Good Day Folks
I am returning to the hobby after 45 years. I recently picked up a Woodland Scenics 15 building city and industry set at a local estates sale. I know I have to prime the plastic parts before painting. The problem is I need an alternative to spray can primer. It is too cold to spray outside and ventalation and asthma isuues prevent me doing it indoors. With 16 buildings, small bottles of tamiya or vallejo primer get a little expensive. Google search tells me gesso can be and is used by some in the minitures modelling world. does anyone here have experience using it on structures? Thanks for taking the time to read this.
Stay Safe
Paul
to the forum and welcome back to the hobby, your posts will be delayed while you are in moderation.
I used gesso in the past but i think that was for painting on canvas. I can't imagine brush painting primer on 16 buildings even if it's better than sliced bread. I suggest you rethink the outside. I have airbrushed in the low 20's. I fully expected the paint to freeze coming out of the airbrush, it did not.Bring you model inside to dry as soon as you paint it. I use Rustoleum rattle can primer to prime plastic structures.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Sometimes it's best just to wait for a (relatively) warm day, and do your spray painting then. Even here in Minnesota we've had several days in the forties this month (although right now it's only 15F). I try to do sort of do-it-yourself predec kits; right now I have five freight car kits that have been painted, lettered and weathered, then put away to be built during the winter when I can't spray. I use Tamiya spray can paints; their spray cans have a fine nozzle that's designed for model work.
BTW if you have any brick structure kits, you can spray the walls (inside and out) with like primer gray, then use an art marker to color the raised bricks.
CargoagentGoogle search tells me gesso can be and is used by some in the minitures modelling world.
Hi... One experienced award-winning miniature modeler here...
Black Gesso is a wonderful primer because is can be brushed on with a good brush and leave no brush marks when it fully dries. It takes paint well, and it is durable. It sticks to the metals and plastics used in fugures casting.
There was a thread a few months ago where one of the forum members used it on an O scale locomotive with fantastic results.
That said, I hardly ever use it. My preferred primer for miniature figures is 50/50 diluted Rustoleum Flat Black from the 1 pint cans in Home Depot applied with an airbrush.
Gesso should work for you, but honestly I have never used it on anything as large as an HO scale building kit.
You should try Gesso on a smaller building that could be sacrificial, or wait for a better day and use techniques you are familiar with.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
I've used gesso (Liquitex and Golden brands) for miniatures as well. It works, but I wasn't impressed. It has a strange surface tension, so I got better results dabbing it on than brushing it on, and thinning made it more difficult to work with. I've had better results on smaller, complex surfaces. Larger, flatter surfaces I've gotten cracking as it dried. I've heard that thinning it and shooting it through an airbrush works, but I've never tried it.
I agree with Kevin's suggestion to either wait for a better day, or do a test model or two before using gesso on something you really want on your layout. It takes getting used to.
I know some mini painters swear by gesso, but I've seen people swear by Vallejo primer, too. As far as I'm concerned, if you dump Vallejo primer down the toilet, you've reduced the value of the sewage. And if that sounds harsh, I'm toning down my opinion quite a lot. (But I like the Vallejo paints just fine - it's their primer that I dislike.)
-Eric
ekervina As far as I'm concerned, if you dump Vallejo primer down the toilet, you've reduced the value of the sewage. And if that sounds harsh, I'm toning down my opinion quite a lot. (But I like the Vallejo paints just fine - it's their primer that I dislike.)
Agree 100%
How can a company that makes such maginificent paint make such a garbage primer?
Unless you've got very dark-coloured structures which you want to paint in lighter colours, there's no need for primer at all. Simply wash the structures in fairly warm water, using dish detergent, then rinse them thoroughly and let them air dry. Whether you're using a brush, airbrush, or rattle can, you're good to go.If you're using lacquer-based paints, you could probably skip the washing completely - handy for really large structures, which won't fit in a kitchen sink or even a bathtub.
Wayne
Why ? do you feel the need to prime.
I don't, most times I don,t even bother to wash, [ecept metal kits/parts]
I use cheap craft paint, I do not have any issues at all.
Note; some may need more then one coat,very few. So I guess that could be cosidered a primer coat
I am not in the same class of model building as most of these other guys here but I'll give my just the same.
