Hey everyone, I’m about ready to start my next build, and 1/350 Bismarck. I was looking for a cheap(er) alternative primer to the . I’ve done a little research, and Krylon Acrylic Primer for Plastic keeps showing up. I was wondering if anyone has had any experience if this, or any alternatives? I use primarily Master Model and Tamiya Acrylic paints. Thanks,
I have long used Krylon primer. I was introduced to it by the old newsgroup rec.models.scale (remember newsgroups and Usenet, guys?). It is an excellent primer- very full-bodied so fills in scratches and imperfections well. It also is quite agressive and has good adhesion.
Primers are a frequent thread in the Painting and Airbrushing Forum.
I definitely use it for my scratch-builds. I also use Rustoleum primer.
Don, is it comparable to Mr. Surfacer?
I’ve used Krylon Primer for a while now and have had no problems with it. I use it right from the spray can in light coats. If you go heavy handed with it, you take a chance of covering fine panel lines and small details. Any type of paint that I used went down great over top of it and had no poblems with the paint pulling up off the primer or the primer coming up. I’ve used Testors enamels and flats, Craft store acrylics, MM enamels, Tamiya, Pactra, Floquil, and others. Some were even very old Testors 15 cent bottles (I have quite a few of them left).
Jim [cptn]
Thanks for the information. 
Has anyone used it on photoetched parts? I have the mix for plastics, but am curious if I need the metal primer for the brass.
I don’t think it’s quite as good as Mr Surfacer or Tamiya primer but that’s partly because of the nozzle. As Jim said, light coats, I tend to be a little heavy handed with spray paint. I tend to use Tamiya or Mr Surfacer on detail work like figures and Kylon and Rustoleum on regular models.
I’d be more tempted to use a lighter primer on PE but it should work fine if you’re just careful to build up the paint slowly and don’t flood it on.
It is my regular primer for photo etch. It works fair. Both brass and stainless are hard to paint because they do not react very well to other chemicals- what makes them stay bright so long. However, that makes it hard to find a good primer. Krylon is not a bullet-proof primer for those metals, but is probably as good as most, and definitely better than some of the hobby shop “primers”. The metal must be cleaned thoroughly. Many PE sets do not get cleaned all that well before packaging and shipping. Some folks treat them with vinegar. I prefer a quick wash with soap and water, then a wipe with lacquer thinner before priming.
I have a can of their primer & found it covered well, but was a little grainy. (maybe due to the environment it was used in??) I actually prefer the Krylon Ultra-Flat camouflage paint. Dries quickly & I found it doesn’t have the texture that the primer has.
Available in Black, Khaki, Brown and Olive… If only they had white and pale gray as options… [bnghead]
I decant the Krylon primers. I primarily use the black one and sprays really good in my AB. I also use it on pe with great results. Talking about primers, MM acrylic primer has lifted when removing masking tape several times even with proper surface prep. so I do not use it any more.
Vance:
add “Sand” and “Woodland Light Green” to that list. Also I had seen a grey and a couple white options a short while ago but they’re not mentioned on Krylon’s website.
And … I agree. Great paint for priming and as finishes. The Olive is an almost perfect US Army Olive Drab. Close enough for me anyway.
LordAnkarin:
As for primers in general, I’ve had great results from Rustoleum Painters Touch flat finishes, Ace Hardware primers, and some generic “Now” brand primers (dirt cheap).
i use ACE HARDWARE NOW primer. half the price and works well. it does get a little grainy towards the end of the can and will leave a powder cover on the bench over time SO i spray in the garage and when a can gets less then half i tag it and use it for 1/35 armor and open a new one for a ship or plane. been using it for years.
I just use their regular auto primer .YES , it’s a little hot , but , if you spray from a decent distance , giving good smooth coverage it works fine . It then will take ANY cover coat you wish to throw at it .I have painted three ships with it and then flatcoated them , JOB DONE ! Tanker-builder
I find my local Walmart stores carry Krylon paints, including the primer and their super-nice Satin Black. It goes for half the price that Michaels craft store charges (where I used to get my Krylon primer).
Out of curiosity, does anyone know if the Krylon Sand is anywhere near the shade of sand used by the US military overseas?
I was planning to buy the re-issue Revell 1/25 SnapTite® Humvee … so I would have a modern vehicle to sit besides my 1/25th WWII armor builds.
With enough weathering… any “sand” will do…
…I suppose with enough rust, as well…[;)]
I visited a couple of local Wal Mart stores last weekend but their stock of Krylon spray paint was severely depleted…
Of course, the fact that WalMart customers like to use the spray paint to “decorate” the paint isle and all the paint stock contributes to fewer cans of spray paint available for sale.
Just reading the spray can labels is difficult because customers cover them with spray paint.
I do often find the selection low- the rack fairly well sold out. This may be an indication that they a re using one of those predictive inventory systems that ships stores resupply based on historical sales. If a product starts selling better in a local region, it takes a long time for the computers to recognize this and up the amount restocked. This is in contrast to just recording the amount sold and restocking based on that. But then, my Michaels store uses one of those historical sales things, and always far depletes their stock before they restock. So I find Krylon products often low at BOTH places. Got to stop buying so much!
I’ve used it on large models, 1/72 jets and larger