Author Topic: Best Primer for Plastic Mini's  (Read 3365 times)

Leftovernoodles

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Best Primer for Plastic Mini's
« on: 06 August 2016, 14:45:10 »
^ Title.

Metal is easy plastic seams to be much harder to get a uniform coat.

ColBosch

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Re: Best Primer for Plastic Mini's
« Reply #1 on: 06 August 2016, 15:23:40 »
I use the same Army Painter base coat sprays on everything.
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Pat Payne

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Re: Best Primer for Plastic Mini's
« Reply #2 on: 06 August 2016, 15:39:16 »
My go-to primer is artist's gesso. it's brush-on, but with a little work you'll get perfect or near-perfect coverage on your minis.

Weirdo

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Re: Best Primer for Plastic Mini's
« Reply #3 on: 06 August 2016, 15:49:14 »
Basic spray primer from Wal-Mart, Home Depot, and such. Works on just about everything, except maybe Reaper Bones stuff. I still use it on them anyway, I just give it a few days to cure more, then go ahead and give them a base coat on top of it and usually have no more issues.
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Crimson Dynamo

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Re: Best Primer for Plastic Mini's
« Reply #4 on: 06 August 2016, 16:05:23 »
As Bosch, I find Army Painter's offerings to be fantastic for almost anything.
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Vash The Stampede

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Re: Best Primer for Plastic Mini's
« Reply #5 on: 06 August 2016, 17:04:11 »
Testors spray enamel. Makes for a good cost to grab on to colors.
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Lorcan Nagle

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Re: Best Primer for Plastic Mini's
« Reply #6 on: 06 August 2016, 17:07:29 »
I either use Vallejo airbrush primers, or an acrylic car primer that's produced in the UK.
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Mech42ace

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Re: Best Primer for Plastic Mini's
« Reply #7 on: 06 August 2016, 17:13:02 »
I usually go with Testor's primer, it doesn't spray too thickly and covers well.
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pheonixstorm

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Re: Best Primer for Plastic Mini's
« Reply #8 on: 06 August 2016, 18:55:34 »
I like the Army Painter primer as well. Good color selection and haven't had any issues on my plastics minis. Even cleans up nicely with simple green unlike whatever I used 20 years ago...

Fear Factory

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Re: Best Primer for Plastic Mini's
« Reply #9 on: 06 August 2016, 23:06:02 »
I use testors.  All of it.

Eventually, I want to get an airbrush.  The problem with using the can is the smell.  You have to do it outside or in a room that jets all of the vapors outside.  It'll ruin your health.
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agen2

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Re: Best Primer for Plastic Mini's
« Reply #10 on: 07 August 2016, 00:17:18 »
I used GW or Tamya good for plastic and metal,this is what I can get here and they are expensive by the way but the primer is one of the most important step woth the money spent IMO.

Xiwo Xerase

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Re: Best Primer for Plastic Mini's
« Reply #11 on: 08 August 2016, 08:38:16 »
So far, the Reaper MSP brush-on primers (white and black) have worked well for me.  I had issues with the Vallejo Model Color grey primer but I believe I've figured out why and fixed it.  (My bottle had settled much, much more than I had expected so I needed to spend more time shaking it to mix it again.)

ColBosch

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Re: Best Primer for Plastic Mini's
« Reply #12 on: 08 August 2016, 11:10:07 »
I had issues with the Vallejo Model Color grey primer but I believe I've figured out why and fixed it.  (My bottle had settled much, much more than I had expected so I needed to spend more time shaking it to mix it again.)

Try stirring with a brush handle. I've saved many paints that way.
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Xiwo Xerase

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Re: Best Primer for Plastic Mini's
« Reply #13 on: 08 August 2016, 12:04:19 »
Try stirring with a brush handle. I've saved many paints that way.
I'll try that next time.  Thanks!

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Re: Best Primer for Plastic Mini's
« Reply #14 on: 08 August 2016, 13:31:00 »
So far, the Reaper MSP brush-on primers (white and black) have worked well for me.  I had issues with the Vallejo Model Color grey primer but I believe I've figured out why and fixed it.  (My bottle had settled much, much more than I had expected so I needed to spend more time shaking it to mix it again.)

I  had bad experience with grey Vallejo too.
I use black brush primer for the second coat after first with spray have been dried.

ogre

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Re: Best Primer for Plastic Mini's
« Reply #15 on: 08 August 2016, 14:40:56 »
I like the GW primer myself, but with plastic I make sure to wash the mini really well with some kind of cleaner to get the mold release stuff off. The new CAV pieces are plastic now, and after a good clean take primer just as well as metal.
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HullenLow

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Re: Best Primer for Plastic Mini's
« Reply #16 on: 11 August 2016, 10:01:07 »
Over the years I've used Testors, Krylon, GW and Army Painter with varying results. But I've been using Rustoleum 2x Ultra Primer for a while now and it is wonderful! You can find it at Homedepot and Ace Hardware in the States for around $4 a can and it goes a long way. I can't recommend it enough.

