Surface primer

Personally I like Krylon spray can primer, but I know a number of friends who use Mr. Surfacer wtth good results.

Never tried Krylon, but Mr. Surfacer and Tamiya Fine Scale Primer work just fine for me.

Tamiya's Fine Surface Primer is my choice in rattlecan, but my go-to is Alclad Primer and Microfiller using  an airbrush, medium tip at 20 psi plus or minus. I prefer the white since it contrasts with grey plastic and makes blemishes easier to see and sand, but I've seen examples of using black as a base for preshading shadow detail. I'm going to try that on my next armor build.

I buy sanding supplies at a paint store that sells auto body products. In addition to very fine grades of wet & dry sandpaper they carry  4-1/2" x 5-1/2" 3M foam backed pads in finishing grades that are perfect for "polishing" the surface before and after priming. They are easily cut to size, can be used wet or dry, and last a long time. Compared to hobby prices, the paint store stuff is a real bargain.

Mike

I too use Krylon as my base primer, something I picked up from our friend Don.  However, I also have some Mr. Surfacer 1000 that I picked up at my LHS.  I have used it on seams where there was just a slight depression even after using some putty.  I used this as a couple of light coats applied with a fine brush along where the seam was showing.  It filled in nicely and was able to sand out the edges making a smooth surface.  I then used the Krylon rattlecan to coat the rest of the model.

I should have taken a picture of the work to show the before and after.  I'll keep that in mind if I have to do that again.

I like to use the Mr Surfacer 1200 in the rattlecan,it's simply primer that you spray on before painting,it fills in small defects,and helps you see the bigger ones that need correcting.I also use the Tamiya Fine which is the same stuff in the rattlecan if I can't get Mr Surfacer.

This may seem like a dumb question, but what do you thin Mr. Surfacer with?  The instructions are all in Japanese so I can't read them!  Thanks!

Groot

I use Mr Color Leveling Thinner to thin mr surfacer. This combination works very well for me.

Jorge