I apologize if this has been covered before.
I use Tamiya and Mr. Surfacer primers. I don’t have enough room for a spray booth and opening the window with a fan blowing out is a pain due to furniture location.
That all being said, is there a good primer that does not use lacquer thinner so I don’t have to put up a fan and put up with the not so good for you fumes.
I am already changing over from Dullcote to a mix of Quick Shine mixed with Tamiya flat base and plan to continue using Tamiya Color acrylics.
Hi, Mark4mn -
I know quite a few folks are happy with Stynylrez primer from Badger. I have used it and had no issues, although my current supply has been sitting for a while and has separated, so I tried out Mr. Surfacer on my latest build. Depending on where you’re located, now is the time to order the Stynylrez if you can’t find it locally, as if it freezes, it’s ruined forever! Also, I’ve read about not using IPA to clean your plastic first (can cause fisheye, apparently) and not diluting (can cause other issues). Search the forums for “stynylrez” and you should find plenty about it!
I can’t really help you with selecting a new primer that doesn’t smell as bad. I’m kind of in the same boat as you with spraying and dealing with fumes. I tend to only spray in the Spring and Summer when I am able to open windows to let the fumes out. The only other thing I do is that after I spray, I leave my apartment for an hour or two and go for a walk or something else till the fumes go away.
Vallejo Surface Primer doesn’t smell. It is a polyurethane/acrylic based primer. I’ve airbrushed it in the past and don’t remember any smell so I also went and smelled the bottle to make sure. Try it out. Maybe it will work for you.
I am going to try the Badger Stynylrez. I like the idea of the colors.
I am not a fan of Vallejo paints and stayed with Tamiya.
We’ll see what happens.
Ive done scratch tests on kit plastic comparing Stynylrez with Mr Surfacer 1000 and the Stynylrez did very well. Also tape pull tests, both with the bare primer and with acrylic paint over the primer. All has been well.
One thing with Stynylrez, it cleans up easy from the airbrush as long as you don’t let it sit. It dries very quickly, so clean your brush right away after spraying. It’s a bear to clean once hardened.
Stynylrez can be surface sanded after about 30 minutes or so. It’s also a sanding, primer and sealer. Good stuff.
If it hasn’t separated, simple shaking will do before use, or stirring. If it separates, if it has sat long enough to settle out, I’ve only been successful in mixing back together using the Badger power mixer. I think they are around $14 US these days, $10 when I bought mine. I never could get it mixed all together by hand, once separated. And freezing destroys it.
I’ll get some and try it.
I also have to avoid fumes / smells. But primer is the one thing I insist on dealing with smells.
In my opinion lacquer primers stick to the subject better. I know there are acryllics that can stick, I just like that I KNOW my lacquer primers will bond and there will be no problems.
So I use Mr Surfacer products. Yes, they create fumes / smells, but they dry very quickly, and bond very well. Then I’ll use paints that are less toxic.
IDK, in my tests I conducted, Stynylrez stuck to kit plastic as well as Mr Surfacer 1000. Plus it’s sealer primer. Additionally on some other plastics, it stuck better than Mr Surfacer. The standard being full strength blue painters tape pull testing. I also conducted scratch tests.
Mr Surfacer is a good primer for models, no question. So is Stynylrez and it’s a natural to put acrylic paints down onto it, I mean it’s what it’s made for. Great bond there. As lacquer primers go, Mr Surfacer isn’t a real hot primer, quite mild really. I’ve used lacquers for decades and Stynylrez for 10 years or better. Never had a failure to bond due to the primer in either case. Now if shooting lacquer color coat, that’s another story, here I’d use the Mr Surfacer, which is why I buy it. Lacquer to lacquer is a no brainer.
Enamels I put down over either primer and it’s done well, both in tests and in use. But the nature of this thread is not that. The question was asked up front about what non stinky primers work best.
I got a pack of 3 each 2 oz Stynylrez primers.
Sprayed the gray right fromt the bottle at 20 psi using a Talon with .38 tip.
Sprayed very nicely!
Cleaned up with water and 91% IPA, way easier than the Tmiya primer.
Did a tape test after 1 hour. No issue seen.
I still need to spray the other two but I like what I see.
Thank you to all for the information and insite. It’s appreciated,
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