Personally I love acrylic paint. Much easier to work with than enamel. Easier to clean, etc. However, the paint doesn’t stick very well to any surface I use it on. I’m going to need to mask it very soon, but every time I try the tape peels some of the paint off. Is there something to do with the paint, or just get a lower tack masking tape? Thanks for any input.
You can spray House of Kolors Mid Clear Coat over it this is a real fine clear that you only need two coats and its less then half the thick of the paint on the build up. So then you can mask over that and paint also over it. This Clear is a Acrylic Urethane Lacquer and needs caution to use. But its one of the best ways of doing this.
You got spoiled by enamels that is what happened.
Acrylics do need a proper primer in order to stick well to most surfaces.
MM
Can you suggest a proper primer?
Thanks
Dick
realy any automotive primer. Go to Wally World and get a can of omega primer can its only $1.78 and will last a long time.
Primer suggestions:
Krylon, Holts, Tamiya, Gunze, etc.
Tamiya primer is the best I’ve used. It’s pigments are very fine made just for modelling. The first time I used it I couldn’t believe how it didn’t hide even the smallest details. The price is typical Tamiya however.
Dean
Thanks, guys. That helps.
Dick
The best primer in my opinion is Floquil.
Mike
I’ve used MM grey primer with good results, as well as Krylon… both worked fine!
Taimya primer works very well. However, if you clean the model prior to painting, and allow the paint a day or two to fully dry, you shouldn’t have much problem with it peeling off, as long as you’re using regular or the blue painters masking tape.
Ah ha. I KNEW I was missing something. Hey, at least I caught it before I got any major painting done! Thanks a lot, guys.
f-4 and Mike V.,
Do you thin the Tamiya or Floquil when using an AB? If so, what do you use to thin with and what’s a good mix ratio to start with?
Thanks!
chilimac
The Floquil primer is fairly thin already, but you could start with a mixture of around 3 parts paint to 1 part thinner and adjust it if necessary. I use mineral spirits to thin mine, some people use lacquer thinner but I think it dries too fast and leaves a grainy finish.
Mike
Thanks Mike!
The Tamiya primers are in rattle cans. You can decant it and airbrush it I suppose, but I never do. It goes on thin right from the can.
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The Tamiya primers are in rattle cans.
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I didn’t know they were in rattle cans. Thanks!
- cm
Okay (showing how little I know about primer), here’s another question- is there such thing as an “acrylic primer”, or will any kind of primer work? (I guess what I mean is there a difference between primers for acrylics and enamels?) I would like to pick up some cheap primer in a rattle can (for such a huge area I plan to use it with, airbrushing it would be an unnecisasry waste of time.), because money is already an issue with many other things.
Another reason: the nearest hobby shop is almost an hour away. If I could pick up some cheap primer (that would work) at Wal-Mart or Lowes or another comparable store, it would make things much easier indeed.
Once again, thanks. Keep an eye on the sig to see what model this question is for!
Mike,
Those cheaper rattle can primers may work just fine although I don’t know if the acrylic ones would be good or not.
I would buy an enamel one as it is “hotter” chemically spreaking and will adhere to the plastic better. The acrylic primers may or may not adhere really well but only trying them out will tell.
Mike
I agree with Mike, although I’ve never used an acrylic primer. The whole purpose for a primer is to provide a god base for your paint to adhere to. Acrylics in general do not adhere very well, and it just seems to me that using an acrylic primer would defeat the purpose.
Many experienced people use Krylon paints for primer. It is inexpensive and available at K-Mart, Walmart, etc. I’ve used it a few times and was never really thrilled with the results. I think the preferred way to use it is to decant it and spray it with an airbrush though, and I did not do it that way.