Who am I kidding? In winter the workshop in the shed is flaming well freezing.
There is cold and rain and any airbrush painting is a gambling game – whether there will be a reaction to the increased water vapour in the air that will fog up a coat. Whether any coat will dry in a reasonable period of time. Whether I will freeze up and fall off the stool in front of the workbench.
I sensibly established a work station in my computer room where I do secondary or delicate modelling in this part of the year. I can also do some work at the clubs I attend – they are heated and dry. The only disadvantage is all tools and parts have to be taken in big containers and one never seems to have remembered exactly the right shade of paint.
The winter modeller who has an indoor, heated spray area is not held up at all. As it is, I watch the forecasts like a bomber crew looking for a dark night, and I brigade up all the spraying jobs with their respective paints ready for the go signal. The shed has to get above 24 degrees and the humidity below 75% to promise a good experience.
When it does, I go to town with job after job. The airbrush gets a thorough rinse between colours but not cleaned until the end of the day. The shop hot box and the fan heater go full bore to make the most of the conditions.
Note: when Australian summer comes the situation is reversed. The shop is too hot at 38 degrees for good work, though the humidity can hover around the zero mark and not interfere at all. Early morning work on fine details is the go, while evening can see more basic clear coats or undercoats sprayed to good effect.
Someone, somewhere, can work all year round and never feel the strain.
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