I\'m sick to death of spray primers

[Grumgore]

About four years ago I had the same problem. It was so frustrating that I would literally spray the primer, then come back with a toothbrush and water and try to clean up the model afterwards... Then I was at the Chicago GW battlebunker (before it opened) and they told me the key:

When you mix spray cans (and I have found this especially true of white primer) you must do a combination of rolling the ball around at the bottom of the can to mix up the primer, then shake the can to build up pressure. For a new can I do this back and forth for about a minute.

I don\'t get this problem anymore.

 

[Auberoun]

Even though I haven\'t posted very much here, I have 13 years experience. I find that no matter which brand spray I use, if I hold the can upside down and spin the mixing ball for about a minute, I get better results. Also, I hold the can about 5-8 inches away, and coat the mini in short bursts, I have only had the rough texture once. (And it was about five years ago, outside when it was really cold, and windy) I spray in my basement with a spray booth. (Easy enough to build, but if you want to buy one, they are available.)

 

[EricJ]

I say just use brush on primer!

I use it for all my minis, and in my opinion gives a much smoother, thinner and more controlled result (I\'ve settled on reaper brush on as my favorite). As for the time, I don\'t really see a problem because honestly, I\'m about to carefully apply 10-30 layers of paint to every small surface of the mini, the least I can do is start it out by taking an extra mini to paint on this first layer, and you don\'t even really need to be all that careful with it since it goes all over! Honestly it doesn\'t take more than a few minutes.

Also the fact you don\'t have to get up, go outside or breath in any fumes makes it even mor worthwhile.

 

[alexander]

primer problems - suggestions

I too have experienced the rough sandpaper finish with the black spray primer. This was due to a few reasons.

1. Watch your temperature where you are spraying (too cold)
2. Shake the heck out of the can.
3. Quick short bursts, ensure you are pressing down hard on the nozzle.
4. Most important, don\'t overdo it! Just enough primer to cover the mini. Build up, can worsen this problem.
5. Also the white tends to finish smoother than the black.

Priming with white also brings out details that can be hard to see with a black primer. But I know some like the darker results with colors. Still you can always paint a dark color over white. Doing the opposite is much harder.

You can also eliminate some of the rough sandpaper results with a coarse brush if you want to try to save the mini.

 

[vincegamer]

In most cases I live with the sandpaper result, but currently I\'m doing a robot in NMM and I need it smooth.

I find it funny that some have said white primer does this and not black while others say black and not white.

Maybe I\'ll end up brushing on. I normally would do this for character models anyway, but my brush primer has been acting funny.
Still, I\'ve got hundreds of elves to paint so I think I\'m going to take another go at spray primer.

 

[Sand Rat]

Well, here in the land of 120 F and 10% humidity, I use thinned black paint. Seems to work well, and I\'m getting better coverage from my colors than with a solid primed mini, imo.

Will prolly end up using this when I get home as well.

 

[vincegamer]

Home for you, where it\'s more like 106 degrees, 80% RH???

 

[funnymouth]

i no longer prime in with a single coat. i have recently become a huge fan of underpainting, and on any project i have taken an intrest in i will now paint in flat color coats as my \"primer\" this can generate some wonderful color subtleties and is free from many of the spray primer problems: the downside: time! good for high quality, time consuming paint jobs, but its no good for the R&F.
i still keep a bottle of gw black around (though i prefer grey or white to black, because the colors are true) for big troop blocks, but i have run in to all of the problems you have mentioned - perhaps ill try out one of your recommendations for alternative primers this week.