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Primer; Do you use it and what do you use?
Topic Started: Sep 15 2016, 12:28 PM (1,073 Views)
dknights
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The court of LAST RESORT!
[ * ]
I've gotten to the point that I always prime before painting.

I use Mr. Surfacer. Mostly 1500 Black, but I've also used 1500 Gray and 1200 Gray, all out of the spraycan.

What do y'all do? Prime or no prime? What with?

30+ yes ago when I got back into modeling, no one ever primed before painting. My how things have changed.
David M. Knights
Fortes fortuna adiuvat

14 Finished: Special Armor V-2, Airfix P-51
15 Finished: SBS Gladiator engine
16 Finished: Brengun C2 Wasserfall, Merit SS-N-2 Styx, World's smallest diorama, Airfix Hurricane.
17 Finished: Japanese Carrier Deck, Belcher SS-4, Italeri AB41, PLAN Type 039A (not 72nd scale)
18 Finished: NONE
The bench:Platz T-33, Trump. T-34/85, Meng F-106, Airfix P-51 #2, Airfix P-40
Revell MiG-21F-13, Ace Citroen V-11
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datguy
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Beast
[ * ]
When using enamels (i.e. petroleum distillates like ModelMaster or Humbrol), on conventional styrene, I don't prime unless I need to address surface imperfections, like sanding scratches or large swaths of putty.

I always prime for acrylics and I always prime resin.

Alclad Microfiller primer is my #1 in both white and gray, though I use Tamiya (square bottle) white liquid surface primer on kits with fine engraved lines like those from, well, Tamiya...

I don't use rattle can primers much at all, as I lack the control I desire with those. Nearly everything goes through the airbrush. I do keep Tamiya white and gray rattle can primers in stock.

I am very interested to learn folks' experience with the newer generation of acrylic (water/alcohol thinned) primers and how well they stand up to handling and masking.

DG
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InchHigh
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It's a good day to build.
[ * ]
I use three;

Mr. Surfacer 1000 along seams, sometimes as a general primer. Can be thinned with lacquer thinners, and can be built up on seams which show minor flaws sometimes even enough to fill them.

Alclad grey.

Alclad black. Useful as a primer, a base for metallic paints, and as a pre-shade.
Jeff

Time spent modeling is not deducted from your lifespan.

I spent most of my money on beer and women. The rest of it I just wasted.
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dknights
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The court of LAST RESORT!
[ * ]
One reason I always prime now is it shows imperfections that I have missed, even on non-seam areas. I also like the tooth that a primer, especially a lacquer based primer like Mr. Surfacer, provides for the final paint scheme.
David M. Knights
Fortes fortuna adiuvat

14 Finished: Special Armor V-2, Airfix P-51
15 Finished: SBS Gladiator engine
16 Finished: Brengun C2 Wasserfall, Merit SS-N-2 Styx, World's smallest diorama, Airfix Hurricane.
17 Finished: Japanese Carrier Deck, Belcher SS-4, Italeri AB41, PLAN Type 039A (not 72nd scale)
18 Finished: NONE
The bench:Platz T-33, Trump. T-34/85, Meng F-106, Airfix P-51 #2, Airfix P-40
Revell MiG-21F-13, Ace Citroen V-11
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Greenshirt
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Tim Holland, Southern MD - USA
[ * ]
When I first started reading about painting models, in the late 70's (do I buy the mag or the kit with my limited allowance?), there was never a mention of either acrylics or priming. During the 80's I discovered Tamiya and Gunze acrylics, and realized they didn't stick to plastic very well, but were great colors and had water wash up.

Where am I headed? Solvent based enamels don't always need a primer. 35+ years ago they had solvents that provided plenty of "bite" into the plastic. I remember spraying a Navy jet with rattle can white and all the detail melted. As society got healthier and we modelers shifted more to acrylics, that "bite" is needed for the colors...therefore a need to prime the surface first.

I still don't prime if my first color coat is an enamel. Typically a silver, white, Sky or very light gray. Then if acrylics are next they have something to bite into. If first and subsequent colors are acrylic, I prime first.

My primer of choice is Tamiya rattle can. Expensive but very reliable. I've tried all the other suspects and keep going back to Tamiya rattle can primers.

Tim
Tim Holland

I'm a "green shirt" because I work on the carrier's flight deck and maintain US Navy aircraft. Safe sorties are my life so we can be anywhere, anytime -- from the Sea.

http://greenshirt-modeler.blogspot.com/
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Starfighter Decals
Hero
[ * ]
I use to use Automotive Primer for years, from the mid-80's until I discovered Tamiya Spray Primer. It is my go to for everything. I find airbrushing primer a waste of time, as there is no difference if finish. Actually, Tamiya White airbrushed was a worse finish than from the can. So I only use it for spot filling. I brush Mr Surfacer as it's either going to get sanded or removed using cotton buds soaked in thinner to fill the gaps. I have used it from a can, but it's hard to find.

I primer almost everything. There are times I know I'm safe not to. If I had to sand or fill anything on the kit, it gets primed.
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Chuck1945
Hero
[ * ]
I had a disastrous experience in the early 90s when I masked over Gunze Aqueous instead of Xtracolour or Floquil that I normally used. Never primed as such, just used the base color over any extensive filling or other modifications to a kit.