Reldn

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Re: Best Primer for Plastic Mini's
« Reply #17 on: 11 August 2016, 10:37:26 »
My go-to primer is artist's gesso. it's brush-on, but with a little work you'll get perfect or near-perfect coverage on your minis.

Gesso is now my go-to as well. For some reason, I seem to be cursed when it comes to spray primers, as no matter what I do they never turn out right. With the gesso I can just practically glob it on and still get smooth, perfect coverage.

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greasyspoon

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Re: Best Primer for Plastic Mini's
« Reply #18 on: 11 August 2016, 12:48:28 »
I have always used krylon primer with no problems with both plastic and metal.  My only problem is it is hard to find black primer, white and grey no problem.  Hobby lobby will have black some times, so I try to keep it in stock, but grey works pretty good in most cases.

ColBosch

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Re: Best Primer for Plastic Mini's
« Reply #19 on: 11 August 2016, 14:42:02 »
I can't buy regular spray paints in Chicago, so since I'm paying a premium to have them shipped in anyway, I'm sticking by Army Painter.
BattleTech is a huge house, it's not any one fan's or "type" of fans.  If you need to relieve yourself, use the bathroom not another BattleTech fan. - nckestrel
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RoundTop

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Re: Best Primer for Plastic Mini's
« Reply #20 on: 11 August 2016, 16:26:40 »
Tamiya fine or ultra fine primer is what I use.  Typically I use their Lt Grey, but they have dark grey, white, and black as well.
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worktroll

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Re: Best Primer for Plastic Mini's
« Reply #21 on: 11 August 2016, 17:02:15 »
Try stirring with a brush handle. I've saved many paints that way.

Once you've stirred it up, chop up some metal sprue into 1/4" or so sized pieces, and drop 4-5 in the paint. When you shake the paint next time, they'll help agitate and mix the colour back in with the solvent.

The main thing is, as with all minis, wash in warm soapy water & then rinse, to remove mould release agent. Some minis may need a scrub with a toothbrush.

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Ryumyo

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Re: Best Primer for Plastic Mini's
« Reply #22 on: 11 August 2016, 21:52:27 »
GW White mainly, GW Black as necessary. ( I don't really care for the goofy names they attach to the color as it can cause confusion. ) Wash plastic parts in hot, soapy water and let air-dry before priming - release agent and fingerprint oils don't allow primer to stick where present.

Daemion

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Re: Best Primer for Plastic Mini's
« Reply #23 on: 12 August 2016, 09:58:53 »
Is mold release agent the reason spray primer can look dusty when you apply it? I've always had that problem with spray primers, and is why I usually just paint on a layer or normal paint in the primer color I want.

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Re: Best Primer for Plastic Mini's
« Reply #24 on: 12 August 2016, 11:34:01 »
It can be... more it won't stick evenly.

Remember when spraying (Other than airbrush): Always start spraying away from the mini and release when you have passed over it. Never start/stop while pointing at the mini. If any chunks form and break away, this will be the time.

Also, multiple thin coats is always better.
Also, Try to do a coat in each direction so you get all the areas

And of course shake your can vigorously
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Weirdo

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Re: Best Primer for Plastic Mini's
« Reply #25 on: 12 August 2016, 13:05:57 »
And of course shake your can vigorously

Always...

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worktroll

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Re: Best Primer for Plastic Mini's
« Reply #26 on: 12 August 2016, 15:33:35 »
Is mold release agent the reason spray primer can look dusty when you apply it? I've always had that problem with spray primers, and is why I usually just paint on a layer or normal paint in the primer color I want.

Lack of shaking, and/or coldness. Those seem to be the main things. It's winter here, I keep the spraycan tucked under my arm for 20 minutes (while doing other painting) to warm it up before shaking.

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* No, FASA wasn't big on errata - ColBosch
* The Housebook series is from the 80's and is the foundation of Btech, the 80's heart wrapped in heavy metal that beats to this day - Sigma
* To sum it up: FASAnomics: By Cthulhu, for Cthulhu - Moonsword
* Because Battletech is a conspiracy by Habsburg & Bourbon pretenders - MadCapellan
* The Hellbringer is cool, either way. It's not cool because it's bad, it's cool because it's bad with balls - Nightsky
* It was a glorious time for people who felt that we didn't have enough Marauder variants - HABeas2, re "Empires Aflame"