Scale Model Tips - Using A Food Dehydrator To Cure & Dry Your Model Paints Fast !! 

This is one of the best hobby investments I've made. Being able to dry things quickly and know that they're cured cuts down tremendously on mistakes. Thank you!

Brother this might just be THE BEST tip yet! You cut my chrome curing time down from 10 days to 12 hours. I know the chrome was fully cured because the sealer did'nt ruin the reflection. You are THE MAN! Thank you again.

I'm definitely impressed. I'll try one out down the road.

Excellent video. Just what I needed to see. Thanks!

What a game changer! Have a box full of model master enamels that I would use if I had this. Thanks again. My first was a testors A320 back when they were cheap.

Really good idea. I have the same dehydrator, and never thought about drying paint in it. I use it for drying 3d print filament, so now it has a second use. :)

Your channel needs more subs! 💯💯💯

Again a very use- and helpful video. I'll try when my wife is not at home. 😉

Hi Robert. - An absolute stroke of luck for us. - The Wife reminded me we only already had one of these from a few years back (same model - but Gormia branding), she used it a few times for fruit before it was packed away and placed in the garage! As of today, it's now MINE! Yay! Getting so cold already...Paint & spray can primers are taking a long time to dry! Great video! Trying it on some of our 'still-tacky' primed art toys now! - Cheers, Neighbor! (We're in Mass) :)

I found a couple of high quality round units at a thrift store for $7 each. You can cut the centers out of a few of the rings to make spacers so you can fit bodies in it. I like them because they blow the heat from the top and evenly down the sides. Thanks for the video.

I just ordered one ! thank you so mutch! I was trying to dry the paint with a hair dryer. its so simple but elegant! and only for 36 euros!(just see gunze dryer price). its a must for car modellers.

WE MUST SEE MORE OF THIS MODEL PAINTING IDEAS!

I know this is an older video, but I want to contribute that I bought this device, same manufacturer but one size smaller, and it works great. Using this along with disciplining myself to be more patient between coats (paint or clear) has given me much better outcomes than I was seeing before.

Excellent video...what would of been interesting is having an air dry comparison piece allowing the same time as the dehydrator

HOLY CRAP, that old A2708 was my very first airbrush. I dug it out recently hoping to use it as a a spare but couldn't figure out what adapter to use since it has a weird size. Looking forward to your video on it.

Got one . Love it.

Thanks for all your great work. I bought the unit you used and really like it. I figured that the best way to see if 158.5 degrees would harm plastic was to put something in it and give it a go. I put a piece of sprue horizontally stuck on an alligator clip so that if it would soften it would droop. I also had a plastic spoon that I had painted in there as well. 4 hours later and there was no negative results. The sprue seems a bit more malleable, but not enough that it drooped. Also not enough that I can use it to bend a piece of plastic which would have been handy. The spoon with the paint didn't have any problem either. It makes sense since they are sold to use to eat soup and that would be between 180 & 190 degrees. Just to be clear I don't use the dehydrator at that temperature, I just wanted to see what would happen. I do wish the unit would remember the last setting so I didn't have to set it each time. One change I made to the unit is that I put two racks in the bottom and then bolted them together. I use skewers for a lot of small parts and I stick them into the diamonds between the two racks so that they are upright. I found that without the bolts the upper rack tended to slide forward and wedge the door. With the bolts on the shelves they don't move forward.

Love your channel , after watching your review I went out and bought the same one! Love the larger size, anything fits inside! Used it as described to dry paint. also used it to dry plastic parts after washing them, dry glue after assembling and warming up paint and plastic parts when the weather is cold before painting. Almost never gets turned off!! great unit thanks for the tip!

Looking forward to the createx review! I tried wicked for the first time last week and was happy with the results. Their autoborne line not so much. Found it didn’t do a great job adhering to the plastic and it lifted when removing washi tape. I’ll try again with the 4030 balancing clear mixed in. Thanks for doing these videos!

Man what a cool idea!

I bought this dehydrator your recommendation...I Loooove it!!

Good tip. Good investment. Thanks

You can take a small pair of wire cutters and cut out the mesh bottoms of the dividers in the round dehydrators, that leaves them as spacers to give you more head room. I did that to fit 3D printer spools inside so I could dry them off.

