"Citadel spray primer" Topic

This may tie into my White Primer and shade/wash post but I wonder what the quality of the Citadel spray undercoat is? Mainly Chaos black and Skull white. Are they really primers? A paint expert once told me that primers are not exactly the same as paint. Either way, GW seems to suggest they work as primers for either metal or plastic. The price is debatable but if they work well I suppose it's worth it.

I've been using both colours for years and I think they are worth the price.

I've used Black for years and never had a problem with it. It's very good for plastic, resin and metal.

A paint expert once told me that primers are not exactly the same as paint.

Too true.

If you are thinking of priming metal then you might like to read this blog article as well as Varnish Myth #3 in my Miniature Wargames article The Unvarnished Truth.

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Martin Stephenson
The Waving Flag | Twitter | eBay

TMP is split on this. I am firmly in the Primer matters camp. But the OFM should be by any minute now to tell us it doesnt.

I used to use GW and recently shifted to using Halfords primers. Available in white, grey, red oxide and black for a larger can with better coverage for a lower cost.

LOL yes we same members always post about this.

Primer's main purpose is to provide a surface the paint can bond to evenly. Paint bonds best to paint so any paint can function as a primer, although dedicated primers typically have a roughening additive which provides a better "key" than a plain smooth paint layer -- for example gesso (traditional or acrylic) contains ground chalk. Whether this is needed … some TMP members get great results without using a dedicated primer, others say you have to have it.

A secondary purpose is to adhere to the underlying surface. Acrylic and enamel paints do this by forming a continuous skin over the model, and this works regardless of the type of material (metal, plastic, resin). There are specialty primers that contain chemicals which melt or otherwise react with specific underlying materials to bond better, but none of the hobby or art store primers are made this way, since they are intended for multiple surfaces. Some TMP members however do insist specialty hobby primers are better formulated for adherence to models.

As far as the Citadel jars or sprays, you'll get both lovers and haters of the stuff here. If the spray doesn't say "primer" then it is paint only, but as noted above can be used as primer. I last used Citadel brand years ago and it worked for me then, but can't speak for current quality.

Do whatever you want. I and the OFM are tired of telling people that….

Look.
You can spend $12 USD for a can of spray "primer " that will go bad before the can is half empty or you can spend $.99 USD on a can of Flat White or Black at Walmart that will do the job just as well or better.
Your choice.

Want to have a can spray grit that is impossible to paint over and difficult to clean off? Buy a "hobby primer ".

I concur with Winston, but too dangerous to do so with OFM.

Except around here the Walmart flat white or black only cost $.96 USD cents!!!

Thanks for all this. I have been using Rustoleum for years as the flat black has worked very well, but recently they changed tips and it's now impossible to clean them out so after a few sessions the can goes bad. I think Rustoleum paint in flat varieties are made to stick on metal. Recently, though, as I've started to use plastic figures I've tried to rethink my logic. Rustoleum seems to stick to plastic though as well as other stuff. It costs about $4 USD a can. I tried to use the really cheap stuff once and wasn't happy with the result so avoid it now. Maybe just a bad batch of paint who knows. Thanks for the help.

I live in a very humid area and didn't care for the Citadel sprays when I used them here, but have had good luck with the cheep flats.

I've been using Tamiya primer for the last few years and it has worked well for me, never had a nozzle problem with them. I suspect Tamiya is the sort of company that would frown on delivering suspect product to their customers whereas a general supplier of spraypaint might like the turnover nozzle problems generate.

I've used a combination of Citadel and Armory spray primers. I would say that Citadel Chaos Black and Armory black primer are pretty close in my experience. Both cover very well and don't obscure detail.

Citadel has gotten pricey but I must admit it is very good primer.

Krylon makes a "camo" range of paints. It's cheap, 6$ here in Canada at the local hobby store. The coverage is decent and the quality is amazing. It's great to paint over as well.

link

GW spray costs me $19 USD at the local hobby store. The coverage is crappier, runs out faster and the quality isn't any better despite what the GW staff tell you.