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I’m getting ready to under coat models for the first in about a decade any tips or hints so I do well. Yes I did cut and file of the flash and mold lines. Plus I washed the minis in soapy water. They are drying now.

If you haven't already picked up your primer get some Krylon auto primer from walmart....can get in dark grey, rust red or white....id suggest all 3 as it would set you back around $9...

Some have suggested the $.98 can stuff at walmart but i have too much faith in krylon or go to any auto store and pick up duplicolor, availabe in black as well as white.

Rust red helps red undercoat pop without being too bright, white for brights, black for darks or even dark grey. Rustoleum makes a light grey sandable primer.

Avoid hobby primers and especially avoid GW spray white and black as its not primer, just $11 cans of satin white and black LOL...

Much thanks I'll hit the big box in the morning. Does high humidity make a difference it has rained all night?

Humidity and temperature can make a difference.
It's hard to be accurate with this though, more of a suck it and see/experience type o' deal.

Quick tip: Wear gloves. You can take them from a garage or buy a box of latex/vinyl gloves. It's so much easier than washing your hands.

Quick tip: Stand upwind or use a mask or both!

Quick tip: Use plinths. Small boxes/rows of screws with blue tack on them are really useful. Raising the model off the work surface not only
allows you to get into all the nooks and crannies it also means that you can turn the models without getting finger marks all over the bases.

Quick tip:Make a simple spray booth.
It keeps all of your spray gear in one place and is easily carried outside in one go.
It's great for storing your cans, compressor, newspaper, box of latex gloves, masks, plinths etc
In my experience, plinths/boxes/rows of screws for blue tacking models to often get thrown away if they aren't in the booth!!!
'How do I make one? Where can I buy such a wonderful machine?', I hear you cry!
Cut the corners off a cardboard box. Simple.

Hope this helps.

It truly helps. Thank You

i am also curious about this, i usualy use GW spray because it has that reflective look but is a matt coverage, when plain cheap black spray is dull and bead, any suggestions on big brands that would be in aus aswell

I'd just visit any auto shop in oz......not sure if Krylon and Duplicolor are called that in the land down under but those are biggest brands here in the states.

Even a cheap brand of auto primer is normally better than a hobby primer.

Humidity will affect drying but normally isn't TOO harmful to primer. It's a pain with clears though. DO not clear if temps are above 70F if the humidity is above 50%. I've made the mistake in the past of clearing in 85F heat at 90% humidty.....fogggggggg city....it looked like i had poured milk on my model. :(

For a cheap alternative to Citadel just go to walmart and pick up any rattle can spray.....same stuff as citadel but at normally 1/4th to 1/10th the cost (walmart brand is like $.98 cents, lots of people swear by it though).

If you aren't sure if humidity is going to have a negative impact just grab a sprue frame, prime it.....if it comes out looking fine, too high humidity will cause primer to crack or cover splotchy, then grab the model you intend to prime and have at it. If it looks like the above then I'd give it a few hours and see if humidity drops and try again. Always prime 2-3 layers; 1st layer should just be dusted...literally hold can bout 6-8"'s away, and just depress nozzle, shift it slightly to one side, hit it again...stippling basically; give it 10 mins to dry if humidity is below 30% and temps above 70, then hit it with a 2nd layer...put it on evenly and wet (dont make it run but it should look as if your primered model got spilled into water), then give it about 20 mins.
Dry times will depend on humidity and temp so use a sprue frame as practice piece to determine dry times and coverage.

If you have access to a heat gun (or hair dryer but gun does it faster as most get to around 1000F) let it dry for 3 mins and then run a heat gun over it for 30 seconds to help it set. Let the primer air dry naturally first or you will actually weaken its bond and it will flake). If you have access to neither then let air dry until it is no longer tacky feeling. If any comes up on your finger or it feels tacky let it dry some more. Ideally you should be able to pick up a primed mini, not see any bare pewter showing and set it down without seeing any primer on your hands. Wear gloves though if you are going to handle it by the mini itself and not the base (like vehicles). Oil on your fingers, even over primer, will wreak havoc with any paint you try to lay down.

