Tamiya Surface Primer?

Tools, Techniques, and Reference Materials Painting and airbrushing
1

To my fellow forum members,

I recently purchased a bottle of Tamiya Liquid Primer not knowing that the base is lacquer. My questions are;

  1. Can I use enamel thinner to thin this primer for use in a airbrush?

  2. Is it safe to use this in a airbrush?

  3. Once this primer cures, can I airbrush enamel flat paints over a lacquer base product?

The 99% of my inventory in regards to paints is either Testors and or Testors Model Master paints. The 1% that’s left is this Tamiya primer. Thank you in advance.

Toshi

2

3
  1. Can I use enamel thinner to thin this primer for use in a airbrush?

→ You need to use lacquer thinner.

  1. Is it safe to use this in a airbrush?

→ The AB will be safe. For your own safety. wear a respirator and get a spray booth.

  1. Once this primer cures, can I airbrush enamel flat paints over a lacquer base product?

→ Yes.

4

To Chrisk-k

Thank you for the information, I will continue the process. This helps me very much!

5

You can clean it up, even after curing, with denatured alcohol (not Isopropyl). At a pinch, you can also thin it with denatured alcohol.

6

To Phil_H,

Thank you for the information, I’m learning something new every day. Thanks for the read and reply.

7

I thin the Tamiya primer with their own lacquer thinner.

www.ebay.com/…/161123717731

Tamiya lacquer thinner is VERY mild and doesn’t damage the model surface. For me, one bottle lasts for years.

I use hardware store lacquer thinner or denatured alcohol to clean my airbrush after shooting Tamiya primer.

8

Off topic but related to Tamiya, is that close to Mr Surfacer 500 or 1000???

9

In terms of grain, it’s closer to Mr Surfacer 1000.

10

I didn’t know Tamiya primer can be thinned/cleaned with denatured alcohol.

Thanks Phil for the great tip -o-the-day. [t$t]