I’m relatively new to this hobby and as such, don’t have a lot of experience with building in multiple mediums. I’ve got Tamiya’s 1/35 JSU-152 on the way and glancing at the instructions over at Scalemates I noticed it has PE engine grills.
The instructions say to prime these with Tamiya’s Metal Primer, but I was wondering if this is really necessary?
Would it be sufficient to just give them a wash and a once-over wet sand with a mid-grit sandpaper before using just regular primer?
I use Vallejo’s Acrylic-Polyurethane primer, if that matters at all.
Hello!
That sanding might not be so easy, those grills can be quite fragile! I say painting PE isn’t such a big deal, it’s good to wash them with something to make sure grease and such is not there - I use lacquer thinner here. Then the Tamiya primer is great stuff, if you put a light coat on it dries very thin and doesn’t plug any details, has a great adhesion, too - I heartly recommend it.
Good luck with your build and have a nice day
Paweł
Just make sure whatever you prime it with is a metal primer.
Ditto to Pawel and Don, and I might add that I can assure you that the Vallejo primer will not adhere well to PE. It will peel off with the slightest of handling.
Degrease in a bath of lacquer thinner, then avoid touching the parts with your pizza-stained fingers. Handle the fret by the frame.
An overnight soak in a mild acid such as household vinegar will slightly etch the metal surface. Rinse and allow to air dry (rubbing with a towel may bend fine detail shapes).
The Tamiya spray primer is a good recommendation, although I have had success with well-thinned plain old ModelMaster in a color which complements/blends with the final color.
Use heavy spray primers intended for metal/Bondo auto body work with caution. They contain fillers which help blend surfaces when finish-sanded. However these primers may fill/clog scale detail parts
I just prime with a regular model primer, i use Alclad. I’ve never washed it and not had any issues.
Puh, Just to reinforce what you’ve already heard…Use a primer for metal. You will regret using anything else. Right now, it’s easy enough to spray outside, even. Spray sparingly, so you don’t obscure detail or have too much build-up on the parts. You just need a light coat. And make sure you degrease the parts before that. Etching with vinegar is a great precaution, too. Barrett
Be careful with household vinegar. Some of it contains solids. The term for pure vinegar is, I think, white vinegar. Make sure what you use is clear, little color, and no powder or solids, like tiny seeds.
BTW, I hate stainless steel PE. It does not etch well with vinegar or lye, is harder to cut, and does not fold very easily. I much prefer brass!