How long is a good waiting period to polish out a paint job?

[Hooked on Chaparral]

2 Days ago I laid down 4 coats of "off white" (model master classic, white 8 drops of testors 1033 brown) on a Fisher Chaparral 2F. It needs polished what is the safest amount of gas out time before I could begin the next phase. No rush its been 20 years since I doing this on a regular basis now I'm afraid becoming a "senior citizen" may have some pitfalls with it, that and not having really built anything in 20 years! Thanks!

 

my last build....

Edited October 12, 2018 by Hooked on Chaparral

[High octane]

I would wait a week or more, others say that when you can't smell the paint on the body anymore you're good to go.

[Hooked on Chaparral]

Thanks Nick!

[StevenGuthmiller]

If it's Testors enamel that you're working with, I wouldn't touch it for a minimum of a month!

Enamels take forever to cure completely.

 

Steve

[Snake45]

2 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

If it's Testors enamel that you're working with, I wouldn't touch it for a minimum of a month!

Enamels take forever to cure completely.

 

Steve

Sounds like you airbrushed it. What did you use for thinner? 

I've polished out airbrushed enamel thinned with lacquer thinner after 48 hours. A week would be even better. 

Sprayed from a can, enamel requires, as Steve says, at least a month. 

[espo]

The wait time is one of the reasons I don't use enamels usually. I'm the impatient type any way. I try to use the more modern acrylics and lacquers. These are usually ready to polish in 24 hours or so.   

[porschercr]

11 hours ago, High octane said:

I would wait a week or more, others say that when you can't smell the paint on the body anymore you're good to go.

x2

[StevenGuthmiller]

8 hours ago, Snake45 said:

Sounds like you airbrushed it. What did you use for thinner? 

I've polished out airbrushed enamel thinned with lacquer thinner after 48 hours. A week would be even better. 

Sprayed from a can, enamel requires, as Steve says, at least a month. 

True.

If you airbrushed it and thinned with lacquer thinner, it will shorten cure time dramatically.

 

Steve

[Chariots of Fire]

Depends on the paint and the type of polish.  If you use model paint the polish has to be something that will not react with it and make it soft.  What has been said above is correct.  Wait a few days before trying to polish it.

On the other hand I use Duplicolor paints.  It dries quickly and hard.  It can be polished almost immediately after it sets up.  Sometimes less than a day.  Novus polish works well.  So does Turtle Wax if you let the paint dry two or three days.

[Hooked on Chaparral]

I used testors thinner, pretty thin mix i like it like skim milk density. Yes I did air brush it thanks, for the tips guys. Like I said its been awhile and I didn't want to rush this. I am familiar with the novus system and the LMG polishing cloth system, my preferred method.I guess I am too old school never tried lacquer or acrylics for that matter I have always been happy with the enamel results. I don't clear coat either, basically because other than that 37 above I stick with sports cars, imsa, endurance, trans am that sort of model. I dry polished that 37. LMG.

Edited October 13, 2018 by Hooked on Chaparral

[carrucha]

I wait 2-3 weeks for enamels.  I wait a week for lacquers.  I work on other assemblies while the paint cures. 

[Art Anderson]

This is where a food dehydrator can really come into play!  I've had mine since 2010, and use it for curing out all my paint work.  It can take upwards of 2 hours to completely cure enamels to the point of being hard enough so as not to be able to press a fingerprint into the surface of the paint, which at room temperature, can take a week or more.

Art