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Returning to hobby and question about primer

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  • Member since
    December 2011
Posted by Chrisk-k on Monday, May 4, 2015 11:32 PM

Vallejo Model Air/Color and primer, even when thinned with Vallejo thinner, very often cause airbrush tip dry or clogging. I even added a flow enhancer and a retarder to no avail.

In contrast, I have never had such a problem with my other paints (Tamiya acrylics, AK primers, MM enamels).

Iwata HP-CS | Iwata HP-CR | Iwata HP-M2 | H&S Evolution | Iwata Smart Jet + Sparmax Tank

  • Member since
    April 2015
Posted by Mopar Madness on Monday, May 4, 2015 11:10 PM

I remember the Black Sheep Squadron fondly.  Sitting in front of the TV with my crudely built 1/32 Revell Corsair!  Great times.  Welcome aboard.

Chad

God, Family, Models...

At the plate: 1/48 Airfix Bf109 & 1/35 Tamiya Famo

On deck: Who knows!

  • Member since
    November 2008
  • From: Central Florida
Posted by plasticjunkie on Monday, May 4, 2015 8:57 PM

Shooter

I have a few Vallejo Model Color acrylics  I bought to brush on figures. You can air brush them but they need to be heavily thinned to cycle thru the AB. I have diluted it with Testors Universal Acrylic Thinner and added some flow improver and it sprays for a while till you start getting tip dry. They do brush on rather well.

That's why I like enamels. I can dial down the psi to 5-7 lbs. and spray hair thin lines for hours without any tip dry or clogging issues. I can't do that with acrylics.

 GIFMaker.org_jy_Ayj_O

 

 

Too many models to build, not enough time in a lifetime!!

  • Member since
    January 2013
Posted by BlackSheepTwoOneFour on Monday, May 4, 2015 8:54 PM

Vallejo Color are great for brush painting but they can be airbrushed as well if you use their own thinner. However, I've heard Vallejo Model Air is better for airbrushing.

  • Member since
    October 2006
  • From: Tucson, AZ
Posted by Archangel Shooter on Monday, May 4, 2015 8:31 PM

Chrisk-k

Vallejo acrylics are the best, although they are not great for airbrushing.

 

Oh Fudge! I just bought 1/2 dozen bottles of Vallejo paints during their Spring sale....Bang Head. But I will check it out and see how they work on 1/6th GK kits.

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 On the bench: So many hanger queens.

 

 

  • Member since
    November 2008
  • From: Central Florida
Posted by plasticjunkie on Monday, May 4, 2015 4:52 PM

Welcome to the hobby and forums. I'm one that don't care for acrylics because I find they don't perform the same in my airbrush as enamels do. I find that the small Testor bottled enamel paint is pretty good for brushing, except yellow and white which are troublesome to get smooth even coats when hand brushing.

A solvent primer coat will give acrylics tooth and will apply much better and will prevent lifting when masking. The exception is Tamiya which does not brush on well but does spray reasonably well thru the air brush and bites the plastic without the need for a primer.

I highly recommend getting an inexpensive airbrush and compressor set up. You can usually find a small pancake compressor and moisture trap for around $50 or less at Harbor Freight. Badger and Paasche air brushes are not that expensive and will last you a lifetime. One of my Badgers is well over 40 years old and still works great.

 GIFMaker.org_jy_Ayj_O

 

 

Too many models to build, not enough time in a lifetime!!

  • Member since
    September 2003
  • From: AandF in the Badger State
Posted by checkmateking02 on Monday, May 4, 2015 4:16 PM

Welcome to the FSM forum!

 

 

 

 

  • Member since
    September 2012
Posted by GMorrison on Monday, May 4, 2015 3:55 PM

You can use a lot of stuff to prime. Try using the light gray you painted the bottom of the B-17 with.

 Modeling is an excuse to buy books.

 

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England
Posted by Bish on Monday, May 4, 2015 3:52 PM

Chris, I think you might be right there in Acrylics drying so fast. I have found this is a problem when trying to dry brush with Acrylics. I have found thinning Acrylics does help with both painting and dry brushing.

I am a Norfolk man and i glory in being so

 

On the bench: Airfix 1/72nd Harrier GR.3/Fujimi 1/72nd Ju 87D-3

  • Member since
    January 2006
  • From: NW Washington
Posted by dirkpitt77 on Monday, May 4, 2015 3:48 PM

Welcome back to modeling and the forums!

