Quick question for painters or crafters:

[Baitball Blogger]

How long do I absolutely have to wait for paint to dry on a craft project before I add a spray sealer? I hate to think I have to wait a day when I have some time on my hands to finish a project.

[Phoenix61]

1. So many things effect drying time, temp, humidity especially.

What type of paint? Acrylic dries faster than latex. Either, I always wait 24 hours. It defeats the purpose if the undercoat isn’t dry.

[Baitball Blogger]

5. Okay, so here's the 60 thousand dollar question:

Will the heat from a hair dryer speed up the process?

Other answers below in the next post:

Thank you for any info you can provide.

[LunaSea]

2. There's drying time and curing time.

What type of paint?
What type surface?
Indoor or outdoor object?
Giving it an extra day to cure will insure better longevity but it may not need it pending its use.

[Baitball Blogger]

3. Here's the info:

Behr outdoor paint.
Ceramic, unglossed.
Outdoor -- it's a garden pot.

Can a hair dryer on hot high speed, shorten the drying time?

[LunaSea]

9. Porus outdoor object.

Paint will last longer if you give it 12-24 hours before sealing.
Hair dryer will accelerate drying but it will dry unevenly.
The ceramic pot will retain moisture MUCH longer than you think, and trapped moisture
will shorten the life of the paint.
Sitting in the sun might be better.

[Baitball Blogger]

12. Okay, thank you!

I should know better. I like to put my clay pots in the sun before I seal them. Which is just a preliminary step before I paint them.

[IcyPeas]

4. the finish could "crackle" (shrink) if you seal it too soon

I once did this accidentally, but now I like the way it looks.

also I use water based paint and water based varnish, not a spray sealer.

[Baitball Blogger]

6. Hmm.. If that is a dependable way to crackle paint, that's a great tip!

[IcyPeas]

10. ha ha but it's not dependable

if you want dependable you have to get crackle paint finish. then you have 2 choices: the 2 step process where you have an undercoat (this is what will show in the cracks) and the top coat which will crack. Or there's "one step crackle" which is a top coat that cracks as it dries and then if you want you can add a wash of black or gold or any color you want that will fill in the cracks to give it an antique-ish finish. 2 of my projects that I used crackle on:

[Baitball Blogger]

11. Wow! That's fantastic!

You're out of my league.

[Phoenix61]

7. Since it's latex I'd give it 24 hours. nt

[Baitball Blogger]

8. Thank you.

I'll wait.

[mopinko]

13. i would say if they have the same solvent, you can get away w it.

otherwise, wait.