Lots of painting in my future. Could use Trucolor or (ex-Scalecoat) Minuteman primer through my airbrush. Some folks like rattlecans. Any recommendations?
When I evaluate a painting project I mainly consider the amount of detail I'm willing to sacrifice.
For example, scenery items, retaining walls, larger structures and the base-coat on ties and rail I have no problem with rattle cans.
Even there, if I want a thinner coat I go for Krylon, next heaviest is Rustoleum and if I want to hide detail, such as wood grain, I use heavy-bodied auto primer. Rustoleum makes a very dark gray auto primer that is perfect to simulate a tarred roof.
Recently I had two-dozen BLI hopper cars to put in service. Just as a Q&D base weathering and to darken the "chrome" look on the wheels I gave the underframes and truck sideframes a light dusting of Rustoleum Earth Brown Camouflage, removed the wheels and hit them with Krylon Oxide Red, then a light coat of the Camo Brown over that using a wheel mask. after reinstalling the wheels I gave each car a coat of rattle can Testors Dullcote.
The Rustoleum Camo colors are handy for base colors, the camo brown is good for track and rail, khaki makes a good base for concrete. Still, I'll dust a little gray or oxide over these to give some variation.
Again, this is primarily a base coat and at a later time I'llgo back with Pan-Pastels or air-brush for highlighting or shadowing.
Any "better" rolling stock, including brass, is air-brush only. Usually with Scalecoat 1 or 2 as appropriate. Other fine detail items are strictly airbrush jobs. As far as primer, that depends, too. Sometimes I have a styrene project that has black, white, gray and red (brick) colored styrene. This situation definitely calls for a primer or basecoat.
Anything painted yellow or orange gets a base coat of white or reefer gray.
After a structure is finished or the trackwork ballasted, I'll go back with the airbrush for more refinement, highlighting and color variations.
This works for me...
Good Luck,
Ed
I use EXCEL Acrylic Automotive Primer in a quart can.....it is a solvent base mixed with lacquer thinner with Acrylic pigments. You can thin it as thin or thick however You prefer. Works on any surface. I use it on metal, plastic's all the time on all the miniatures, RC bodies, Railroad etc. I thin it enough so it flows easily out of My Paasche H-model air-brush with Medium tip. I buy it quart size and keep some mixed in a 3 oz bottle with a dedicated tip. You can sand or feather edge in 20-30 minutes. I use General purpose Lacquer thinner which can be used in 60 to 80 temp range. A quart costs 17.00....mine is going on 3yrs. and still have a 1/2 quart left. I also only use lacquer thinner to clean My air brushes, no matter what kind of paint I use and back flush them often when cleaning.
Take Care!
Frank
Tamiya makes what most contributors to Fine Scale Miniatures Magazine consider to be the standard for priming models, and it come in a spray can!
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My personal favorite primer is "Antique White" by Floquil applied with my airbrush. Unfortunately, it is not made any longer, and I am almost out.
It looks like I will be giving the Tamiya brand spray primer a try very soon.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
I have switched to using acrylic "Acrylicos Vallejos" primer for my airbrushing.
I do not airbrush anything other than acrylic's.
Spray can primer has always been mixed brands for me. (And spray can is outside use only for me.)
Ricky W.
HO scale Proto-freelancer.
My Railroad rules:
1: It's my railroad, my rules.
2: It's for having fun and enjoyment.
3: Any objections, consult above rules.
I use rattlecans. Krylon and Rustoleum make auto primer in light gray, dark gray, and red. The intent is to prime under light colors with light gray, under dark colors with dark gray, and under red with red. The auto primers dry dead flat, will cover anything, and accept top coats happily. They have the best stick-to-metal chemistry known to the makers and I alway use them on metal models (Brass and Zamac). Paint does not like to stick to metal and the auto primers are the best you can get for painting over metal.
Since you said you were painting over plastic, you may not need a primer. Do the best surface prep you can, use a solvent to get the subborn grease spots, wash in hot and soapy water, rinse, and dry at least overnight. If you are using a dark color, you may not need a primer. If it goes on and the underlying color does not show thru, you are golden. Yellow and White often may not cover well, and may need a primer.
I don't have an airbrush, so all my stuff is rattle can or brush painted.
David Starr www.newsnorthwoods.blogspot.com
Another vote for Tamiya spray can primer.
It's lacquer-based, so it gets a good bit into plastic, but it's safe for use on plastic.
There's the regular primer, then the Fine primer, which is flat, but extremely smooth. The Fine primer is available in gray or white.
Both regular and fine spray a very fine mist, and level well.
