I have seen many questions on here about preparation or not for our plasic/resin works of art (Toys in my wifes opinion)
i thought i would throw in my pennyworth as we all have different views/ideas on this subject!
Although I have only just returned to plastic modelling, I do have some professional experience with assorted paints and their functions and the reasons why some work and some don't!
As I have intended from the start to make my subject a working model, that will be handled and immersed in water that in all probability will be dirty/contaminated.
I needed to make sure that it would come out of the pond hopefully still with the paint still attached and not some film floating off into the blue yonder.
Primers come in two main catergories.
(1) Basic requiring a mechanical bond.
(2) Etch Which have a chemical bond
The basic ones require the surface to be abraided (sanded/scoured) to allow the primer to grip the surface it is applied to, otherwise
it just lays on the surface with only the surface tension of the dried film holding itself together. This as most of us will have found, means that the primer film can in many cases be easily damaged/scraped/chipped or in the worst case scenario start peeling.
Etch primer as it's name describes, actually chemically bites/bonds into (not onto) the surface it is applied to which means that it cannot be removed, chemicals in the primer actually microscopically eat into the plastic.
This seems to frighten some people, so I have been experimenting with some of the paints I used to use in my past profession to see what we can safetly used. After all none of us want a pool of plastic on our work-benches!
Obviously I used to stock large tins of these materials which wouldn't be financially viable for modelling, this in mind I have been visiting my local DIY stores to see what I could come up with that was the same and cheap enough or our hobby.
From my local 'The Range' store I recently purchased HOLTS PLASTIC PRIMER Clear, £3-50 a can.
After washing and drying some test items, without any sanding/scouring I gave one coat of the HPP and a coat of Holts Grey Acrylic Primer.
Having tried it out on both plastic and resin samples, I left some parts sat in water over night, some outside and some over my hall radiator with no visible problems so far.
I hope this is of some use to forum browsers.
[ATTACH]61605.vB[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH]61606.vB[/ATTACH]
Gregg
[ATTACH]63098.IPB[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH]63099.IPB[/ATTACH]
i thought i would throw in my pennyworth as we all have different views/ideas on this subject!
Although I have only just returned to plastic modelling, I do have some professional experience with assorted paints and their functions and the reasons why some work and some don't!
As I have intended from the start to make my subject a working model, that will be handled and immersed in water that in all probability will be dirty/contaminated.
I needed to make sure that it would come out of the pond hopefully still with the paint still attached and not some film floating off into the blue yonder.
Primers come in two main catergories.
(1) Basic requiring a mechanical bond.
(2) Etch Which have a chemical bond
The basic ones require the surface to be abraided (sanded/scoured) to allow the primer to grip the surface it is applied to, otherwise
it just lays on the surface with only the surface tension of the dried film holding itself together. This as most of us will have found, means that the primer film can in many cases be easily damaged/scraped/chipped or in the worst case scenario start peeling.
Etch primer as it's name describes, actually chemically bites/bonds into (not onto) the surface it is applied to which means that it cannot be removed, chemicals in the primer actually microscopically eat into the plastic.
This seems to frighten some people, so I have been experimenting with some of the paints I used to use in my past profession to see what we can safetly used. After all none of us want a pool of plastic on our work-benches!
Obviously I used to stock large tins of these materials which wouldn't be financially viable for modelling, this in mind I have been visiting my local DIY stores to see what I could come up with that was the same and cheap enough or our hobby.
From my local 'The Range' store I recently purchased HOLTS PLASTIC PRIMER Clear, £3-50 a can.
After washing and drying some test items, without any sanding/scouring I gave one coat of the HPP and a coat of Holts Grey Acrylic Primer.
Having tried it out on both plastic and resin samples, I left some parts sat in water over night, some outside and some over my hall radiator with no visible problems so far.
I hope this is of some use to forum browsers.
[ATTACH]61605.vB[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH]61606.vB[/ATTACH]
Gregg
[ATTACH]63098.IPB[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH]63099.IPB[/ATTACH]