Hey guys and gals. I was looking at purchasing a can of Tamiya’s Surface Primer for some upcomming builds. I have an airbrush and plenty of paint (not too much in primer colors). What are some of the benifits to using the primer as opposed to just using what I have on hand?
I have heard and read that the primer really shows any flaws that need to fixed and is a good all around surface prep.
Just looking for anyone who has some experience with it. All input is appreciated.
Travis/STFD637
I am a fan of the Tamiya spray can primer. It is laquer based, so it will adhere to the plastic better giving you a better base to lay down your Tamiya acrylics on. It also does well to fill in shallow scratches (and does show you flaws you need to fix before laying down final paint.) I know others use simple spray cans from Wal Mart and similar places, but for me I find it wirth the extra few dollars for the Tamiya.
Brian
I have used Tamiya primer as well and it does a great job. Only 2 problems I have with it is the price and controlling the spray.
It seems to me that once I push the spray nozzle down that about 1/4 of the can is gone in one shot. I don’t know if its under a higher pressure or what but it shoots alot of primer out in a quick blast.
What i have found out is if you go to an Auto Parts Store and get some of their Auto Body primers. They do the same thing as the Tamiya Primer are very durable. Fill in minor scratches & will show defects, are wet and dry sandable, come in all kinds of colors, and you can contol the spray better with a movable nozzle for side or flat spray patterns and cost as much as the Tamiya but you get a bigger can. (standard size can).
Hope this helped
Paul
Primer is primer, so if you pay more for a certain primer your essentially just paying for the name on the can ex: Tamiya. Save youself some cash to buy more models and simply buy a regular can of primer. For example I use Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch Primer and have had no complaints(it can be sanded wet or dry and pretty much adheres to anything.) It’s pretty cheap(I buy it on sale and the can lasts awhile.)
Thanks for the input guys. This helps alot. The Tamiya stuff does cost $$$, mainly cause of the name on the can. I am not a name snob just want the best bang for the buck. I will look into the body shop and Rust-Oleum Primer. Thanks again.
Travis
I use black and grey primer that I buy at Wal-Mart for $0.99 in the BIG can. I used to use the Tamiya stuff, then did a side by side comparison and found no appreciable difference, so I go with what is cheapest…
I’m a fan of Tamiya’s Surface Primer also. I think it’s worth every penny. I usually decant the paint and use my airbrush to apply the primer to the model. This allows much more control and less overspray.
-Jesse
I also use Tamiya primer. For smaller projects I decant, for larger, right out of the can which really needs to be toned down some.
The reason I use Tamiya over car primers is the final finish on the dried product. The “fine” Tamiya primer yields a very smooth finish that has a matt sheen to it that requires no sanding for a great finish with anything other than BMF. For BMF I rub the surface with a piece of denim and have a nice shine that BMF loves.
I normally don’t prime for most projects, but when I do I use Tamiya.
I’ve got to be honest, I don’t see any significant difference between the finish on kits I primed with Tamiya primer and those I primed with my Wal-Mart stuff.
I think the ‘fine’ primer is a urban legend perpetuated within the modeling community so we feel obligated to pay the exorbinant price for Tamiya’s primer… of course, that would suggest I am a conspiracy theorist…[8-|]
My favorite used to be PlastiKote Touch Up primer that was sold in 1oz bottles. Thinned and shot through the AB it was very smooth and you could lay down light coats. It was only available in grey so I’d use their black and white aerosols if needed. A while back a fellow gave me a quart of grey DuPont acrylic lacquer primer and it’s definitely a little more coarse but easy to work with. I’ve tried several different store brands and others in aerosols and some work ok but some craze plastic and they all come out heavier than I can lay down with an airbrush. So if I use aerosols I decan it and shoot it through the brush. Just spoiled I guess…
I’d like to try Tamiya but no one around here sells it and for the price I just never got around to ordering any.
Tony
PS…I prime just about everything. Works for me.
just to clarify, the “fine” is referencing the particle size of the pigments and the finder the pigments the better suited the paint/primer will be for smaller projects. with having said that i only use tamiya or other model type primers if i am using the airbrush to apply it otherwise i tend to use auto primers, general primer from walmart, flat black paint or flat white paint to prime projects
I’m reviving this thread only because of the statement above. I’m getting ready to apply a lacquer based automotive type paint over Tamiya primer. If the primer is in fact lacquer based then I don’t have anything to worry about. I’m just making sure that I don’t have to worry. I guess I could always make a couple passes with the paint over some scrap pieces primed with Tamiya primer to see what happens.
Input on this anybody?
I have seen reference to Tamiya primer (and their other spray paints) being not really a lacquer, but a “Synthetic” lacquer. I have no idea what that is, or how it would react over a real lacquer. The best bet is to test on a piece of scrap, and let us know what the results are.
I’ll be doing that for sure and thanks for the reply. Curiosity is killing the cat though…know what I mean? lol
I had to jump in on this because primer ( and whether or not to do it) is a 50/50 debate. I always prime, it’s my decision I wouldn’t model any other way. That’s just me though. Primer allows for better adhesion of main colors to the model (too many times I have had spots start rub off during the course of a build and detail) and allows for spotting of errors that need fixing. All that aside I now exclusively use primers geared towards modeling and bearing names such as model master, tamiya, testors (regular, when model master is oos) and the like. The reason being is you never know the exact recipe that these other brands such as rustoleum and Walmart brand or Orchard Supply brand are using and how exactly they will react to your main colors. And I have had different results using different primers but the same main colors. And I have absolutely ruined a model that I spent a year working on because Tamiyas AS12 BMS did not like the Rustoleum flat clear (I use rustoleum flat and gloss clear because I don’t like the finished results I get from flat and gloss clear acrylics from tamiya and model master). It reacted violently to it and developed “wrinkles.” I found though that i could lay down Tamiya flat clear or model master flat clear in the cans on top of the AS12 with no reaction to them. That made me a firm believer in paying more for primers and paints that I know will work every time the way they should and the way i need them too. That’s just me tho folks I’m just saying what I prefer and what works for me. I’m not saying that this is the only way or anything. I know plenty of you do it differently and get results just as good or better than mine.
This is a years old zombie post btw.
It is, but I just came across it. Being years old makes it irrelevant? I’m the only member that has ever done this, resurrect an old post? It’s relevant to me and I’m sure some others as well. Or is it going extinct like our beloved hobby?
Relax!
Oh boy…
Look, it is a very old thread but zombie threads do pop up every now and then. I find them annoying but I ignore them altogether once I see the date of the post started.
As for the original poster who started the thread, he most likely already understands and had his question answered. No need to respond the way you reacted. Everyone is entitled to opinion. Relax…
No problems at all,they can be informative and for me it is interesting to recall the posts from members long gone but not forgotten.But it is funny when some one answers someone on a question asked years ago as if it was yesterday,but again im certainly not upset by it,just amused.