Thanks for sharing. I use the round ones. This one is way better

Nice video.... Several guys use them for the 24 hr build challenge that is coming up this weekend.

I found out yrs ago Deydrators r life Savers. God Bless All.

You’re going to make me buy a dehydrator now, aren’t you? LOL! Great video!

You can use the circular dehydrator as well. I have one that I've been using for over 10 years. I simply cut the trays away from the circular walls. You can then either stack and glue the wall sections together or use duct tape to join them. I have an old Nesco unit with variable temperature control. For those on a budget, you may try your local thrift store.

Seems also great for curing Epoxyresin pieces. Epoxy cured at about 60 degr C has a different webbing much stronger than at ambient temps. At ambient temps it cures 2 dimensional, at elevated te,p it cures 3 dimensional , lacking layering Thx for the introduction.

I have been using one for 2mo. Now., mine works great. It work really good for little parts,.. be careful with the lacquer,and acrylic, if they dry to fast the paint will crack,or check ,what ever you call it. ,,, work great for enamel. It make airbrushing a lot easier, I love it!

Living in Arizona ... April through early June, I paint in the morning, put outside in full sun, and all paint is fully cured by the dinner time. Same painting schedule from mid September through part of December. Mid June through to mid September ... I paint in the morning and by 2:00p the paint is fully cured. So living in Phoenix, the only time I have problems curing paint is during those times if we get any rain (rare) and late December through March. That is when I usually paint outside (no need for a booth), then take inside to cure, time not being a problem, as I plan in advance the paint for several cars, so I paint three or four at a time, and always have a painted car to work on while other paint is curing. Though .... I have a tray styled dehydrator, and may cut the platform out of one tray, for back up drying during those 3 off months.

Looking for a dehydrator now.. tools and more tools.. Thanks again

Brilliant

Hey REX and for repaing the favor its something small but good , so it goes , when you want to spray gloss varnish without dust catcing the model all over first you wipe it with tamiya antistatic brush and second wipeing it with a wax cloth from auto body piants store , these 2 work great! and 3 then you put it in the dehydrator.

HOLY CRAP YOU'RE THE BEST!

model building and snack making, great combination!

I'm thinking about getting 1 now.

I just found your channel a couple of days ago and have already watched half of your videos. You are without a doubt the best plastic modeling RU-vidr I have found and am subscribed. You're very easy to listen to and follow and I never get bored.. plus you have so many useful tips and tricks that I've never heard of before. Just curious what body paint and clear you recommend the most for car modelers ( I only build race cars) to get the easiest and best results? Thanks!

Nice to see a video about this. As a tip they're also great for warming up spray paint cans prior to use. Not sure where you heard about the "wait 20 minutes" thing. Definitely not saying you're wrong but I've dried a dozen painted bodies (glossy, flat and clear-coated) by putting them in immediately and never had a problem.

Once again you solve a problem for impatient modelers. I have a dehydrator I use to control the moisture in my filament for 3D printing. Now it will serve double duty with my models. Never consider it till today Thanks

I have the one that micro mark sells. $160 ish bucks, worth every money. Also the heat can cause the body to warp leaving it on the tamiya stand with the metal springs. So be careful with that.

Love your painting demos! Can you do one on the Createx candy 2o and pearl colors? Thanks for all you do for the modeling community.

You can cut the center out on a couple of the rings on the circular dehydrators to give you space for a body and large pieces. That is what I did.

Recently at Yodobashi Camera in Japan, theyve been selling countertop dishwasher/dryers for model kits! Similar idea. I’m thinking a dehydrator is better though.

Nice dehydrator. I have a 16” round one by Presto that I use for enamels. I run mine at 95 degrees for 24 hours for enamels. Nice red paint. I’ve never sprayed the small bottles of Testors before. That came out great. Thanks for sharing. I do like your front load dehydrator.

I have used one for many years and they work great ! One word of warning though, don't put masked models in the dehydrator, more times than not, you will have a sticky mess under your tape that is difficult to get rid of.

I only use the Testors paints for details. I did not know it takes 3 weeks to cure. Wow.

