Vallejo grey primer

[Guest]

ive got a 200ml bottle of this, along with their own brand airbrush thinner.


I tried using it, and I found that it covered ok-ish, but once left to dry overnight, painting acrylics on top, brush or airbrush, there seemed to be very little adhesion.


I tried using Tamiya acrylic thinner to it, no difference, and enamel thinner just made it sticky for ages.


Am I doing something wrong? Or should I junk the Vallejo and buy some proper primer?

[Guest]

Oh Dave, you've opened up a big can of worms now!


I don't use Vallejo primer, I'm perfectly happy with my Poundshop stuff. However, other's will sing the virtues of all kinds of other primers - especially the new unpronounceable stuff from Badger


Whatever you do though, don't mix acrylic & enamel products - its a recipe for disaster!

[Guest]

Hmm. I might just say to heck with it, and get some mr surfacer.


I've got a fair few pots of Tamiya acrylics, and Humbrol weathering, washes, and some Vallejo air (only 5)


But I've also got a fishing box full of Humbrol, 3/4 of them are used, the rest are new. But they're all enamels, so I'm lost, I can't put the two together on a model can I?


I've got some awesome drab armoured colours brand new in the Humbrol enamel, oh what should I do?

[Guest]

I have used the Vallejo with no issues, I use it hapilly where I will only be putting acrylics on top and it wont see too much handling, I would use a lacquer based primer elsewhere mainly because I use zero paints on the body and they are not compatible with acrylic ones. I would say I needed vallejo thinner through a 0.2 needle and laurie used flow improver but I would also suggest always using the branded thinner as 9/10 times its going to do a better job.


Someone else can say whether or not the mr surfacers are smellier and worse for health - I don't know!

[Guest]

Well when I said don't mix the two, I meant actually mixing them - as in your example of Vallejo primer with enamel thinners.


As to using them on the same model, as long as the paint is fully cured there shouldn't be any problem.


I've combined Humbrol & Xtracolor enamels with Tamiya & Vallejo acrylics.


Probably the best primers are Tamiya Fine Surface Primer & Mr Surfacer 1200. However these are lacquer based & smell very strong, so do it outdoors or in a well ventilated room with a mask on.

[papa 695]

I use it all the time Dave I just spray it from the bottle no thinning at all with no problems

[Guest]

I thought I might add... I sprayed some this morning with a 0.6mm needle and 10 drops primer to 2 drops flow agent. The primer went on beautifully and us now rock solid, I cannot scratch it off with my nail and it's lovely and smooth.


Did you mix the bottle well? You may think I'm taking the mickey but vallejo is very hard to mix, if settles like hell. I put a stirring stick in the bottle and mixed it all up scraping the sides and bottom before shaking the hell of it. If I just shake the bottle I could be there for 2 mins and I'm not sure it's always fully mixed. Need to put some ball bearings in the bottle.





I honestly think that 99% of the problems people have with vallejo are to do with the prep or mixing of the paint.

[Guest]

I'll give it another go on some scrap, it's the 200ml bottle, so I guess I need to get my little one to do the shakey shake!


You might be right with that as well, as even though I thought I'd shaken it up, the primer actually came out white. Supposed to be grey!!

[Guest]

Adhesion may be the clue Dave.


But first Acrylics comes in two forms, in general, water based and lacquer based. If you mix the two you


are in trouble. Ok to coat one on the other provided the undercoat is properly cure.


Adhesion. I wet an dry all with a 1200 or 1500 paper used wet.. Gives a good base. And or clean with IPA


which will eliminate all grease from the hand and from the manufacture of the plastic pieces.


Leave the Vallejo primer for 24 hours to let it cure. One way is to mist coat the primer (thin say 25% with


Vallejo thinners) leave for an hour or so then give a full coat no thinners. Best Needle/nozzle size is


.4 or .35 I have found with say 20PSI.


Vallejo top coat. Mist coat as for primer then a full coat say 2 hours after then leave 24 hours before doing


anything else to the surface of the finished top coat. Although Vallejo says you can ehnace drying times


with a hairdryer best to all ow the paint to cure at room temperature.


If that does not work then there is something wrong with your paint batch. Most important thing, to avoid


omplete disaster, do not mix enamel, lacquer or water based thinners.


The above always gives me perfect results. You can use water with Vallejo paints. But Vallejo thinners has


agents which have "stickabilty" and also help the paint successfully through the airbrush. If you pace a drop


of water on a top it produces a rounded at the sides effect which keeps its thickness. Place a drop of Vallejo


thinners in the same way and it spreads out. You will also see the slightly goo result after its has evapourated.


Laurie

[Guest]

Forgot. I just give the bottle a 5 sec shake. If you tip the bottle end up (best with cap on ) you will


or should see a clean plastic bottom. Not as nice or as friendly as the human female kind but welcome.


Laurie

[Guest]

Thanks Laurie,


I have the Vallejo airbrush thinners, which came with the primer, so I'm assuming I should use that?


Or should I try water?


I'll look see what the airbrush pressure is and nozzle needle size

[Guest]

Right, I e got .2, a .3, and a .5 needle.


The compressor is set to 25psi. Which needle should I use?


The Vallejo primer is polyurethane primer, and the thinner is Vallejo model air. Are they ok?

[Guest]

I'd say .5 with primer. You shouldn't need to run but if you do use the proper thinners say 1 drop to every 5, it really shouldn't need much or any.


Also I forgot to say... Don't expect paint to go on in one go its lots of thin coats letting them flash off or visibly dry between coats the thinner they go on the quicker they dry

[Guest]

Top man doigie! Thanks!

[Guest]

Top man doigie! Thanks!

But did it work?, Laurie is the master, I'm sure I learned most vallejo tips among others from him. He is an institution haha.


Good man Laurie.