Model Master Primer question

MM primer,

acrylic,enamel or lacquer ?...

They supply all three types

Stymye,

Thanks for getting back. Should have mentioned it's the enamel primer (gray color) and says thinner to use is 1789 or 1799. Still was 'tacky' this afternoon so I removed it with the thinner but don't know what to use now since it's the only primer I have.

Bob

This is actually quite common with enamels , they can be notoriously slow to cure.

this is greatly compounded by applying too much  in one session.

light coats help , but still enamels are typically the slowest to cure of any paint type.

the upside is they spray and flow so nice, many people still love them regardless of curing time.

Sorry for your troubles.  I'm sure that it is frustrating.  I've used MM Grey Enamel Primer mixing with MM Thinner with great success.  With that said, I've had other MM enamels take a long time to lose its tack/cure (more than a few days).  I've found that when that happens it is because I was too aggressive with my coats of paint, building up the paint too fast.  Per stymye's thread, thin, light coats are the best way to apply enamels.  Done right, it will be dry to the touch after 10-15 minutes, allowing another coat to be applied.  I only apply a couple of coats within a session before letting that coat cure.

Bob

Thanks all,

Perhaps I was too heavy handed with the primer - I'll give it another try today and use very light coats. I recently painted a Monogram P40B with MM enamels and didn't have this problem though so thought there may be something wrong with the primer. I'll have another go at it today!

Bob

Also, try to get the model into a dry, warmish area for a day or so - like a box with a 70 watt light bulb or toaster oven at lowest setting ( about 150* f).  Try to keep it between 90 & 120 if you can - you want it warm, but not so hot it melts plastic..  Baking helps gas off the VOC's in the paint.  Try to get some dessicant too, if you live in a high humidity area.

Reid

The most common reason I have found for enamels to be very slow in drying and curing is that they are not stirred enough. A quick shaking of the container often is not enough to get all the stuff properly mixed. A good thourough stirring will fix that.

Hi all,

Thanks so much for all the input. I found the problem - I guess it was me!! Yesterday I took the advice given here and then airbrushed two thin coats of MM Primer, waiting ten minutes between coats (didn't wait that long earlier) - primer felt only slightly 'tacky' between coats. Set it aside under a desk lamp and an hour later it was only very slightly tacky. 12 hours later (didn't check on it very often) it is DRY !! I guess I was spraying more than I thought.  Primer and thinner are fine - it's just me. Thanks again

I just got done priming my Revelle P61 with MM gray primer I thinned mine with mineral sprites dried real fast and smooth.            ACESES5

Hi Aceses5,

Thanks for that bit of info. I've used mineral spirits with MM enamels with no problem but since I'd never used their Primer decided to use their thinner. I'll give mineral spirits a go - much less expensive than the MM thinner and I still have the whole fuse and wing to prime.

Bob

Glad to hear you got it sorted out. Of all the primers I've tried, MM enamel is still probably my favorite, followed by Gunze Mr Surfacer 1200. I always seem to get perfect coverage from it (and I thin MM with the enamel thinner in the red tin bottle)

Hi all - sorry if this is slightly off-topic (and apologies to Bick), but can anyone recommend a good acrylic primer? (Newbie query! I'm still working out how to (a) airtbrush and (b) navigate this website ...)

Cheers,

Matt.

Matt,

No apologies needed - I'll be interested in any replies as well.

Bob

Good things have been said about Vallejo's polyurethane primers.