Great idea, my wife is going to get mad at me for al, the modeling tools I've been purchasing lately 🙃 🙄

I have been painting with enamels but mix in any generic hardener - often a high-gloss hardener. After about 15 -20 minutes, the paint automatically hardens whether or not I've sprayed it all out. Spray can enamel I just leave out in the sunlight. I think the IR light also helps the cure. Testors enamel are terrible. Stingy with the volume in square containers made of glass that harden in the bottle more often than hardening on your model.

How long should I set the dehydrator for a car body with clear lacquer over the color coat?

If a car body has some Tamiya White Putty and is painted in lacquer will the putty be affected by the dehydrator. I use light amounts of the putty to fill in low areas.

What about flat or semi flat sprayed or brushed part. Can these finished be put into the dehydrator for the same affect with the drying/ curing process ? Should or could a “ primer ” base , say model car body or any primed part previously sprayed be processed through the dehydrator before a final coat of color, is it recommended that a final coat over a primed already dehydrated finish be put through the dehydration process ?

I bought the 6 tray Ivation Food Dehydrator. I put in parts painted with clear 1K urethane and also parts painted with clear lacquer for 10 hours at 113 degrees and it didn't cure the paint. I'm going to return it and go back to letting time cure the paint.

Micro Mark has a paint dryer called the Micro Make Dr Dry Booth. It seems like it's basically a food dehydrator and it's expensive. It's $169.

I need help I want to paint in the basement the models but my basement windows will not open. How do I pipe out paint fumes out of the basement if the windows will not open? I will make my own paint booth or make one out of a big plastic tote and a bathroom fan taped to it. Another question should I build my own spay booth for painting plastic models or buy one? Another question how do I make pigments stick to the place I apply them on my models the powder pigments I am using the mig branded ones

Does the heat help with smoothing out the paint at all? This seems to work just like an actual paint booth.

I love your channel, do you know other technique to dry the paint? I mean with lamp and fam??

Do you use a respirator spraying enamels in the paint booth?

Just made one

Do you always use this type of airbrush for the cars?

Question? How were the fumes out of the dehydrator? especially with enamels and varnish drying? BTW, I can't thank you enough for all the info!!!!!!!

have you done a video showing this with gundam parts?

I decant the Krylon/Rustoleum rattle cans from Wally World. Is the curing time the same as the Testors? Thanks for giving a time table for the dehydrator.

This might sound like a dumb question but here it goes lol. You said to set at 120 degrees, is that Fahrenheit or Celsius? Living in Canada and it’s always a mix up of which one to use. Thanks

you only have to wait for paint to cure if you miss a window , if you spray as soo nas it flashes but doesnt cure you can actually spray primer , color and gloss and you will get great results. If yo uwait too long you risk getting chemical reactions

What is the temperature/timer setting you recommend for lacquer paints on resin kits?

Dehydration question: I have a few automotive body kits and small parts brushed with acrylic and enamel that I have hit with paint like some over 3-4 months some a year and a few over a year since paint. Can you or does it have any effect on these bodies that have been sprayed or brushed smaller parts in both acrylic and like Testors enamel …. To put these already sprayed ( much time ago) or brushed items into the dehydrator to continue or complete the cure process ? Will putting previously already sprayed ( say within 6 months) into the dehydration process help the curing ? Or should I just let previously painted items just “ time out” and cure naturally ?

Here is one for everyone! If you can’t afford a dehydrator like the one on the video, then get a Ronco dehydrator model number FD1005WHGEN. It’s under $40.00 on Amazon. I fit pickup truck and cars in it due to its dome type lid. I use only Testor Paint which take 3 weeks to be completely dry and cure. On top of the the lid are number settings, I put it on number 4. Heat ranges from 140 - 150 degrees. I found that at that temperature range I can keep in the dehydrator for 108 hours, equaling to 4 days 12 hours. My car’s and trucks paint jobs comes out completely dry, and completely cured.

Awesome idea! Can I ask where you got the turn table you used to hold the car body?

Can masking tape survive the dehydration process?

Could you do the circle one if you cut out the middle of the circles?

Good evening, Rex. What is the maximum temperature for airbrushed acrylic paint on a model in a dehydrator? I just picked one up at a thrift store and it doesn’t have any controls. The temperature seems to be about 159F. I have not used it yet and don’t want to melt any parts.

I use dehydrator for beef jerky

Dude... is that you backlog in the background? Nice!

How would this work with acrylics and smaller models? What temp and time would you recommend? For example drying a war hammer 40K army?

