Primers for metal and plastic?
Discussion
Be careful though. Not all automotive sprays work on polystryene plastic. I ruined a model once by using what I thought would be an OK primer. It was odd to watch the plastic dissolve before my eyes. Good job it was a cheap model.
The Halfords acryllic plastic primer range is OK. I use their primer grey, primer black and primer white - depending on the colour scheme the model will eventually end up with.
The Halfords acryllic plastic primer range is OK. I use their primer grey, primer black and primer white - depending on the colour scheme the model will eventually end up with.
Eric Mc said:
The Halfords acryllic plastic primer range is OK. I use their primer grey, primer black and primer white - depending on the colour scheme the model will eventually end up with.
I seem to remember I bought that very primer, I'm just hoping it's still there otherwise I'll buy new 
Thanks again!
dr_gn said:
Why do you want to use primer?
Because I normally do when painting plastics or metals. The primer adheres to the plastic/metal better than paint and the paint adheres much better to primer than it does to plastic/metal, even if you clean up the metal or plastic.In my experience anyway. That's with everything from car interiors to model planes to engine parts and general metalwork.
probedb said:
dr_gn said:
Why do you want to use primer?
Because I normally do when painting plastics or metals. The primer adheres to the plastic/metal better than paint and the paint adheres much better to primer than it does to plastic/metal, even if you clean up the metal or plastic.In my experience anyway. That's with everything from car interiors to model planes to engine parts and general metalwork.
dr_gn said:
Does non-etch primer (like Tamiya which I believe is just a lacquer) really adhere better to p/e metal than ordinary paint? I've never seen any real evidence to say it does. Same with plastic: I've got a drawer full of old plastic models that are 35+ years old, painted with no surface prep. with enamels, and there is no sign of the paint lifting.
Well good for you. I asked for suggestions for metal/plastic primer because I wanted to use them because in MY experience it works better.In the OLD days (for me - pre about 1980) I NEVER used primer. Did anybody? Back then, of course, we all used enamels - usually Humbrol, sometimes Airfix and other times less popular (in the UK) paints such as Revell, Pactra, Gloy, Compucolor etc.
I started laying down a primer coat on my models in the early 1980s - because model reviewers in magazines such as Aviation News and Scale Aircraft Modelling said it was a good idea - and by and large, I found it was. I was still brush painting in those days, of course.
In more modern times, I have kept with priming, using Halfords, Tamiya and Mr Surfacer as mentioned above. Of course, I now airbrush my models and I also now use acrylics - and in my experience, acrylics are far less likely to adhere to bare plastic than enamels and therefore priming is pretty essential.
These are my experiences, of course and other may very well have found alternative ways of getting good, permanent finishes.
I started laying down a primer coat on my models in the early 1980s - because model reviewers in magazines such as Aviation News and Scale Aircraft Modelling said it was a good idea - and by and large, I found it was. I was still brush painting in those days, of course.
In more modern times, I have kept with priming, using Halfords, Tamiya and Mr Surfacer as mentioned above. Of course, I now airbrush my models and I also now use acrylics - and in my experience, acrylics are far less likely to adhere to bare plastic than enamels and therefore priming is pretty essential.
These are my experiences, of course and other may very well have found alternative ways of getting good, permanent finishes.
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