# Baking paint on metal parts - is it worth it?



## jimtyp (Jan 2, 2008)

I have some metal parts that I've painted and was wondering if it would be worth the effort to put them in a toaster oven to bake the paint on? Anyone tried this? Would the paint give off toxic fumes at say 200 degrees, other than the ones that normally come off of paint?


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## rkapuaala (Jan 3, 2008)

Yes, it is worth it for a couple of reasons. 
The paint seems to form a better bond to the metal (my observation) 
The paint hardens as if it had been left to dry for 48 hours. 
I would be safe and do it in the garage or a well ventilated area. The amount of fumes and type of fumes is dependent on what type of paint you are using. 
I haven't smelled any myself, but then I do it in my well ventilated garage, so that might be why. 
One hour at 200 degrees seems to work for me. 
I've even had good results at 175 F for one hour.


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

I've rarely bothered, unless I'm painting a large item like a tender or some such. For detail parts and things of that nature, I've never noticed any difference. Heck, for that matter, I've never really noticed a difference on the others, either, but it's one of those "better safe" things. I just set the oven to its lowest setting and let the parts sit in there for an hour or two. I generally do that after the paint has cured outside of the oven for an hour or two, so not to have to worry about the fumes. In most cases, the metal that I've "baked" are on live steamers, so in a way, the paint gets baked on one way or the other. 

Later, 

K


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## GNSteamer (Jan 16, 2008)

Baking on a paint finish works best on Alkyd paints as well as lacquer based paints applied to metal parts that can take the heat of an oven. Otherwise you will have a pretty lump of plastic that was once a locomotive. I highly recommend getting a used oven as trying this in your home will fill the house with noxious and sometimes toxic paint fumes. Essentially the heat cooks off the paint's vehicle(carrier or thinner) of the pigment leaving a coat of paint behind. While the paint is in this state it is usually very soft until it is allowed to cool completely yielding a harder finish than if just allowed to air dry. The application of heat to the process is typically used in the powdercoating process, where a metal object is electrically charged and the color paint powder is oppositely charged drawing the powder to the object. The object is then placed into a large industrial oven where it's heated to 475 degrees, the powder melts and fuses together forming a hard durable paint shell when the part is completely cooled. 

I have a old oven that I use, check to see if the part to be painted can be hung from the top rack setting. I find that Scalecoat paints work well baked. Prime with a good etching primer. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and shut off when the temperature is reached. Paint the part assuring that the paint is even and sits flat. Hang painted part(s) in hot oven, close the door and resist any temptation to open the door until you let things cool usually in a few hours. If you do peek, you could stand a chance of touching something while the paint is still soft leaving fingerprints or marks.


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

I remember reading in the Gazette once about a guy who decided to bake his newly painted brass loco in a toaster oven. Much to his dismay, the loco had been assembled with a low-melting-point solder, and he ended up with a messy "kit" instead of a locomotive!


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## Paul Burch (Jan 2, 2008)

What about acrylic paints? Any plus to baking them?


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## rkapuaala (Jan 3, 2008)

I bake acrylic and the plus is the same for me. It hardens faster, and seems to bond to the metal better. I could be delusional about the bonding but the hardening time is a sure thing. 
Keep in mind that even though paint is dry, it is not really hard till it cures. Any paint acrylic or lacquer based. Baking it cures it so you don't have to wait the full 24, 48 or one week that is recommended.


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

My live steamers have all had regular spray paint, or the high temp spray paint. Both have done well. They get baked eventually!


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Years ago when I had brass HO models I use to bake the paint on these. It helped them quite a bit and really made for nice looking paint jobs. I have not dne any in G scale as most that I buy now are all plastic shells. Later RJD


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