Ok so I have been trying this out for about a month now. For some reason I’m not getting any different results then I would if I just let my pieces air dry. Except the paint seem to come detached from the plastic on the ones I put in the Dehydrator. I don’t know if the primer is melting or something. So I’m using acrylics and I used a few different primers ( Testers fine, army painters and the worst was Mission Models paints and primer. That stuff just flacked off primer and all like old lead paint. So I’m wondering what I might be doing wrong. When I spray I thin with water if I need to or Createx 4011 I think it is or Vallejo thinner. Then I let air dry like you said for 20 min sometimes a shorter time depending I’ll admit. Then into the Dehydrator. Now I have looked up other people using a dehydrator and there times a temps and I know on here you said the temp was about 120 or so but some say 140 150. So I tried all of them. All for 5 hours. And I get the same thing. Rather paint just falls off the model or it just ends up just like if I air dried it. Can you give me any ideas

I only use enamles for small details and touch ups over acrylics or laquors and usually those spots are handelabke within a few hours. Is their working dry time really that long?

You put it at 122 F.? I don't understand, at 135 F my plastic Dodge chalenger melted after few minutes. ????????? The one I used is included on my mini oven. I was surprise to see that, and we can even see two scale model rim with tires on the button.

Hi, could you let me know which gun you are using for printing that body?

So how do white enamels fare? Any yellowing?

I noticed the car body seemed warped. Was that from using the dehydrator or was it warped before? I’ve known people to use dehydrators but I don’t. Now seeing that the body was warped makes me more reluctant to purchase one.

Every one, hold on a moment............... Food dehydrators are great YES, BUT do not exceed 104 degrees Fahrenheit. If you intend to speed dry a plastic car over that 104 degrees you may end up with a sagging model. Did you ever try to dry a plastic model in your mothers stove at the lowest setting, good luck, and if she caught you !!!! The food dehydrator I have has no setting, plug and go, I tested it when I got home from the thrift store 104 degrees, good. Spent $8.00. It was the round kind with stacking rings, measures 11 inches in diameter and can get 2 car bodies inside. Got out the motor tool and hollowed the rings except the bottom. That dehydrator you have has variable heat, great for banana chips, so please be careful with your plastic, cheers.

buy the way where did you buy those craft knife handles ?

I had to convert to celsius. I was confused at the beginning because of that. I read on Amazon that this device goes from 35 to 75 celsius degree. Do you know if it can be dangerous for plastic at maximum values? I don't know at which temperature plastic starts to melt.

Does it spread the fumes though out the house or are they contained in the dihydrator?

what is the name of that stand? and where did you get it?

right after I'm done painting my cars I like to put them in large Tupperware bowls or totes to keep the dust out

would it also work if I used a hairdryer

Hi how you doing? Is this the six or 9 tray

Do modelers cure acrylic too or just enamels?

Are you still able to use that dehydrator for food or is that going to be toxic?

I have used the same but I have a better one made by Micro make the doctor Dry booth I have 2 the biggest one they make a the smaller one but if I paint Any enamel paint I use Mr. Colours levelling thinner and it will cut the time down super fast I only have to set my dry booth for 15 to 20 minutes and you can work with it I have never ever went over 20 minutes to get it to dry my dry booths are all Metal and aluminium the temp can go upto 113 degrees on top rack I use it every day.

Bro are those all for your hobby or do you run a shop?

Can I use this on food when I’m not using it on model kits?

Hi I paint fullsize football helments with base coat clear coat paint will this food dehydrator work thanks

If you leave some kits in to longer they will Warp I would never leave Plastic kits for more than a hour on the middle rack .i model full time it's has helped me out big time. I don't Recommend a food dehydrator at all I use them and they don't last long at all .save your money by a real dry booth Micro make the best one on the market all metal. And if you want better results for any enamel paint again use Mr. Colour levelling Thinner.

A better test would have been to have another spoon sprayed red sitting out of the dehydrator and show the difference side by side....great idea though

What airbrush paints do you use?

I believe at the beginning of this video you said that you were not happy with that Mustang model I am a big Ford person any chance of you sending me that model

So I tried this put it on 115 and left it in for 5 hours. Used Tamiya paints but yet it was still tacky when It was done. Can you tell me why that might have happened