I have brush painted with Model Master's Acryl line before, which are acrylics. I don't do it often. I have found, like Bish says, that the brush removes as much as it lays on, often in a single stroke. My own belief as to why this is so is because I believe the acrylic dries too fast and gets sticky. My own solution has been to either brush quickly, or add a thinner that has a little retarder in it. Often the brand-name thinners will have this, and I've found it can help. I will try to keep it as wet as possible while brushing, and after it dries, lay down a coat of Future or similar clear coat. It often takes me 2, 3, or 4 coats to get a good brushed paint job. That's why I don't do it often, having graduated to an airbrush. But, you go to war with what you have, right? ;)

Chris

    "Some say the alien didn't die in the crash.  It survived and drank whiskey and played poker with the locals 'til the Texas Rangers caught wind of it and shot it dead."

fox
  • Member since
    January 2007
  • From: Narvon, Pa.
Posted by fox on Monday, May 4, 2015 2:39 PM

My 2 cents.  I use Dupli-Color Sandable Primer.  If you put it on in thin coats, it does a great job.  I follow that with Vallejo Model Air Acrylics through an Iwata Airbrush.  The acrylics come out flat, but, if you need a glossy finish, a couple of coats of Future, straight from the bottle, applied in thin coats will give you as glossy a finish as you need.  Hope that this helps.

Jim Captain

 Main WIP: 

   On the Bench: Artesania Latina  (aka) Artists in the Latrine 1/75 Bluenose II

I keep hitting "escape", but I'm still here.

  • Member since
    December 2011
Posted by Chrisk-k on Monday, May 4, 2015 1:50 PM

I almost always use Tamiya or AK primers and airbrush Tamiya acrylics. For hand-brushing, Vallejo acrylics are the best, although they are not great for airbrushing.  

You might be tempted to buy a cheap airbrush-and-compressor combo. In the end, you'll be better off buying a high quality AB and a good compressor.  

Iwata HP-CS | Iwata HP-CR | Iwata HP-M2 | H&S Evolution | Iwata Smart Jet + Sparmax Tank

  • Member since
    January 2013
Posted by BlackSheepTwoOneFour on Monday, May 4, 2015 1:17 PM

I use Rustoleum Primer for it goes on nice after a couple light coats.

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England
Posted by Bish on Monday, May 4, 2015 1:09 PM

Welcome aboard. Afraid I can't help you out much as I use an airbrush. But Acrylics, Tamiya especially, are not easy to paint by brush. As the brush passers over, it seems to remove as much as it adds. I am not sure if a primer will help with this. Try asking in the painti9n and airbrushing section.

cs.finescale.com/.../18.aspx

You might have more chance of getting a response in there, hopefully one of the guys who brush paint a lot will be of help.

I am a Norfolk man and i glory in being so

 

On the bench: Airfix 1/72nd Harrier GR.3/Fujimi 1/72nd Ju 87D-3

  • Member since
    July 2014
Posted by modelcrazy on Monday, May 4, 2015 12:43 PM

Welcome to the forums.

I pretty much use the Tamiya, when needed. I don't always use primer myself. Sometimes I pay for that decision though.

Sorry I couldn't be of any more help.

Steve

Steve

Building a kit from your stash is like cutting a head off a Hydra, two more take it's place.

 

 

http://www.spamodeler.com/forum/

  • Member since
    May 2015
Returning to hobby and question about primer
Posted by principaldrew on Friday, May 1, 2015 4:26 PM

Hello,

I have recently come back to this hobby that I loved when I was a kid!  I built a B-17 about 10 years ago and did not build anything after that as I started working on my Master's and adopting kids.  An older gentleman I work with happened to mention that he likes to build model airplanes and armor and invited me to see his collection.  Well, that hooked me back into the hobby!   I really like World War 2 aircraft and my favorite as a kid was the Corsair (Black Sheep Squadron was a weekly TV ritual!).  I went to the local hobby shop and bought the Revell 1/48 Corsair.  It turned out pretty nice but with some obvious (silly) mistakes!!  I am now working on an old Monogram P-47 kit that my buddy gave me.

I do have a question if you would like to respond.  As I don't have an airbrush (yet), I am pretty good with a spray can and use those for the overall color.  I like to brush paint small parts like propellers, wheels, cockpits, etc. using acrylic paints as they are easy to clean and have no odor.  However, they seem a little "tricky" to get good coverage.  My question is should I use a primer to make the acrylics cover better?  There seems to be some debate about this on forums that I have viewed.  Can someone who brush paints with acrylics tell me what they do?  The Tamiya primer is pretty expensive and I am curious about the Krylon plastic primer out now.  Thanks and happy modellling!

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