I was working on my new photo etch set and i was wondering how you paint them. Do you use a primer or what?
Thanks
I didn’t and it turned out fine. It was recommended to clean it with a little lacquer thinner from another member.
“It is well that war is so terribe, lest we grow too fond of it.”-R.E.Lee
I guess it’s a matter of personal preference. I primer all my builds, no matter if they have PE parts or not. It gives me a good idea of any corrections I need to make before the final coats get sprayed.
On smaller parts, if you are going to seal the kit after painting but before weathering, primer isn’t really required unless you will be handling the kit a lot in between (taping up camo outlines, etc).
Larger panels like mud guards, gun shields, etc, can benefit from primer, but it is not essential if you are top coating.
If you are just going to paint then weather without a top coat, handling can cause the paint to chip off etch, particularly if you bend a part[xx(]. Choice is yours.
I also primer everything. I didn’t always; I still have a few kits built many years ago, like about 20 or so years and the metal foil I used for screens and other small items have developed a corrosion like a white powder on the edges. So if you’re planning to keep them a long time, Primer!
Just to give the paint a chance to ‘bite’ everywhere with the same chances, I always use a primer. Most of my kits end up with copper wire, brass bits, mesh screens, lead foil, whitemetal and resin accessories… on top oif the plastic parts and I’ve found out that the primer really helps. Without it, the camouflage paints often flake away from the metal and resin bits, showing off various, often inaccurate shades of metal, as well as shiny resin patches…
I use an automotive acrylic primer (well, several: there’s a red oxyde, a grey, a white and a black) that dries really fast, allowing me to start working again real fast.
I always use an enamel primer, usually gray and let the paint set for at least 2 days. Yes, there is a reason for this…
I also dabble in HOn3 scale model RR. I was building a run of 6 cars at one time when, for one reason or another, I was only able to prime 3 of the cars with enamel primer. When I got around to painting the next time, I decided not to prime the other 3, but to just start with the acrylic colors. After about 3 coats of different colors (to simulate wood) I used some watercolor paint mask with the final boxcar red coat to simulate paint chips. When I went to remove the mask, I realized that I had some big problems. The masking took all the layers of paint off of the cars that were painted in only acrylics. The primed cars had no problems with the paint coming off. However, the mask would not come out of the small nooks and crannies, and ruined all 6 cars!!! I even had to cut the mask off of some parts!! (I was at least a little upset)[banghead]
The moral of the story here? I have found that using an enamel primer allows that first coat to “bite” into the plastic and makes for a much more durable paintjob. Oh, and always test a new technique on scrap.[:D][:D][:D]
Hope my misfortune has been of some use to someone,
edog
That’s a good point. I prime sometimes (when I’ve done a lot of texturing or scratch building) but not always. Priming does show you, in a nice neutral color, how your work is progressing and flaws really do stick out when you do so.
Ron