"Spray primer and spray varnish" Topic

Firstly does anyone have any good sources for inexpensive white spray primer in the UK? i have most recently used halfords white which does the job admerably but i am wondering if you can get a decent primer cheaper than that. I have previously used GW and that is fine but twice as expensive again!!!

Also what do people do for varnishing, i am thinking 2 think coats of GW gloss for protection followed by a testors dullcote final coat for the finish, any thoughts?

has anyone tried either of these?

auction

auction

The top one in particular looks a "keen" price, i have not noticed any diff between "model" and "car" primers, again any thoughts on this?

oooh, and this one

auction

I use the Plasi-Kote since Krylon seems to have gone off the market in the UK. I get it from B&Q at about £5-£6 a large can. I haven't used their white but the grey & brown primers I use cover fairly well. I also use their matt varnish and that is not quite so good but, if applied in a number of thin coats, dries almost matt and seems to protect well.

Tony H

I normally use GW primer on figures but I switched to some Halfords car primer for some buildings. It looks much thicker and the buildings are still a bit tacky months later. I'm certainly going to stick to the GW stuff in future.

Compare the cost of the spray paint with the cost of the minis and consider whether it is worth saving a couple of quid.

I use both Halfords & GW spray, and frankly the GW stuff is much better – gives an undercoat with real tooth whereas the Halfords stuff often dries semi-matt. I only use it as a backup.

Varnish – I either use Humbrol matt spray varnish, this can be a bit too matt sometimes but OK for moderns. I also use Ronseal matt acrylic floor varnish brushed on, which dries semi-matt and brings the colours out nicely in less drab periods.

Only ever had one spray varnish disaster (drying white), easily fixed by getting it off real quick with white spirit.

Thanks guys, i have only used GW black (recently) and halfords white. I don't like black undercoat and my Halfords one is about to give it up. I guess i will bite the bullet in the interests of trying to find the best solution. Maybe i will try Testors or something else, it galls me to use gw stuff, i used to work for them and they were not very conscientious employers.

Got some Valajio from ebay, anyone used it?

Yes, I've used Vallejo's black primer for some time, with excellent results. Better, quicker coverage, due to a finer 'misting' spray (compared to GW's spray can), with fewer coats, and little/no obscuring of detail. Like any acrylic primer however, it can be somewhat 'soft' if not left to fully dry/cure (compared to enamel primers), and may rub-off if you handle figures directly whilst painting (such as large vehicle models). Temporary 'basing' of figures for painting easily solves the rub-off issue, so don't let it hold you back. Just my 2p.

Bryce

GW black or White Primer is excellent, never use anything else and you always know where to get it if you run out.

I use Vallejo matt varnish spray for all of our fig's, far superior to the GW varnish.

I tend to use the cheapest flat black (or flat gray) paint I can find. I don't pay more than about $2.00 USD a can. For a clear coat, any gloss or matte spray finish will do, followed by a shot of Testor's dulcote, to knock the shine off. I use cheap primer, because you're really only using it to have something for your top coat to stick to.

I'm not sure which type of the Halfords spray you're talking about, because my experiences with them have been almost uniformly positive. Granted, the white and grey don't dry to a completely matt finish, but the Halfords black is excellent, dries to a matt and hard-wearing coat.

Compared to GW sprays I feel the Halfords ones cover better, stink less, and go on thinner and smoother. Not to mention grip to the metal better as well. I personally use the ones labelled "plastic primer" so I can't speak for the metal primers.

Of course, YMMV, but I feel that the Halfords spray gives the best balance of cost vs availability. (Cheaper than GW, and just as easy to buy).

There is a big difference between an automotive primer and a model primer. An automotive or industrial primer is designed to expand on contact to fill in defects and poor joins. Model primer shrinks on contact, thereby not obscuring the detail. A lght touch always helps but be careful that the primer isn't working against you.

Ralph

I've been using Halfords grey primer for a year or so now and I'm very happy with the results. Ot gives a nice clean surface and adhers extremly well to the metal. I have not noticed any loss of detail: picture
I have also found it far less prone to dripping than GW sprays.

