About Spray Primers

[Drachenherz]

What I use

I've been painting for 16 years, 15 of that as a professional/freelancer. I've been using the same paint for over 12 years now, and love it. It's "Rust Curb" brand from Chase Products (www.ChaseProducts.com). You can get it at the Family Dollar line of stores for $2.00 per 19 oz. can. This is better quality than the Citadel and Armory brands, and you get @ twice as much for around 1'4 the price. I get the Flat White and Flat Black spray paint, but they also make an actual Grey Primer if you prefer to use that. Now, as for your grainy texture, many times this can come from paint having been either frozen, or at least getting very, very cold. This can lead to a clumpy, grainy texture, a "fuzzy" looking texture, or the paint just flat out being a powder coat that rubs off easily. Obviously, all of these are bad. Hope this helps.
Oh, FYI, the best stripper I've found is 3M Safest Strip. This is a semi-paste stripper with a consistency like hand lotion. It is non-toxic and bio-degradeable. Just apply to your minis with a toothbrush, place on something to contain the mess (like a paper plate), cover with a paper cup or something similar to keep out the air and keep it from drying out, and let sit for at least 30 minutes (depending on how thick and what type of paint is on the mini). Then, scrub the piece with a stiff-bristled brush (toothbrush or the like; I use the brush from an M-16 cleaning kit), rinse with hot water, scrub again, rinse, repeat as necessary. To get the final bit of mess off, use Simple Green or some other de-greaser. Spray and scrub thoroughly, and rinse. Good luck!

 

[The Madhatter]

I've been painting for 16 years, 15 of that as a professional/freelancer. I've been using the same paint for over 12 years now, and love it. It's "Rust Curb" brand from Chase Products (www.ChaseProducts.com). You can get it at the Family Dollar line of stores for $2.00 per 19 oz. can. This is better quality than the Citadel and Armory brands, and you get @ twice as much for around 1'4 the price. I get the Flat White and Flat Black spray paint, but they also make an actual Grey Primer if you prefer to use that. Now, as for your grainy texture, many times this can come from paint having been either frozen, or at least getting very, very cold. This can lead to a clumpy, grainy texture, a "fuzzy" looking texture, or the paint just flat out being a powder coat that rubs off easily. Obviously, all of these are bad. Hope this helps.
Oh, FYI, the best stripper I've found is 3M Safest Strip. This is a semi-paste stripper with a consistency like hand lotion. It is non-toxic and bio-degradeable. Just apply to your minis with a toothbrush, place on something to contain the mess (like a paper plate), cover with a paper cup or something similar to keep out the air and keep it from drying out, and let sit for at least 30 minutes (depending on how thick and what type of paint is on the mini). Then, scrub the piece with a stiff-bristled brush (toothbrush or the like; I use the brush from an M-16 cleaning kit), rinse with hot water, scrub again, rinse, repeat as necessary. To get the final bit of mess off, use Simple Green or some other de-greaser. Spray and scrub thoroughly, and rinse. Good luck!

Thank you lots! I will definitely check out the cheap primers, since even the Armory stuff is $6.99 here. It's a definite possibility my cans have been below freezing since they have to be shipped to MN. I did get a can of hairspray to try as per an earlier post.
Oh, I'm hoarding my old M16 brushes, I have an old Gumby toothbrush for my mini cleaning.

 

[slorak]

Since nobody has thrown this one out - Here is another priming option.

Folk Art Glass and Tile Medium (can be found at Michael's). Cut it 50/50 with water and brush on. Also I found if you add a bit of black into to it you can tint the miniature and really bring out the details (making it easier to paint and giving you a head start on blacklining!) It dries very tight to the figure not obscuring any detail.

I have used this for the last few years with pretty good sucess. I only recently ran into trouble where it was adding a crackling effect - which I found was due to me pre-mixing 50/50 bottles and getting close to the end of a bottle. You get a clump of the glass and tile medium at the bottom towards the end and I think the ratios are out of wack creating the crackling effect. If you mix it as you use it - there should be no problems.

I also use GW white primer and don't have any problems. I live in california where the weather is very mild so maybe temperature and humidity could be an issue. Also if you get too far away from the miniature when you spray - some of it will dry before it hits the figure adding the "grainy" texture. I have found that several light passes about 6" from the figure works good.

I have also just bought a dark grey primer from Rustoleum that I have mainly used for terrain but I am priming my latest figure with it to test it out.

Hope that helps!

Cheers,

-Mike

 

[haiiro]

Now, as for your grainy texture, many times this can come from paint having been either frozen, or at least getting very, very cold. This can lead to a clumpy, grainy texture, a "fuzzy" looking texture, or the paint just flat out being a powder coat that rubs off easily.

Back when I painted minis, I found that this also happened when it was too humid outside. If I waited for a drier day, I got good results (incidentally, good results with Citadel primer -- to each their own!).

 

[SandraWinters]

I tried Krylon white primer on an action figure I was making. It covered well enough and provided a nice, even-colored base for which to paint on, but it tends to be runny. After letting it dry, I had globs of primer that I had to sand off from where the primer ran and collected in globs. If you can keep it from running so much, then it might be worth a shot.

 

[Drachenherz]

hailro

I never said the Citadel primer was bad, just way overpriced. It's their miniature paints that leave so much to be desired.

 

[slorak]

I never said the Citadel primer was bad, just way overpriced. It's their miniature paints that leave so much to be desired.

I agree about the GW paints. I don't think there is really a problem with their pigmentation rather their really crappy bottle design. Dropper bottles are definitely the way to go.

Cheers,

-Mike

 

[Drachenherz]

I have issues with their crappy solution... you either get colorted water that they call paint., or you get seperated sludge from a shipment that got frozen! lol And they cost far too much...

 

[slorak]

Most of the common brands of paint for miniatures (vallejo, GW, Reaper, etc.) are all around the same price point. Usually when you get the larger tubes of paint at the craft stores you sacrifice pigment quality for price. Cheaper is not alwasy better.

Even the Vallejo paints separate - shake them up real good.

As for primers my favorite is still the glass and tile medium brush on. I have used citadel with no problems, krylon, and rustoleum all decent. Brush on primers will always be better but take longer because you can control how much you put on.

Cheers,

-Mike

 

[The Madhatter]

I must try this tile medium you speak so highly of.