Help! !@#$&? Primer

Dan the Man

Any suggestions of how to get the primer through my airbrush?

I like to prime my models before I paint. Here's the way I do it.

1) Got to Walmart, Lowes, etc and buy Krylon gray or white primer in a spray can (you get a lot and it's very cheap compared to Tamiya, Mr. Surfacer, etc)

2) Decant just enough to cover your model to a small glass or metal jar (I use an airbrush jar). One can will do a lot of models and it will keep better in the spray can.

3) Let it de-gas a couple hours (probably 1hr would do, I leave it overnight with the cap just resting on top)

4) Put it in your airbrush straight (no thinner) and paint.

How do you decant some paint from a spray can?  It's easy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oteliqdTvgw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2NjMD3AW2A

 So now you are done with the jar of paint and the jar is all nasty with dried and gummy Krylon primer.

Get some Super Clean or Purple Power at your local Walmart. Fill a glass jar about the size of a mayonnaise jar about half full. Drop the jar covered with paint into it and let it sit a couple days. Take the small jar out (wear rubber gloves, this stuff is nasty to your bare skin) and rinse in tap water. Rub off any stubborn bits with an old toothbrush.  It should look like new again.

Thanks for all your input.  I learned a lot from my first plastic welding and seam repair.

1) avoid use of tape fences with plastic welding solvents.

2) avoid use of  tape fences with stop a gap.

3) if you do use tape, remove it nearly immediately after application of whatever..

4) work only a small portion of a seam at a time when welding .  Don't try the whole seam at once - 1/2-3/4 inch at a time.

5) do not allow stop gap to dry for too long before sanding, or it can cause a lot of extra work. 

6) do not use putty unless there is a very obvious blemish, ridge, valley or dent.  Most seams can vanish with the use of stop a gap.

7) Do not brush on welding agents; use a fine tip applicator

8) you have to experiment, be patient and not get frustrated when you are teaching yourself something new.  We are only human, perfection should not be our standard the first time out.

Thanks again for all your input.

Aztec...that's where it all starts to decline.

Perfect Seams

Use lacquer thinner with Tamiya's Primer.

I would spray the entire model with primer not just the seam repair area.

I would suggest using CA gap filling glue the next time you need to repair a seam.  It's very easy to use, quick and flawless once cured.

Lastly, you cn brush paint some enamel silver paint over the seam to verify it's smooth.  The silver paint will show any imperfections.  Remove the silver paint with thinner or Testors Paint and Decal Remover.  That stuff won't harm the plastic at all.

-Jesse

Bronto

Tamiya surface primer is a lacquer, and will not thin with alcohol.  Use lacquer thinner for thinning. 

It is a lacquer, but it can be thinned with ethyl (denatured) alcohol. It cannot be thinned with Isopropyl alcohol though.

It can be airbrushed when thinned with denatured alcohol or Tamiya's own lacquer thinner. I've done it without any issues.

the only thing i can offer is how i use the tamiya primer.  i put some tape on eaither side of the spot you want to put the primer. put the primer on with a brush and take another brush dipped in tamiya laq thinner to smooth it ouit .then sand with a higher grit paper i was told by a tamiya rep the primer is not meant to be used with a airbrush hope this helps some

I see 2 problems here.  First, Tamiya surface primer is a lacquer, and will not thin with alcohol.  Use lacquer thinner for thinning.  Second, 30 PSI is way way too high a pressure to be spraying.  Lower the pressure to about 15 PSI.