Wash all plastic with dish soap before you paint. Most will not need it but when the paint comes of that first one because you did not wash it, that will change your habits.
Spray bombs and cold weather. I like to hit things with a spray bomb and also need to do it outside. I have a cardboard box that I put a hot water bottle in the bottom of with a 1/4" piece of plywood on top. I put the model bit(s) on the plywood along with the spray bomb that are all at room temp and carry them outside. I lift the flap on the box, do the deed, close the flaps on the box and bring it all back in. The model and spray bomb never knew it was out in the cold.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
doctorwayne Unless you've got very dark-coloured structures which you want to paint in lighter colours, there's no need for primer at all. Simply wash the structures in fairly warm water, using dish detergent, then rinse them thoroughly and let them air dry. Whether you're using a brush, airbrush, or rattle can, you're good to go.If you're using lacquer-based paints, you could probably skip the washing completely - handy for really large structures, which won't fit in a kitchen sink or even a bathtub. Wayne
That's what I do. Paint happily sticks to plastic, no need for a primer. You only need to prime metal, which is slippery, a little oily, and offers no tooth for plain paint to stick to. For metal I use rattle can auto primers, light gray under light colors, dark gray under dark colors and red under red. Surface prep for plastic is straight forward, wash in warm water with dish detergent (Dawn is good). Rinse in warm water and dry thoroughly, like over night.
David Starr www.newsnorthwoods.blogspot.com
UNCLEBUTCH Why ? do you feel the need to prime.
I cannot answer for the OP, but I can tell you why I do.
Most plastic structures are molded in multiple colours. I prefer to have a standardized base color to paint over. Many finishing paints are not fully opaque, and some of the base colors can alter the final hues.
I like light gray or antique white as primer colors for surfaces that will be sprayed. I prefer matte black for surfaces that will be brush painted.
BATMANSpray bombs and cold weather. I like to hit things with a spray bomb and also need to do it outside. I have a cardboard box that I put a hot water bottle in the bottom of with a 1/4" piece of plywood on top. I put the model bit(s) on the plywood along with the spray bomb that are all at room temp and carry them outside. I lift the flap on the box, do the deed, close the flaps on the box and bring it all back in. The model and spray bomb never knew it was out in the cold.
Agree. I have a vented spray booth but nonetheless do much rattle can spraying outdoors including cold weather. I have a flat top garbage can that I cover with newspaper (weighted with clothespins so it stays put in a breeze) that I set up near the front door. I "stage" the project indoors until the last minute. Masking tape tacked sticky side up on a block of wood holds the work in a box top. Both the work and the spray paint are in the warmth until the last minute. That includes the two minutes I spend shaking the can. Like Batman I find if you work fast this works just fine. It calls for planning ahead that is all.
It might be added that the late Art Curren, the kitbashing king, used an old toothbrush to wash all plastic parts with household cleanser such as Ajax, Comet, Barkeeper's Friend, or Old Dutch, and this gave the plastic surfaces "tooth" that not only holds paints well, but kills the plastic sheen about as well as DullCoat does so that in most cases he never painted his models at all. Don't dismiss that idea out of hand if the cast in color is acceptable.
Dave Nelson
Oh... drat.
I forgot to say to Cargo Agent!
I usually don't prime structures before painting, either. In fact, for brick structures, my primary paint color is usually a brick red or reddish brown Rust-oleum primer.
In winter, it's always stayed warm enough for rattle can spraying inside my garage.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Thank you all for the posts. I have been watching a lot of youtube and reading a lot of forums and pretty much all of them say to wash and prime plastic kits. I have a couple of buildings that may not fit my layout so I can practice on them. I will try with just washing one and then try to see how a rattle can likes the cold. If I am happy with the no primer suggestion I will do the rest that way and save some time. These builds are not likely destined for my layout but the price was right to build up my skills after my long time away from the fun.
Again Thank you all.
BTW I also got one of those city building kits,long time ago at a great price.
After building 4, I threw the instructions away and starting kitbashing. Ended up with some pretty neat bulids that did fit my layout. All that led to scratch building witch is way more fun