is primer that important?

OK, today i had a look in the local shop to see what paints i have to choose from.

i'll most likely use Tamiya paint in the spraycan, i saw the colour i was looking for (orange) but then i looked and noticed, there was no primer available, of any kind.

no white, no grey, nothing.

so now i must ask the pro's, do i really need primer?

the part is black plastic (fujimi)
i intended to paint it with a two tone job (grey or black bottom, orange top)

the only other alternative is to use Duplicolour (the same colour, but primer is avialable), but i'd prefer steer clear of that, as i dont want to risk melting the plastic, and it is more expensive than the Tamiya paint.

Bear with me, I am not a pro, but I do know that primer is really important and it is a must as I have learnt the lesson.

When I built my very first car 3 months ago as a 100% beginner, without doing any research on car modelling, I have painted my acura without any primer. It was cool and nice when it was done, although I still got some fisheyes at a couple spot, but I was managed to fixed that. However, the paint started to "disappeared" after a few days and I can see the white body underneath it. End up, I have stripped the paint and restart all over again.

The paint doesnt stick to the body without primer. Plus, without primer, the color that you painted will not be the real color as you expected it to be. For example, if you painted a black body with Metallic blue, without primer, the Metallic Blue will look kinda dull.

The only time that you dont need primer that I can think of is when you use white on white.

Hope it helps.
Pro, pls correct me if I am wrong. :smile:

Orange on black must have primer underneath but like many times before this was explained, primer is not only for better look of colour but also to prevent the paint from pealing of the body once it is cured (so like I wrote before in one thread primer is there to give the paint something to hang on). So take any kind of acrylic primer for Tamiya acrylic (just don't take that dupli colour transparent) if it is gray primer you should put a coat of white paint before orange to have a nice looking orange.
There is a catch of course Tamiya paints on Tamiya bodies work well even without primer but if the body is molded in dark colour and you want to apply the light colour you will still need a primer.
But this is all in FAQ and I will get flamed because writeing it down again ;)

ok, so i'll have to go searching around for primer. thanks.

In short.....yes, primer is that important.

to find out how primer is important i got a scrap model, primed half of it and then not the other, i layed down the paint job on it and it really does look better with the primer

ok, i need primer.

how about clear coating?


(as you can probably tell, i have never painted a model before, without a brush)

i'm trying to do this on a budget as i dont relly have much to spend.


if i did as i originally planned it would be:
$35 kit + $8 primer + $8 paint + $8 clear + $20 rims + $5 glue = $84 model

that's too much for me, so i'll probably have:
$35 kit + $8 primer + $8 paint + $5 (scratch built rims) + $0 whatever glue i've got left from my last model = $56 model


BTW: does PVC pipe (like they use for sewerage pipe) melt easily?

i dunno bout the pipe lol. but i say clear coating is a must if you want a shiny finish

ok, i asked about the pipe because i was going to use that to make the rims.

make a mould/mold, melt the pipe, and fill mold/mould

mainly because
1: it's cheap and
2: i've got scraps of it everywhere anyway

I say don't rush it. If you ain't got enough money just now then wait until you have. If you take the cheap 'n easy options you run the risk of creating a cheap looking machine.

Plus, the spray can of primer & clearcoat will do for many models - not just the one you intend working on at the moment. It may seem a lot to begin with but it's worth it when your results start looking better.

do you have any pictures on your scratch building rims, i for one would like to see it

do you have any pictures on your scratch building rims, i for one would like to see it

Who are you directing that question to? If it's me then, no, I can't let you see them. Why? Cos, I've never scratchbuilt rims!

Primer yes. To keep it short, cheap and rushed will look just that.

Don't need clear coat for a shiny finish - just good application and some polishing!

I would like to see how you scratch build rims with pipe aswell, so some pics would be nice.

to find out how primer is important i got a scrap model, primed half of it and then not the other, i layed down the paint job on it and it really does look better with the primer

If you have any pictures of that, I think it'd be neat to see.

the only other alternative is to use Duplicolour (the same colour, but primer is avialable), but i'd prefer steer clear of that, as i dont want to risk melting the plastic, and it is more expensive than the Tamiya paint.Duplicolor more expensive? Or does it cost more for a bigger can? I'm pretty sure you get more paint for the money w/ Duplicolor.

In anycase, you can use Duplicolor's primer (confirm that the can says "sandable." that's critical.) under Tamiya paints.

In the long run, that'll probably be cheaper...

:2cents:

I've used Duplicolor and Rustoleum primers under Tamiya sprays. They cans cost the same and last for more models, plus I really dig the Rustoleum sandable primer for filling in any imperfections. Just be aware that spraying these over Tamiya paint will lead to disaster. It's a one way street.

And yes, you need primer. For all the reasons stated before. It is very important.

Primer helps the paint stuck better to the car.It also works as a surface filler to help hide any small sanding marks.
Another good thing about it is if you have missed sanding any mold line etc, it will show up in the primer. You only need to give that area a light sand then do the body in another coat. Far better then getting a nice finished coat on your model only to find you have forgotten to sand out a seem line.

