To Prime and which to Prime? Help

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Cherrytree270
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To Prime and which to Prime? Help

Post by Cherrytree270 »

Good morning everyone,
I'm currently working on a Heinkel 111
and I have asked my friend in town to pick me up some Spray primer for the main body,
I was given a call asking which one, there is just so much choice and I do not have a clue.
The plastic of the model is blue/grey and I am wanting to use the primer to create a smooth base and let the colours stand out.
I have looked at the FAQ on this forum but have been left even more bewildered (I'm a bit of a newbie I'm afraid to say.
Can anybody translate my options or has anybody had personal experience with a primer they have used in a similar situation and has worked?

Many Thanks,
Kathleen
"Winging it" since 1994 ;-)
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fredk
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Re: To Prime and which to Prime? Help

Post by fredk »

Any primer from a model shop will do your job. Its just a matter of which manufacturer you prefer.
Most model paint makers make a jar or tin of primer to use in an airbrush and many make it in a spray can as well.
The Tamiya spray primer has a high reputation. If its available go for it.


Keep away from primers from car accessory shops, eg Halfords, until you know more.
These places sell three types of primer; one is cellulose based and will turn your model into a molten blob.
Another is acrylic but with a cellulose carrier, it'll do serious damage to your model.
The third type is a 'plastic' primer which generally works fine on models, but versions of this use cellulose as the carrier for the pigment.
So until you know which is which keep away from them.
Al speling misteaks aer all mi own werk..
Its not just how good your painting is, its how good the touch-ups are too.
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VickersVandal
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Re: To Prime and which to Prime? Help

Post by VickersVandal »

For my 2c, Tamiya (as mentioned above) white primer:
https://www.tamiyausa.com/items/paints- ... hite-87044;

I brush paint my models but always spray on an undercoat of primer and Tamiya is excellent for getting a decent finish with a brush. I'm going to take a punt that you would be brush painting too, given the nature of the question you're asking.
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JohnRatzenberger
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Re: To Prime and which to Prime? Help

Post by JohnRatzenberger »

Yes, for my money the two rattle-can Tamiya primers mentioned above, Fine White (87044) or Fine Light Gray (87064), are great. They cover real well, dry quickly, and do not ruin underlying detail. A quick bit of practice just to get used to them and you'll find it's hard to ruin the model by overspraying, etc. I really like the Fine White because it means half a Coastal Command aircraft is then already painted :grin:

About the only other I might use are the Vallejo Surface Primers (73.6xx) which are similar (colors) to real-vehicle undercoats/primers -- these are mostly for military vehicles, although they do have black, white, etc. These are airbrushed and I only use them if my project is to be painted (brush or air) in their acrylic paint line.
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Cherrytree270
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Re: To Prime and which to Prime? Help

Post by Cherrytree270 »

Hey Guys
I got too excited and my friend picked up this one in the end, Do you think it would be alright, is there any way to test it?
It's my bad for being impatient, I will keep Tamiya in mind as it is so highly recommended.
Thank you for the help
Image
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iggie
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Re: To Prime and which to Prime? Help

Post by iggie »

I've not used it myself but it's made for modelling so I can't see it being a problem on plastic....

It'll be interesting to see how you get on with it; full review required!
Best wishes

Jim
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JohnRatzenberger
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Re: To Prime and which to Prime? Help

Post by JohnRatzenberger »

That's probably good enough. It's always best to test on styrene. After a bit, you'll have a couple failure kits that you can use for spray testing and such ....

One thing, if you put on too much, the surface may feel dusty. Wipe it down with a very fine sanding paper or stick - you want your primer to be really smooth.
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Cherrytree270
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Re: To Prime and which to Prime? Help

Post by Cherrytree270 »

jRatz wrote:That's probably good enough. It's always best to test on styrene. After a bit, you'll have a couple failure kits that you can use for spray testing and such ....

One thing, if you put on too much, the surface may feel dusty. Wipe it down with a very fine sanding paper or stick - you want your primer to be really smooth.
I never though of doing either of those things, I'm so glad you mentioned it.
I am looking to prime her when I get a moment in the next few days.
I will be sure to write a full review.

Thank you everyone, I will keep you updated and post a pic once she is primed. ;-)
"Winging it" since 1994 ;-)
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fredk
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Re: To Prime and which to Prime? Help

Post by fredk »

A rub down with a piece of denim cloth is sometimes enough to smooth the primer surface.
Al speling misteaks aer all mi own werk..
Its not just how good your painting is, its how good the touch-ups are too.
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