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So, I order via phone two cans of GW's white primer, and I get two cans of Skull White spray. Are these primers? Do they work well, or did I just get ripped off by a mail order troll?

The white and black are both primers.

Yeah they work fine. I'm pretty sure they're not acrylic (though I've never read the label). Either way, they bond well with the surface of the mini.

And with GW spray:
Store it away from any heat sources.
Shake it VERY well before using it.
Use it on a test bit of flat surface first to make sure there is no texture if you have not used it before or in a while.
Dont use outside when it rains (obvious).
Make sure the wind doesnt blow it back onto you

There used to be problems with Chaos Black but I think they're better quality these days.

I never had a problem with their primers (I usually buy auto paint but I'll occasionally get chaos black/skull white if I need to add a final spray coat which will stay visible etc). I used to love their matt spray, but then about 5-6 years ago it suddenly became very bad. Flaky and gritty. I don't know if they ever fixed this, but I haven't heard anything good about their matt spray in the intervening time. It's a bit too expensive to buy a can on the off chance that it's changed.

GW used to have paints specifically labeled as primers. In the US there were some kind of contractual problems with the supplier, and they parted ways. GW tried out some other primers and nothing really was better than the base colors they already used (chaos black, chaos white). So what you did get it GW US's primers now. There are differences between a lot of the spray paints GW uses, and mostly because of laws governing those paints in the countries they are sold.

Right now I use autobody primers also. They seem to have a much better adhesion.

Jazz is for Losers wrote:Yeah they work fine. I'm pretty sure they're not acrylic (though I've never read the label). Either way, they bond well with the surface of the mini.

As an aside, it's worthwhile washing the models/sprues with some soapy water before priming. You'll remove any residual oils from the casting process which will make the paint stick better.

I disagree with Toreador. Most autobody primers are designed to expand as they dry in order to cover up small scratches. Naturally, this is a bad thing in terms of preserving model detail.

Yep, most. I wouldn't go willy nilly on the autobody primers. Autozone carries one that does an extaordinary job though. I haven't seen much difference between it and chaos black, except it sticks.

Toreador wrote:GW used to have paints specifically labeled as primers. In the US there were some kind of contractual problems with the supplier, and they parted ways. GW tried out some other primers and nothing really was better than the base colors they already used (chaos black, chaos white). So what you did get it GW US's primers now. There are differences between a lot of the spray paints GW uses, and mostly because of laws governing those paints in the countries they are sold.

Right now I use autobody primers also. They seem to have a much better adhesion.

I know that in Canada about two months before GW left town, the comapn switched from a UK (?) primer to the North American Chaos Black (I presume related to it's switch to the Memphis warehouse instead of a Canadian warehouse). The new primer was awful. It stayed tacky forever with a really strong spraypaint smell.

Does any one know if the armoury sprays are any good these days?

This guy uses GW's gold primer:

I've heard auto primers can wreak havoc on miniatures if you're not careful, and that overall they're pretty unnecessary.

I just use watered down Chaos black or other black paint, either hand painted on or airbrushed on.

It gives it a very smooth finish (especially with an airbrush) and the paint sticks just fine, especially if you varnish the mini with a coat of gloss when you're done, and then matte to kill the shine.


But yeah Iorek, you should be fine with the Chaos black spray.


That picture is pretty disturbing, Ed.

I've been painting figures for 25 years (yadda yadda, old lag etc.) and have used a bunch of different products in that time.

I've never had any trouble with auto primers or other spraycan paints providing you use a matte type rather than gloss. Mind you I am not a major detail painter, being more of a mass wargame figure chap.

I had a can of Skull White recently and wasn't too impressed, especially with the cost. It took a lot of spraying to cover the figures.


How to prime and varnish

You should always wash figures with soapy water and rinse and dry before painting.

The best way to varnish is this:

If you use enamel or pen type metallics, paint over those colours with acrylic gloss varnish or the metallic is liable to melt.

Then spray gloss varnish. Polyurethane gives a super tough finish though it looks "toy soldiers." I like that look for some figures.

To make your figures matte, spray or paint matte varnish. I used to use enamel matte carefully warmed and well stirred before painting it on.

For the final detail, touch in gloss varnish onto the eyes and mouths, etc. (You can ignore this stage if you are doing 2mm figures.)

Another option is to use the "Miracle Dip" technique.