Priming the small parts

Hi

This concerns only those who prime all the parts. How do you prime the small parts - do you keep them on a sprue or do you remove every part from the sprues before priming? I'll probably take all the parts off sprue and try SOMEHOW to keep track of which part is which ...:rolleyes:

I'm just curious about how you guys do it, and which way you would recommend, and why?

If its something like a tamiya kit then occasionally i will spray the entire sprue, which helps towards a fast build. If however the kit has alot of flash or more odvious and unsightly mold lines then i prefer to clean the parts up which usually involves removing them from the sprue. after this i will prime the larger parts and leave the smaller parts or ones that are awkward to spray after being removed.

I cut off as much of the part i can so that it is attached by one or maybe two bits at the most.
Then i spray all the parts.

Mika,

I use toothpicks. Most of the small parts have some sort of holes in it, and even if it is not an "exit" hole, it is still possible. I just cut the tip of the toothpick gradually until I get the diameter that fits in the hole firmly.

Another option (works with most Tamiya wheels and some other parts) is to use the two-sided cotton swab. Just cut off both "cottonized" :):):) ends and you can stick the tube that is left onto the part.

Hope this helps.

Now that I have an airbrush which makes it fairly fast to paint parts, I try to get at least one section of the instruction manual done per day (you know how it's divided into 1, 2, 3, etc.). So I cut the days pieces off, remove mold lines, etc. and prime them with fast drying automotive primer (dry in 9-10 minutes). I affix each piece to a loop of tape, and since it dries fast I just turn each piece over after the first primer is finish drying.

I prime all of the small pieces while they are still attached to the sprues.