I give them a day to cure before top-coating them. Only drawback is the cost, so I reserve them for projets where I want a perfectly smooth finish.
Eric
Recently i am very happy with Gunze's Surface primer 1500 in either black or grey variations, using an airbrush. Following many years of good results with Gunze's surfacers 500 to 1200, the 1500 is a superb (ihmo) primer.
Tamiya in the spray can, no question. In fact, I only use an airbrush for painting if I really need a specific color that Tamiya doesn't have at least a close equivalent for.
I use rattle can spray, mostly as the final color for "brick" structures or gray for old box cars or MOW cars.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Hello all,
Model Railroader associate editor, Cody Griivno, has been touting Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch 2x Flat Gray Primer (#249088) for his projects as of late.
As has been posted, most automotive primers are thick in order to "smooth-out" imperfections in the surface being primed.
Unfortunately this can mask or hide fine details that as modelers we wish to highlight.
When priming any painting project I warm the rattle can in a hot (tap) water bath and then apply several light coats rather than trying to prime in one single coat.
Then I paint with either air brush or rattle can; using the same water bath method for rattle cans.
Hope this helps.
"Uhh...I didn’t know it was 'impossible' I just made it work...sorry"
jjdamnitAs has been posted, most automotive primers are thick in order to "smooth-out" imperfections in the surface being primed.
That really is not a true statement.......true for rattle can primers but not for mixing Your own. A thinned primer coat will bring out any flaws in the surface that can be spot puttied and resanded, then primer re-applied but a thicker coat, which then can be scuffed with a fine scuff pad until a extremely smooth suface is acheived. Wash in cool water let dry then put on a dust coat of Your color. Primer is not only used for the paint to adhere too, but also to find imperfections in the surface before actually painted Your color coat.
I have noticed on all these threads about using Primers....that no one mentions using the scuff method before painting. If You did use the scuff step prior to painting, You would have a much better paint job and the paint would stick better also. It will also eliminate any too thick spots and even out the finish.
Been painting Cars/Trucks for a long time....there really is no differance in the prep.....just larger scale.
One of six classic cars I restored and painted in My garage over the yrs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjIAaPS_4ss
Hi Frank
I can see the advantages of blocking and using a guide coat on nice smooth surfaces of an automobile. I painted my '64 Fleetwood using these methods and it sure was easy to spot a repaint where the underlying surface had not been blocked, especially dark colors.
For my models I can't see where blocking, if that's what you mean by scuffing, is going to do me any good trying to work around rivets, grab irons, windows and the like.
IMG_2429 by Edmund, on Flickr
I've pretty much gone to Scalecoat paint on brass and I don't use a primer, the manufacturer says it is not necessary and I believe them.
IMG_0107_fix by Edmund, on Flickr
I've never had Scalecoat chip or flake and the detail remains vivid and sharp.
If there's anyplace I uuse a guidecoat and blocking it is where I've used a filler, nearly always on styrene, and I want to be sure I have it smoothed out and there's no gaps where the filler has shrunk.
jjdamnitWhen priming any painting project I warm the rattle can in a hot (tap) water bath and then apply several light coats rather than trying to prime in one single coat.
Me too!
Regards, Ed
zstripeOne of six classic cars I restored and painted in My garage over the yrs.
I love Lake Pipes and Wide White Walls.
, Sorry.
gmpullmanFor my models I can't see where blocking, if that's what you mean by scuffing, is going to do me any good trying to work around rivets, grab irons, windows and the like.
ED,
I've used ultra fine scuff pads by Mirka on many Athearn BB engines and some HW passenger, some box cars and it did not take any detail off......unlike sandpaper, which will. I painted many shells without stripping paint.....just used the scuff pads....the paint will stick a lot better to a scuffed surface. I mostly used Floquil paint in a air-brush also and never experienced any problems on plastic.
I did not use the term blocking, for I was not sure anyone would know what I was talking about.
Kevin,
The lakers worked......IMHO...nothing sounded better than a V8 Ford flat head with straight pipes....LOL.......
OK, I got 'ya now, Frank. I also keep a selection of several of the finer ScotchBrite pads on hand. I cut them to special contours when I have to reach into a tight area.
Here's a brochure that explains the different grades for anyone interested:
https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/119555O/scotch-britetm-hand-finishing-systems-brochure-pdf.pdf
Cheers! Ed
I forgot to tell You, that I like Your new Avatar.........Looks like something My Grafic Designer friend would have come up with. Although getting Him to do any of that now is like pulling teeth..LOL. Since He retired about 12yrs. ago. Almost about as long as Me, at 15yrs. I'm pretty good with Electrical/Machine design....but He was great with lettering. He worked at American Decal for many yrs.