When I switched to acrylics in the mid-late 90s, I did start taking time to clean the model before painting but still do not use a primer per se.
Chuck
Eastern WA, USA
Finished 2018:
Eduard Spitfire IXc, VIII, Monogram/Starfighter BFC-2
On the active bench:
Eduard Bf 110C, Hasegawa B-24D, SH P-40E
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RexTN
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Accidental CAG
[ * ]
I've been a primer for a very long time.

I used to brush it on, then tried auto primer (and like above, melting a model).

I then switched to Testors hot rod primer, but never liked the color selection back then.

I tried the hardware store primer, but found that it came off in big sheets if I masked anything. (So, I guess I "discovered" a primer that didn't stick to plastic)

I still have some Alclad primer, it was the best that I tried during my Enamel paint days.

One of the big stumbling blocks of my forced switch to Aquous Acrylics was finding a primer that actually stayed on the model during sanding. I have absolutely no use for any primer that can't be sanded.

My go to in the house is the Stynylrez from Badger, now also sold as Ultimate Primer. I still have some of the Enamel/Lacquer primers around, if I feel like going outside to prime something.

I learned a long time ago that washing the parts, and the finished model, always avoided the "paint won't stick" problem. So, I am still a washer. (twice)

so, I am a Wash, build, wash, prime, sand, wash (or plastic prep wipedown), prime, paint, clear coat, decal, clear coat, guy now. I never skip a step.
yep, one of each USN squadron

http://hangardeckview.blogspot.com/
http://z15.invisionfree.com/Hangar_Deck_Re...dex.php?act=idx
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kingofmen
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Least
[ * ]
Using enamels, I don't typically prime unless I have reason to think that the model would benefit from having a prime coat to show up seam or construction issues. Basically the first color coat serves as the primer in most cases.
Kevin Callahan
Auburn WA USA
Visit the re-energized 72 Land blog at http://72land.blogspot.com/
All hail 1:72!
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dknights
Member Avatar
The court of LAST RESORT!
[ * ]
I'm loving these replies. Interesting to see the different methods used.
David M. Knights
Fortes fortuna adiuvat

14 Finished: Special Armor V-2, Airfix P-51
15 Finished: SBS Gladiator engine
16 Finished: Brengun C2 Wasserfall, Merit SS-N-2 Styx, World's smallest diorama, Airfix Hurricane.
17 Finished: Japanese Carrier Deck, Belcher SS-4, Italeri AB41, PLAN Type 039A (not 72nd scale)
18 Finished: NONE
The bench:Platz T-33, Trump. T-34/85, Meng F-106, Airfix P-51 #2, Airfix P-40
Revell MiG-21F-13, Ace Citroen V-11
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Mark Schynert
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Yeast
[ * ]
Tamiya rattle cans all the way. Mr. Surfacer 1000 & 500 are reserved for spot filling and sanding. Properly prepped (shaken vigorously and at reasonable temperature), Tamiya goes on without wasting a lot of paint, and control is the next thing to irrelevant to me, because it's *priming*--YMMV, that's what works for me.

Given I'm using Mr. Color for most finish painting, i only prime when I have concerns with opacity, am going with NMF,or building something that requires a lot of filling, bashing, etc. In other words, probably ¾ of the kits I build.
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ca-15
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Hero
[ * ]
Hi David,

I usually use Tamiya grey. Since finding messy seams after colour coats I decided it was less rework using primer. Tamiya is the most convenient. No need to setup and clean the airbrush and it's reliable and dries quickly with a fine coverage. I used to use Testors from the airbrush but had a bad experience with a bottle where it wouldn't dry.

I sometimes use Tamiya white for white painted planes. I tend to only use Mr Surfacer only when trying to reduce over deep panels or surface effects.

Cheers

Michael
Michael Louey
Melbourne Australia
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dixieflyer
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Hero
[ * ]
Like David, I'm learning a LOT here. In my very limited experience since coming back, I've used Mr Surfacer from a rattle can.

Warren
"History is the lie we all agree upon."
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Dave Fleming
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Beast
[ * ]
Tamiya Fine Surface or occasionally Humbrol

One distinction that often gets mixe dup is between primer, to prepare a surface for paint and provide a key for the top coats, and 'undercoat' which is to provide a uniform finish/shade for the top coat. I've found even enamels or lacquers often need an undercoat if the top coat is a particular shade, or the plastic a funny one.
IPMS UK Harrier SIG

http://harriersig.org.uk/
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Pyran
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Advanced Member
[ *  *  * ]
I use Mr. Surfacer sprays. Mr. Surfacer 500 on items that have had a lot of filler/sanding to identify and sand out blemishes or for models in larger scales. Mr. Surfacer 1000 for the first primer coat of most 1/72 models for the above reason and Mr. Surfacer 1200 for pure priming purposes. However, I would be hard pressed to be able to tell the difference between 1000 and 1200 and I'm sure I've used both as a final primer before.

Cost and availability tend to be the biggest drawbacks of Mr. Surfacer products but I've found sealmodel.com to be a very reasonable and reliable source (I have no affiliation with sealmodel). As a bonus, Gunze aqueous paints which are impossible to find in the states are only $1.50 each.
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