Primer

[Prophecy07]

Question for anyone:

I'm deploying to Iraq in the (very) near future (I'm an american). I really don't want to go 18 months without painting anything, because what little progress I've made this year would be lost. Unfortunately, we can't pack primer (aerosol), and I don't think it's legal to ship. I'm guessing good primer won't be available in the PX over there, so my questions is this:

are there any non-aerosol methods to primering a model? What other methods can I use? Is there a paint-on? A dip that actually works? Something else I haven't thought of? A company that actually ships aerosol?

Thanks for the help!

 

[Tercha]

Hi, good luck over there, I often just paint on white or black, thinned down, a couple of coats and its fine. I move around a lot with my work so often don't have access to aerosols either.

 

[Rugne]

Old school man, prime everything by brush with the black/white paint of your choice!
I know GW's used to do a specific brush on called smelly primer, don't know how good it was, never used it nor did anyone else I met.
There are any number of brush on primers available, but you can usually get away with just using a 1/1 mix of black or white mini paint.

Alternatively, you could spray up a ton of models and take them with you already primed.

Marc

 

[DaRat]

I use Reaper Master Series Brush On Primer (white, but also available in Black) for priming. Works well for me (though I usually push it through an airbrush).

Many in the tabletop crowd swear by using artists' gesso slopped on. I think that the gesso obscures some detail, but there are others who would say otherwise.

I do recommend against using regular paint to prime: it's not primer. Primer is designed to give more tooth and not rub off so easily.

Would the PX have automotive primers? If so, you could get something like Duplicolor Sandable Primer and use that.

 

[Tercha]

As analternative if you have helicopters on your base - see the technicians (normally in the bar) and get some NDT (Non destructive testing) MPI (magnetic particle inspection) white background laquer.
Its a very good white primer (but make sure you get a good spray pattern before pointing it at a mini)

 

[Einion]

First off best of luck in Iraq!

Auto primer might be gettable where you're going so that's a definite possibility to look out for. But a helpful friend or family member could certainly post you a can of primer from home.

are there any non-aerosol methods to primering a model?

A few acrylic-type paints can work adequately as primers, particularly if they're intended for multi-surface applications. For example I bought a single bottle of Paint For Plastic (made by Plaid) to use for hand-priming small parts, added bits of putty after painting had begun, that sort of thing. It's not as hardy as true primer but it's much better than standard acrylics or vinyl paints.

There are of course true primers intended to be applied by brush - I'm thinking of something to prime metalwork, just need to thin it down some with mineral spirits for our kind of stuff - but whether they'll be available to you in the PX is something I don't know. But you could maybe get a tin sent over?

Einion

 

[airhead]

Not sure where you are going to be or how 'civilized' it will be.

But the mechanics will have a paint bay. See if you can bum a can of primer from them. (that or get them to give you a bit of the thinned primer they are spraying on the Humvee). It will probably be black or red lead (colored).

Enion, I'm pretty sure that you are not supposed to ship aerosols over there either.

 

[Tercha]

Ah another thought.... you will have local people working on your base? cleaners etc or even liason staff, get them to get you what you want, there are shops and petrol stations!

يستطيع أنت اشتريتني بعض سوداء مرذاذ كبسولة تفجير دهانة? أنا سأعطي أنت المال (can you buy me some black aerosol primer paint? I will give you the money)

 

[Prophecy07]

Ah another thought.... you will have local people working on your base? cleaners etc or even liason staff, get them to get you what you want, there are shops and petrol stations!

يستطيع أنت اشتريتني بعض سوداء مرذاذ كبسولة تفجير دهانة? أنا سأعطي أنت المال (can you buy me some black aerosol primer paint? I will give you the money)

Awesome, but I've been over there before and wouldn't really trust them to do that. The guys working the laundry, if you answer "no" to their question of "do you want your laundry inventoried before we wash it?", they go "hey! who wears large t-shirts?"

No offense meant to anyone from that part of the world, but the contact I've had with them has not been...positive.

The other suggestions though, we do have a motor pool, so possibly I can dig up a can of primer there, or I will try to get a paint-on primer. Not ideal, but I'll make do.

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone!

 

[Dragonsreach]

Vallejo Airbursh Grey Primer, doesn't matter that it's designed to go through an Airbrush it's still a damn good "Brush on Primer".

Oh and take care out there.

 

[War Griffon]

Prime everything before you go

Oh and look out for the sand storms damn stuff gets everywhere

 

[aon14]

I use paint on.
If you're priming metal figures the stuff they're made of is apparently particularly difficult to get paint to stick to. In the world of painting big stuff this is a problem which has long been solved for priming galvanised garage doors and metal fences.
So one household style solution is a primer intended for "special metals" or "Non-ferrous".
I use international paints special metals primer (acrylic) or blackfriars non ferrous primer (emamel).
Noth have extra sticky additives.
That might not be available in the states but you'll have something similar down the hardware shop.

Keep your head down and good luck.