As you may have guessed, the weather partially determines how long paint, lacquer, or putty take to dry. In a warm, dry climate, drying time is very quick. But decrease the temperature or increase the humidity (the amount of moisture in the air), and drying time increases.

The average drying times for Testor paints, lacquers, putties and cements are affected by changes in temperature and humidity, especially for paints. For example, you should wait another 12 hours paint to dry if the humidity is above 50 percent and 24 more hours if it is above 80 percent. You can find out the humidity with a dial hygrometer (which is like a thermometer, only it registers moisture content in the air), or by checking the daily newspaper.

Some weather just isn’t well suited for model building, but that doesn’t mean you have to give up your hobby just because it’s raining outside. You can help speed up the drying process with the use of hair blow dryer. Set the dryer on low or no heat and point it at the model. Keep the nozzle of the dryer at least six inches way from the model.

Turn on the switch and let the rush of air speed-dry the paint. Remember to use as little heat as possible, or you may ruin the model. Keep the dryer moving at all times so that the paint dries evenly. This technique is not recommended for high-gloss finishes (auto bodies).

Testor Dullcote and Glosscote lacquers are the most common and long-lasting forms of overcoats. The easiest method to apply these is by spraying. Use Glosscote on models that should have a shiny finish (such as cars); Dullcote on everything else (especially military aircraft).

You may need to apply several coats to cover the model adequately. If you apply too thick a coat, the lacquer will pool up in one area and look unsightly. After it has dried completely, use extra-fine steel wool to buff away the extra lacquer. Do the same for any bubbles you see in the finish. Respray a thin coat and let the mode dry for at least 24 hours before handling it.

There are a variety of primers you can use, as well as a number of paints you can use as a primer. Real primer is called chromate or zinc chromate, and has a slightly green tint. This kind of paint does the best job at priming the model for subsequent painting. It is available from Testor in both bottle and spray form, and it has a flat finish.

You can also use Glosscote or Dullcote as the underpaint primer. Both Glosscote and Dullcote are lacquers, but they can be successfully applied under Testor enamel paint (usually, you don’t want to mix lacquers and enamels). It comes in bottles and spray cans.

Neutral color paints can also be used primers. White is a good choice if the final color is very light, like yellow. Rust, tan, and gray are also good choices because they do a good job of covering the plastic of the model, but they aren’t so dark that they affect the finish paint. Obviously, you would not want to use black as a primer because it would show through almost any color.

You can use either gloss or flat finish paint, but flat is probably the best all-around choice. Flat paint dries faster than gloss paint, and the rough finish helps the finish paint adhere better. If you want a really smooth final paint job, however, you should buff the primer with fine steel wool (000 or 0000)* before applying the paint. Be sure to remove the paint dust before applying the finish coat, or bits of dried primer will show up on the finished model. Feel free to use steel wool between successive coats of the finish paint. That helps smooth out the final paint job, too.

*Steel wool that has been treated with oil is not suitable for this. Use only dry steel wool.

You will notice that model putty shrinks a tiny bit as it dries. As you gain experience with applying putty, you will know how much extra to put on so that when the putty shrinks, the hole or gap will be properly filled. If in doubt, apply the putty in layers, especially if the area to fill is large. The last layer should fill in any small areas left over from shrinkage.

You can test the smoothness of our sanding job by running your finger over the dry putty. Can you feel any hills and valleys? If so, keep sanding. If you sand off too much, you can always apply more putty and start over again.

Now that you have practiced applying putty on discarded parts, it’s time for the real thing.

Practice applying putty on a scrap piece of the model. As you build more models, you’ll quickly learn to keep all parts you don’t use; the extras may come in handy some day.

Squeeze a small portion of putty onto a piece of paper. Don’t use a paper towel because the lint will mix with the putty. Putty has a solvent base, so it can soak through the paper. Protect the table with a drop cloth and art board, as usual. Dip the palette knife into the putty and apply it on the part. Don’t worry too much about neatness now.

Practice smoothing the putty along the length of the part. Use the palette knife. Try to get an even amount on the entire part. High spots will have to be sanded down, and that makes more work for you. Low spots will have to be refilled to make them even with the rest of the putty. If the putty starts to set up before it is smooth, dip a cotton swab in a bottle of paint thinner and rewet the putty. Don’t apply too much thinner or the putty may run. The layer of putty shouldn’t be thicker than the thickness of your fingernail. Drying will take much longer if the layer of putty is extra thick.

Model putty takes about 24 hours to dry, so set the piece aside overnight. Work on the rest of the model to pass the time. Remember: Don’t try to sand or paint the putty until it is thoroughly dry.

Model putty is specially engineered to be used on plastic kits. It sticks to the plastic and won’t harm it. You should never use wood putty or other filler not designed for plastics. The putty may harm the plastic parts or may not dry to a smooth finish.

Fortunately, all is not lost. You can use a special modeling putty to fill in the mistakes. One the putty is dry, it can be sanded an painted over. If you do the job right, no one will ever know that you’ve applied putty to your model. As you become more experienced in model building, you’ll use putty all the time to fill seams in joints and to make the surface of the model look smooth and unbroken.

Now you’re at that point, however, when you want your models to look even better. You want to smooth out the mold marks in the seams of your models; you want to spray primer coats so that paint job looks smooth and professional; and you want to apply finish coats for a long-lasting and protected paint job. Keep reading and find out how you can master these and other finishing techniques.