I always brush on varnish. A thick coat of Humrol Gloss, followed by Testors:
coolminiornot.com/154367

Well, don't use Rust-Oleum, whatever you do! Both the Clean Metal Primer and the Automobile Primer do a poor job. My primed 10mm ACW figures looked like they had been tarred and feathered. On the bright side, I did find a good product for removing primer -- a water-based spray normally used for removing graffiti (can't think of the name and I'm at work now). Ended up using Floquil primer, both the spray version and the brush-on version. Both gave nice, smooth results.

I use Halfords White, Grey and Black Primers; all really excellent. I didn't like the Halfords spray lacquer though; was too thick and shiny.

Simon

I've heard Duplicolor is a good spray primer-cheap too: only three or four dollars, rather than the ten dollars you spend for a GW primer.

I USE KRYLON WHITE SANDABLE PRIMER. YOU CAN GET IT AT ALMOST ANY HARDWARE STORE.

Personally, ANY flat, AND I REPEAT FLAT, paint will work well. I live in the U.S., and I usually buy the cheapest flat black or flat white paint I can find. I won't pay more that around $2.00 USD for spray paint, and usually less than that.

Remember, you are base coating your minis for the sole purpose of giving your top coat of paint colors a good surface to stick to. That's why you use flat paint, not matte, or satin, or gloss. Flat paint, with it's rough texture, creates more suface area for your top coat to stick to, thus making it easier to paint.

As for putting on clear coat, I typically use Minwax Polycrylic (usually Satin or Matte). It's a water-based acrylic sealer. After your mini is all painted up, you dip it into the Polycrylic, and then shake the excess off into a trashcan, or other suitable receptacle, with a flick of your wrist (just make sure you have a good hold of your mini). Then after it dries, you have a nicely coated mini, that you can hit with a light coat of Testor's Dullcote, to knock the shine off.

You might look at how rough the surface of your model is after painting. I bought some pre-primed figures with an unknown black primer that basically ate my favorite number 2 brush as the surface was so abrasive.

I use the 100ml cans of Humbrol matt varnish for finishing. I also recently used a can of Letraset 103, which most artists' materials shops sell. Works out cheaper and the spray nozzle is less likely to malfunction.

Another vote for Halfords from me. I use mostly the white but the grey is good too. As with most spray paints use when it's warm and dry and I stand the can in some warm (NOT hot) water before I use it.

I use Vallejo spray primer and it's easily the best I've ever used, beating Krylon, generics, GW sprays, armory… It gives a brilliant charcoal finish that enables me to see details even on a black background. It has some etching power so it really grabs the surface. It's great value for the money even at the price – I'm paying SEK 117 a can for it, almost $19. USD

I have been using GW Chaos Black in a can as undercoat and I am happy with the results and agree it gives some tooth for applying top coats!

As for a varnish, Railmatch matt varnish I have used in the past and it gives a really matt finish which I prefer but its like rocking horse poo to get hold of and the nozzel does indeed malfunction….

Bob

Would the Halfords plastic primer be OK to use on resin minis/tanks?

I have a handful of Old Crow APCs that I will be painting in the new year and I need a good primer as a base for some acrylic top coats.

I find the GW Chaos Black rubs off too easily when used as an undercoat.

GW Black is certainly not as good an undercoat as GW white (although I generally use white nowadays anyway). Thr stability of the black paint on the figure tends to degrade as the spray can runs towards empty.

I like halfords.
Although in the winter I use paint on primer.
Tried GW black and don't like it.
Patches came off my bats.

This brown primer sounds very interesting.

Am I the only one who finds spray priming a complete waste of time?
Never covers properly, and you end up having to touch up by hand.
May as well use a brush on primer and save time.
Same story with varnish, I find.
Not to mention that sprays work out much more expensive, don't work in the winter, and fill your hosue with fumes.

Spray paint. Just say no.

Dear Pyruse,

Just like you, I abandonned spray paint for riming.

I find brush painting quicker, cheaper and more effective.

I find the quickest and best method is to apply Humbrol Matt Black 33 with a brush. This serves as both primer and undercoat. I wear a disposable glove on my left hand and use a large brush (a 10mm wide decorators "filch") in my right hand. I stir the paint thoroughly with a cocktail stick and transfer paint to a cardboard palette (an old box lid). Sometimes I thin the paint with enamel thinners. I paint vigorously with a scrubbing action to ensure that every recess is covered.

Regards
Mick

Try the new primers from The Army Painter they are excellent.

