Priming - Is it worth the trouble?

Orange peel is the result of too much paint too fast. When doing cars a three coat process is used. The first one is lite to give the next coat something to bite into. The second is heavier and the third finishes it off. You only wait a short time between coats. I forget what the time period is. Humidity and temperature play a part too. If you are getting orange peel with a primer, it sounds like you are putting it on two thick.

Are you using a spray can or air brush? A spray can is easy to put too much paint on with. Do you have a vent system? My grandson spray painted a vehicle in his basement and picked up all kinds of particles on the finish.

Some modelers do not prime. If you are new to the hobby, spend some time on researching the basics. There are a ton of resouces on the net. The problem you talk about sounds like what happens when your finishing a model car and not just priming.

Hopefully others will make contact here.

Orange peel is the result of too much paint too fast. When doing cars a three coat process is used. The first one is lite to give the next coat something to bite into. The second is heavier and the third finishes it off. You only wait a short time between coats. I forget what the time period is. Humidity and temperature play a part too. If you are getting orange peel with a primer, it sounds like you are putting it on two thick.

Are you using a spray can or air brush? A spray can is easy to put too much paint on with. Do you have a vent system? My grandson spray painted a vehicle in his basement and picked up all kinds of particles on the finish.

Some modelers do not prime. If you are new to the hobby, spend some time on researching the basics. There are a ton of resouces on the net. The problem you talk about sounds like what happens when your finishing a model car and not just priming.

Hopefully others will make contact here.

I'm using the rattle can. It's Testors.

Try using Tamiya from the rattle can. Far superior.

--- Stephen

I've never been too excited about Testors Primer. It almost seems too thick. I used to use Pactra's Light Sea Grey but it went OOP as did their Hot Rod Primer. It might be better to try Modelmaster Engine Grey. I can't comment on Tamiya's as I've never seen it, let alone used it.

Bill Banaszak, MFE Sr.

Get some Bill; as long as the surface under it is smooth and no dirt etc gets in, it makes for a very nice finish. I've seen it look pretty darn good even before being rubbed out!

-- Stephen

Pity your not in the UK........ thats what halfords spray paints are for ..Oh yeah they are good on 1:1 scale cars too ! :-)

Regards SiG

nodnodnod I'm continually amazed at the smooth and thin coat that direct application from a Halford's rattle can gives. For some odd reason, other car primers don't give the same quality of finish.

Personally, I use Krylon Sandable Primer. Learned about it years ago in this group. Krylon has made some changes in their primer in the last few years, but I still like it. I find I need fewer color coats if I prime first. Also, if you use metallic colors prime is almost essential.

BTW, I disagree with some of the other posts about orange peel. I find orange peel the results of not a wet enough coat of a gloss paint.

That has been discussed here before. Shame they don't export.

Bill Banaszak, MFE Sr.

Priming-is it worth the trouble? Others have commented on the orange peel problem and it's possible causes so I will address the worth issue. I use a great deal of water base acrylics, and I have found that their adhesion on smooth plastic is not in a class with the older enamels like Pactra, Testor's and particularly the late and much lamented Flo-quil. I prime with a flat white or flat gray enamel depending on the final finish colors I will be using, I thin it with lacquer thinner. This gives a nice base coat for colors and the lacquer thinner gives the primer some "bite" into the plastic. The primer makes for a much better foundation for Poly-Scale, Tamiya, Gunze and even old Poly-S paints.

My 2cents worth. Bill Shuey

Priming is really important when using different materials such as injecton molded plastic, vacuform, resin, cast metal and etched metal on one model. Also helps a lot when different color plastic is used for one model (think Matchbox).

Good posts on primer types and dealng with orange peel surface.

Tom

William H. Shuey wrote:

Ok, just bought some. I'm going to try it out this weekend.

Man that Tamiya primer was expensive. $8.50 for a 180 ml (6 ounce) can.

Mad-Modeller wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@nextline.com:

,

I've always had very good results with the following: (takes some albow grease though)

1 fill and sand the body 2 spray with Duplicolour grey primer 3 sand primer surface with 1200 grit wet or dry paper and let dry (water) 4 spray colour from automotive type of paint (I use duplicolour) 5 Let dry thouroughly 6 Again sand very lightly with 1200 grit and let dry (water) 7 Spray with clear coat and let dry thoroughly 8 Sand again till all is very VERY smooth, but be carefull not to sand through the clear coat. 9 polish with 3M finesse-it

This will ensure A VERY SHINY surface.

HTH.

Dennis

Well be careful as Tamiya primer goes on very heavy. Try it on a scrap first.

In my post, I was referring to Tamiya rattle can *paint* that is remarkable. Gets a pretty damn good gloss without rubbing it out!

-- Stephen

I'm also no genius, particularly when it comes to painting. That said, the few I made a real attempt to do by the book, washing first, then primer, etc. look no better than the ones I just shake the old rattle can at. (i.e. mediocre) Well, I do have one fancy technique; I put the rattle can in a sink full of warm water first.