As for clear.....never used it and dont like it. Spent the time getting a good paint job then get some compound and wax to finish the kit off

ya, I totally agree... I've laid down a half-decent looking paint job without primer before, but once I started using it (particularily the high quality tamiya primer) I've never turned back--the finish is far shinier and far more even when it can adhere to the primer.

do you have any pictures on your scratch building rims, i for one would like to see it

dont worry, i'll get pics when i do them. at the moment it's just an idea in my head.

i was going to make a "master" rim (out of whatever i decide) then pilfer some clay from school, make a mold, and then melt the pipe, put in mold, and then i'll have some rims. (i'll use the kit tyres)


Duplicolor more expensive? Or does it cost more for a bigger can? I'm pretty sure you get more paint for the money w/ Duplicolor.

it is a larger can, yes. but only i think 10ml extra or something, for $1 extra, so when i roughly do the maths, Tamiya paint is cheaper, per ML.

Automotive plastic primer is all I use. Large sized can for about half the price of Tamiya. Bargain!

Oh, and Kansei, WHY is your username different to your sig!?! Just the curious cat within me!

I've used primer on all the models I've built so far, 1 and a half. :smile: But I did do a little test with some plastic half primed with white and then the other half left as plastic.

The red paint I brushed on (OK - I used a brush, being lazy) but the red was so much brighter with the white primer. I've used it ever since..!!

And I used plastic automotive primer as well. It's cheaper, and easy to get hold of. Tamiya surface primer is hard to get in the UK, don't know about the rest of the world..

I have a Automotive clear plastic primer. Will that work for cars even though it is clear? (newbie!)

Probably, but it wont help you find the parts needing sanded. If you use white or grey primer, the parts needing sanded down are really noticable

Budget builds are very important to me. On all my models I use Krylon Primer (white or gray, less than $4 for a big can-lasts a good long while). So far I've used Krylon, Duplicolor, and cheap nail polish and none of then have had a bad reaction. I also use Duplicolor "SUV" clearcoat, I think the only difference between the "SUV" and "car" is size and price; the SUV stuff is like three times as much for $1 more. A much better deal. My latest model price beakdown:

Kit #1 :$10
Kit #2 (for wheels): $10
Kit #3 (for spoiler): $4
Bondo Putty: $3 for 4.5 oz
Sandpaper: $3 (automotive grade, tons of it!)
Primer: $3 (Krylon)
Color: $4 (Duplicolor)
Clear: $5 (Duplicolor)
Total: $42

And I can use the Primer/Clear on 3-4 more models and the color on at least 1, plus who knows how long 4.5oz of putty and sandpaper will last? Not to mention I get two more kits to kitbash!

Oh, and Kansei, WHY is your username different to your sig!?! Just the curious cat within me!

well, the story is, i couldn't think of a name, (when i joined it was a last minute thing) and i remembered the Kansai service thingy by HKS, and thought it sounded cool. i typed in the name (how i thought it was spelled, i couldn't remember), joined, then went to the HKS website, and found that i had it wrong. then when i made my sig, i was too lazy to change the A to an E.


how about i start an off topic thread on username origins?

it will be moved to the off-topic section ;)

no, i meant start it "in" the off topic section. not start it here.

Well, it's there for you to use should you wish to. But bear in mind that those frequenting this forum are not necessarily the same people who frequent the off-topic section (some do though).

i understand that, and i made the comment so that the people here know that it will be in the off topic area if they wish to go there.

i went to a different shop today, and they didn't have primer either, i asked the guy and he said "primer is not that important, it's only to give the paint better colour, you can use matt white instead of primer"
so now i ask, will just putting a white undercoat work?

I dont think so. Primer is made for a reason - to prime the surface ready for paint application - so that the paint has something to bite onto & attach to.

I have a question:
I have only been using white primer on my models but bought grey primer today in the halfords 3 for 2 spray can deal. I know grey is better at highlighting any discrepencies in the body (highlighting seem lines) but do you have to apply a white prime coat after you've finished with the sanding (after the grey prime coat)?

Cheers

i went to a different shop today, and they didn't have primer either, i asked the guy and he said "primer is not that important, it's only to give the paint better colour, you can use matt white instead of primer"
so now i ask, will just putting a white undercoat work?

Primer is a different formulation than just a matt color. It's made for a specific reason. It may work (using matt white) but be careful of any masking tape to the paint. Also, keep in mind that a white base may be too light of a tone for some darker finishes.

In short, LHS owners are idiots just like any one else. They just happen to own a business license and have a shop.



I have a question:
I know grey is better at highlighting any discrepencies in the body (highlighting seem lines) but do you have to apply a white prime coat after you've finished with the sanding (after the grey prime coat)?


No. I would recommend sticking with one color primer per build. Either gray or white, not both.

well i was going to have it two tone, but i think i may just do it all in orange now. if i cant find any primer, i'll have to use white as a base.