There is a Black, White, Red, Green and Brown with more colours being added next year.

Have a look on thearmypainter.com

Roland

I agree with Pyruse. Used GW for a while but I could never get full coverage, so was usually brushing anyway. The great stink meant that I didn't want to and wouldn't have been allowed to use it in the house and the smell lingers so having sprayed in the garden I'd have to leave the minis out there for a while. This made priming weather dependent and hit or miss in the winter. I now use brush on black Vallejo at the painting table, whilst doing other things. I have a knackered brush with bristles going in all directions, which gets all the detail. This takes very little time and dries very quick.

I went through a long list of spray primers before giving up on them. Then I found an article on using artist gesso, so I brushed that on. That became time consuming and sometimes clumpy, so I settled on thinned gesso through my air brush.

Now all I use is thinned gesso through an air brush. I mix my own grey from an old bottle of white gesso and a new bottle of black. Once I work through those bottles, I'll just buy grey straight out.

I go to Wilkinsons in the high street and used their own brands, they are pretty good and don't cost the earth.

Buy Plasticoat black primer its about £5.00 GBP and plasticoat Matt varnish it is excellent but shake the hell out of it!

Halford's grey primer here too. I usually spray it on in several very light coats, turning the figures 90 degrees each time (I tend to spray prime in batches of around 20 or so figures.) Coverage is fine, it dries fully in very little time and I can't see any loss of detail. For the last coat I swirl the can around the figures creating a very light 'cloud' of paint that gets in any awkward recesses.

I've undercoated with thinned down Humbrol matt black as well, but it got messy, destroyed brushes and smelt bad!

I've recently started to use the Halfords Rust Red as a primer for figures that have a lot of exposed flesh. Once it has thoroughly dried, I wash the figures in a thin coat of dark brown acrylic and black ink, which settles into the crevices; I then build up the flesh tones on top of this. Saves a lot of time, compared to using a black base…

So depending upon the figure to be painted, I use black, white, red or grey primers.

Simon

I'm new to wargaming, but have always used Halfords grey primer for 54mm – it covers and drys well without losing detail. I now use their black primer for my 28mm figs. When painted, I airbrush them with Johnson's 'Klear' – floor polish (called 'Future' in the US I believe). Two or Three coats of diluted – 1:1 water/Klear, then a couple of coats of Humbrol dullcoat. seems to work for me. The nice thing about Klear is that you can clean the airbrush with windolene.

Bill

I use plasticoat sprays from DIY stores, great stuff, shake very very well. Their varnishes are excelent especially the Matt, do shake well dont panick when you spray it on, it looks foamy, it settles and gives a great protective varnish. I use GW Ardcoat to paint areas im usin transfers on so they dont have an outline then spray the whole model in Matt super from Plasticoat.

I use Halfords "White and Black Primers" for an undercoat, they are larger than GW cans maintain pressure and are value for money, I use a pot of Tamiya Gloss acrylic varnish mixed with 20 drops black ink and topped up with water as a wash then use a GW satin spray varnish to finish of, I did once use a circuit board spray lacquer on some figures, made them hard as nails…………

And no matter what product you use, don't get the two cans confused!

Can't get Krylon? Not to worry. Go down to Durdle Door beach right after sun down. Look for a chap in a row boat, with an bandana on his head, a patch over one eye and a parakeet on one shoulder. Hey pirating is not what it used to be with all these rules about exotic birds. The package will be marked cocaine so if I get caught the package will still go through.

Rich

Simonz or similar white primmer. Make sure you don't buy a Hi-build spray though – it'll clog the detail. Varnish – Humbrol Krystal Clear acrylic gloss spary – its brilliant. Very hard and very fast drying.

Another…

Who paints primary and varnish.

Spray cans… Yuck.

Ray (aka Lava)

Ah, the joys of argument. Ok, my bit. I use GW white (which is no longer sold as primer I note – changed formulation?). It covers well, flexes reasonably (I paint 1/72 soft plastic) and provides a good base.

Whereas car primer – hmmm. Maybe me, but I have now had to strip another unit in cellulose ready for a second attempt in GW as it dried semi gloss and flaked at the merest puff of wind.

You pays your money etc – well, I buy GW (it is one of the few products of theirs I do use) and get good results.