheRedComet]

Paint on primer. It's what I use and I live in a house, with a garage and over half an acre. I don't like spray on primer. I used it for years and always had places that didn't get covered and when I went back over them it over covered other places.
 With paint in primer I can get just as much as I like and don't have to worry about the above problems.

What kind do you like to use?

[faithless]

With the cold weather lately, I have been spraying outside and then doing the mdauben method of letting them dry in my bathroom with the exhaust fan on. I have a garage, but it is small and the central heat and air unit is out there.

[Col.Hengist]

What kind do you like to use?

 Vallejo has a good one.

[klarg1]

What kind do you like to use?

I generally use Reaper paints, and so also their brush-on primer. As I mentioned, I haven't tried the Vallejo, but every other Vallejo product I have used has been good, so I would recommend it anyway.

Oddly, my current favorite spray primer is Privateer P3.

[Luriael]

I use Basics' Gesso, it shrinks when it dries so even though it looks thick when you apply you don't need to thin it down with water. They make it black and white and since it's acrylic you can tint the white Gesso whatever color you want.

It's just time consuming, I can't wait to lay my hands on an airbrush

[Mohammed As`Zaman Bey]

  When I use canned primer, I place my minis in a large cardboard box with a vent hole and attach a small shop-vac to it, with some cloth attached to the wide nozzle as a filter, then turn the vac on before spraying. It greatly reduces the particulates and scent, although I still open all the windows and the door...so no midnight priming...

[phlop]

What kind do you like to use?

You can achieve outstanding results with brush on primer. I have used Vallejo, Reaper and Model Master acrylic. I used to spray prime, but recently have had some bad luck with some of the sprays.  I went to brush priming. My bad experience is probably from me not shaking the can long enough. If I have a large group of minis I will spray.

[Pat Payne]

Priming by hand is a means of last resort. Getting good quality out of that is very hard.

Try Gesso. Actual artist's gesso (for instance Liquitex Professional or Golden). I've been using that for the past year and love it.

[HMS_Swiftsure]

I'm a HUGE fan of Vallejos surface primers.  I use Panzer Grey(or something like that) and have never had a bad experience.  It goes on smoother than gesso, but seems to tighten up to an even firmer detail-grabbing final product.  It takes on a rubbery consistency when drying, so it's really tough too.  Two coats is usually all I need.

[Ratboy]

I'm looking to get back into miniatures painting. The problem is, I live in a smallish apartment in the city, so I don't know if there's a safe way to spray paint minis inside, and I can't go outside either. Is there a solution I don't know about here?

Build yourself a simple spray booth.

• Take a cardboard box that will fit in the open window (and so you can use the window to hold it in place.
• Get a 120mm case fan and a 12 volt power supply (universal adapter), wire the fan directly to the power supply.
• Tape closed the bottom of the box, then cut a 100mm square hole in the bottom.
• Attach the fan to the back of the box so the airflow pulls the air from inside the box.
• Get an A/C filter and cut it to fit just over the hole on the inside of the box, then tape it over the hole.
• Put the box in an open window, plug in the fan and you are good to go!

If you find that one fan is not enough, add a second one and connect it to the same power supply.

Alternatively, here is one of the many tutorials online: http://www.instructables.com/id/Cheap-spray-booth/

[cavingjan]

If it is frigid out, add space heaters so the cold air doesn't back flow in as that will popcorn your painted surface and there is no fixing that other than stripping.

[NeonKnight]

If it is frigid out, add space heaters so the cold air doesn't back flow in as that will popcorn your painted surface and there is no fixing that other than stripping.

Yep, why when I spray I IMMEDIATELY remove the mini's from the box. No settling

[mbear]

Sorry about the thread necro, but I just found this and thought it might help. Homemade Spraybooth and Filter. That's right. The author shows how to make a filter to catch the overspray. It's more than the typical furnace filters too. PDF available on web page if you prefer that sort of thing.

[ColBosch]

Oh wow, that's PERFECT for me! The only difference is that I'd now use LED arrays for the lighting.

[DarkSpade]

totally worth a necro.

[mbear]

OK. One last thread necro from me. Here's a really nice foamcore spray booth from Eric Strebel. FoamCore model making Hobby Spray Booth work shop or craft area for under $200. The fan is a bit oversized for mini painting, but still a lot of interesting stuff in here.

[Major Headcase]

Late to the party I know, but just wanted to add for anyone else like me: I live in a tiny studio apartment, one medium size room and a bathroom. I spray in the bathroom with the fan turned on to draw the fumes. I use a medium size U-haul box (24"×24"×24") on its side with a cheap Walmart "lazy Susan" to spin the models as a paint booth so there is no overspray. Been living here for years, never an issue with mess or fume headache.  :thumbsup:

[panzerfaust150]

When I lived in NYC, I used to use the parking garage and lots of newspaper. It worked but you did get some trace overspray. Big thing is, make sure wherever you are, it's well ventilated.