It has been a while since I made a post here at FSM,so bear with me here.
I just used Tamiya’s Surface Primer Gray(L) rattle can on a Tamiya Zero Fighter.I sprayed about 2-3 even coats,and followed the directions as advised.The only issue I have with this is,is it supposed to make the plastic rough?I mean,I know it’s a primer that is considered “hot”,but this made my model feel like sandpaper.Is it supposed to do this?I would love a reply back from you experienced fellow modelers.
Soaking sprues in lacquer thinner is not a good idea. Some thinners will melt away plastic if it’s left to soak. Light grade sand paper is advisable if you don’t have Purple Power, Simple Green, or other such paint strippers.
You can soak them in isopropyl alcohol too. It removes any model paint I have tried, along with removing Tamiya grey primer. I use a cheap electric toothbrush to help the paint removal process. As was already said, you definitely don’t want to soak them in lacquer thinner as it will melt the plastic. Isopropyl alcohol is totally safe on plastic.
Being primer you may be able to simply scuff it smooth with 1500 or 2000 grit soft touch mesh pads or even 000 steel wool, not to strip it but to smooth it… Then squirt a wet second coat on top. Sounds to me like you sprayed it on too dry but I’ve seen some pretty rough lacquer primer coats sand right out smooth quite easily… With 1500 you may wear through in a few areas, thats ok the next coat of primer will cover that. Sometimes this is common practice to level minor imperfections even if your first coat came out good.
Using the regular grey stuff here too and even when I was shooting it straight from the rattle can it dried smooth all but one time. I think the one time it didn’t was because I had forgotten to clear the nozzle on the previous spraying session.
TheModeler, have you tried holding the can upside-down and spraying to clear the nozzle?
Yup. You need to push all the way, move in a sweeping motion in one direction, and start the spray before the model…and don’t stop until after you have passed the end of the model. The start and stop on a spray can will always “spit” a little bit.
Having to strip the model and respray pretty well negates conservation of paint. There is a lot of waste with rattle cans and that’s pretty much how it is. Put it down wet, one or two coats and you’re done. That’s about as conservative as it gets. But you get a nice finish the first time. Rattle cans are quick,just keep it moving. I personally spray in both directions, you gat a rythym going and you learn to press and release closer and closer to the model in an automatic way so you blow less out into no where land. In 1/1 we learned to start the shoot with the gun angled and then turn it into the job cause you can’t do a pass the length of a car or truck. I don’t do it much different with models, the key is keep moving.
