Acrylic Primer for Airbrushing

[Guest]

Not really related to airbrushing primer but as a test I today bought 2 rattle cans of Tamiya Primer, 1 Standard grey and 1 Fine grey, to go along with my Halfords Plastic Grey Primer.

I sprayed 3 different pieces of black plasticard to see the difference between the primers.

What I found was the Halfords primer was a slightly darker grey, went on quite heavy as I covered the area in 3 passes, and dried to a nice very fine textured sheen.

The Tamiya standard primer went on very similar to the halfords brand but has a lighter shade and a slightly smoother finish.

The Tamiya Fine primer was a little more opaque so required a few more passes to cover the area, I'd say from that you have a little more control on the amount of paint your applying. It dried the same as the other Tamiya primer and gives a really smooth texture free finish.

When it comes to strength, I let all free dry for 2-3 hours and attempted enthusiastically to scratch the top surface with my nail. I couldn't get any of them to budge, really adhered well.

Atb, Colin.

[Guest]

My 2 cents. Having used the Tamiya and Humbrol spray primers, I would highly recommend the Halfords standard primer against the other two. As far as quality and application go I can see no distinguishable difference, especially after flatting with wet'n'dry or micro-mesh. Litre for litre, the 'model specific' primers work out approximately twice the price of the Halfords.

Of course there is a lot of power behind the propellant, as it's designed to spray car panels, not models! I invariably decant mine for use in my airbrush. This gives me control over the spray and reduces waste no end. I can easily at least 2 1/72 kits with less than 1/5 of a can (about £1.50 worth). If you're going to attempt this, be sure to check a tutorial (several on YouTube) because, as I found to my cost, if you do it wrong you can end up with a face full of paint!

I use both grey and white. Nothing shows up faults in the surface quite like grey primer! Once any faults are rectified, 2 or 3 coats of white leaves your model ready for the top coat.

John.

[Guest]

Mr color stuff seems OK too. You can get it different particle sizes for different jobs. The advantage over the Halfords stuff would be that if you make a mess of it you can clean it off with IPA without destroying the plastic. Some of the thicker stuff can be used as a filler for fine lines if you just brush it on and wipe off the excess.