Spray Priming... primer strings?

[J2FcM]

Does anyone encounter this problem? I notice that when I spray my mini\'s with GW black primer... there are like random tiny black strings that pop up... could I be spraying from too far away???

Typically I shake and roll the can for like 2 minutes, and spray short long range bursts of the can from different angles, doing 2 to 3 coats. Often, with a metal figure, I can see tiny lil specs of metal through the primer... so I assume I am putting on VERY thin coats...

Should I wash my mini off with soap and water between each coat????

 

[airhead]

First, change brands. Every time we get one of these threads it always includes Citidel primer.

...spray short long range bursts of the can from different angles, doing 2 to 3 coats...

Start your spray to the side of the mini and bring it across. Once you are away from the mini, then release the spray button. Shooting bursts at a mini will result in specles and bits as older paint comes out of the pick-up tube and hits the mini. Shooting from too far away can allow the primer to \'set\' in the air before it hits the mini.

here is a good review of primers.

 

[Modderrhu]

Originally posted by J2FcM
there are like random tiny black strings that pop up... could I be spraying from too far away???

Strings? Like threads? If you\'re talking about threads, then perhaps it\'s a problem of dust and not the primer.

Originally posted by J2FcM
Often, with a metal figure, I can see tiny lil specs of metal through the primer... so I assume I am putting on VERY thin coats...

That\'s usual. Perhaps wash the mini before priming, you might be getting oil from your fingers on some spots. If the blank spots are in the recesses, it\'s usual to have to touch (do a wash) to reach everywhere the spray cannot.

Originally posted by J2FcM
Should I wash my mini off with soap and water between each coat????

Uhhhhh, no! I think that would only do more harm to the primer surface than anything else. Remember, you want your paint to stick to it.

 

[J2FcM]

thanks for the ideas\\ replies.

The so called \"strings\", seem to be very very lightly made, are easily blown away, but, I think its primer... I have been priming in my basement with the spiders, but today I primed outside, I suppose, webs could have still been on things when I transfered outside.

I do wash my minis in dish soap and with a tooth brush before priming.

I will try the slow drag across spray method, holding the button down as advised. Perhaps shooting short bursts is the cause of my \"chalky\" looking paint... its the primer, and not my diluting thats doin it. I hope!

 

[desertdragon1964]

Originally posted by xerofis
Lay off Citadel Products. I work for the damn company (GW) and i have never had any problems with them. Just a dodgy can and probably the humidity in the air.

Easy there tiger it is just the opinion of some folks out there not all personally I find GW to be pretty decent products in the long run.As for the string thing J2FcM I have to agree with Airhead go from side to side about 4 to 6 inches away not to fast but definetly not to slow either.Light coats work best you can always add, it is a pain in keester to take a shotty paint job off.DD

 

[J2FcM]

So, once you little, to no metal shining through, that should be the time to stop spraying on coats?

 

[Ogrebane]

I get the string thing and it is usually dust (I work in the desert its hard to get it out of the air). Also once I spray (well I dont spray anymore cause I have no luck but when I did) I will give the mini a thin coat of whatever color I undercoat with.

 

[Dragonsreach]

I get the \"tiny hairs\" quite often. Don\'t usually spot them until I\'m painting, but a pair of Needle nose tweezers removes them easily enough.
In the past I\'ve put it down to dust, pet hairs and just dumb luck.

I tend to prime outside, (or in the garage/ workshop/mess) and can never see any spots I\'ve missed until the primers dry. Since I prime Black It\'s a simple case of Hitting the mini again with a thin mix of Black paint and Black ink brushed over. A quick blast with a hair dryer and that generally seals the paint onto the mini and I can paint away quite happily.
(Need an insane grin smiley lol)

@ xerofis: Most of use here have used GW & Citadel products for years and we are all aware of their faults. It\'s not that long ago that a full batch of Citadel Primer had to be recalled. Your loyalty to your employer is understandable, but please don\'t regard us in the same light as the majority of your Store customers.

 

[airhead]

Originally posted by xerofis
...I have never had any problems with them. ....and probably the humidity in the air.

I was just going to make a light flippant comment and move along. But the more I thought about it, the more irked I became.

Did you see the review/test that I posted a link to? The only primers that fared worse were the brush on and the just paint/not primer.

The majority of the minis on this site are GW and the majority of them were probably painted with GW paints and primers (1). GW produces decent products on the whole (2). But do a search on primers and you will find that nearly every one of these threads starts with \"I\'m having trouble with my Citadel primer...\" (2).

Now that could be because they are new painters and don\'t know how to properly use a spay can. Or it could be that they have a bad can of primer. Or both. It is hard to teach someone the correct methods when the tools are broken. I don\'t know who GW repackages their spray primers from, but there are some serious quality control issues there, so I advise them to get a different brand.

And most of that bad batch of primer was not recalled, but sold in stores worldwide.

So I stand by my opinion that the best thing to do is get a different brand of primer and learn the correct way to use a spray can.

1. (My opinion - nothing to back that statement up with.)
2. (My opinion based on personal experience.)

 

[farseerlum]

GW chaos black is NOT primer. don\'t think it will do the best job. if your ok with a spray color then go for it but don\'t ever think it\'s actual metal primer.


and second it\'s dust. yep dust. i pick it off with a good set of tweezers.

 

[DarkSoldier]

I\'m having the same problem with Armory brand black primer. I\'ll try changing my priming technique as described, and then I\'ll chime in on how it works.

 

[supervike]

Originally posted by xerofis
damn company (GW)

Enough said!lollol

 

[XeO3]

get a can of compressed air (like for computers) and dust them off before/between coats.

and yeah, gw sucks for charging like $8 for a can of flat white spray paint you can get at walmart for .98 cents.

 

[Ritual]

Originally posted by J2FcM
I do wash my minis in dish soap and with a tooth brush before priming.

Washing metal or plastic minis is a waste of time! No point in doing that! Resin minis MAY have release agent on them that needs to be washed off.

 

[matty1001]

Iv never washed or cleaned any mini before preparing it for painting.

Never seen the need to.

 

[XeO3]

Originally posted by matty1001
Iv never washed or cleaned any mini before preparing it for painting.

Never seen the need to.

It only takes a minute to wash and dry them. 99.9% of the time you won\'t need to, but the one time you get sooooo close to finishing a mini and the paint peels off, you\'ll suddenly see the need to...