So no eating Cheetos and painting at the same time!!!!!!!!!!

any exact kyrlon product paint type? name

http://www.krylon.com/products/indooroutdoor_primer/

Will look similiar. Just so long as it says Primer and not Satin or Gloss or Semi-gloss as those are just paints.

Not sure if it's still called Krylon is Oz. It is found in any major retail outlet or home repair and improvement place such as Walmart or Target or Home Depot, Lowes, Micheals art stores carry it too.

so this is the closest to the GW chaos black? or better

It's actual primer, not just black spray. I am sure it's not AS dark as true Chaos black so after priming you will want to use the old stick brush and basecoat it with thinned black (citadel, vallejo, p3); whatever your preferred hobby paint is.

Chaos Black is the same as any $3 can of Satin Black spray paint, just at 4x's the cost because it is made by GW. As with most of their stuff the exact same product under a different name is always alot cheaper and as good or better. It is NOT a primer and should not be used as such. Find any good major retail store or paint store, buy some REAL primer and then buy a can of Satin Black and use the money you'd save on Citadel Black to buy yourself lunch.

Trust me. Real primer is sooooooo much nicer and easier to work with.

so would i prime then apply satin black for best results? but would this affect mini detailing?

I just got back with Krylon. I 'll prime before I go to work and update on how it works.

I've never had problems with auto or multipurpose rattlecan paint clogging detail. All the hype surrounding Armory or Testors or whatever brand rattlecan is just that....i've painted Chaos Special characters (who have craploads of detail and FW Resin models with Krylon, Duplicolor and Rustoleum) and have never had loss of detail.

I do love Citadel Foundation Washes but that is the ONLY citadel product I use...I've never been happy with hobby primers, I think most are just crap.

Well I'm building a better spray box set up and need blue tac and getting nails into blocks of wood. No rain for today! Whoot! If I can get the camera to work I will show of my first spray box in a decade. But, first I need sleep after a 11 hour shift.

Fateweaver-->When is humidity ever below 70% in the south any hints, or can I only clear coat four times a year???

Some clears take humidity better than others. I'd always test clear on a piece of painted/primed sprue. If it appears white than don't use it on mini.

Or if you paint in a fairly small area that is enclosed you could also look into a dehumidifier. Can get them at Walmart for as little as $50 and they are normally able to dry out a bedroom.

I've cleared on days with 80% humidity. Just do multiple light layers. The wetter it goes on the greater the chance it will fog.

If all else fails and you don't mind a super high gloss coat (not sure what you intend to paint) go down and get a bottle of Pledge with Future Shine floor wax (its called just that). It's acryllic and can be brushed straight on with just a normal brush. Although unlike a normal clear you'd want to give it around 24 hours to dry but humidity won't affect it at all and it will take a fairly good pounding once set up.




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Some clears take humidity better than others. I'd always test clear on a piece of painted/primed sprue. If it appears white than don't use it on mini.

Or if you paint in a fairly small area that is enclosed you could also look into a dehumidifier. Can get them at Walmart for as little as $50 and they are normally able to dry out a bedroom.

I've cleared on days with 80% humidity. Just do multiple light layers. The wetter it goes on the greater the chance it will fog.

If all else fails and you don't mind a super high gloss coat (not sure what you intend to paint) go down and get a bottle of Pledge with Future Shine floor wax (its called just that). It's acryllic and can be brushed straight on with just a normal brush. Although unlike a normal clear you'd want to give it around 24 hours to dry but humidity won't affect it at all and it will take a fairly good pounding once set up.

Just follow the manufactureres instructions on the can. Most clears will take longer to dry at high humidity but otherwise be unaffected as far as coverage. Always test on a piece of scrap sprue, scrap mini...anything painted just slap a good wet coat on (its scrap so you wont miss it and it will show you what the final clear will look like on the mini). This is the ONE time you can get away with slapping on a wet coat.

Sorry for wall of text.

One last thing. Don't always assume because it starts to fog right away it will end up looking like that as a final result. Sometimes clears will go on clear, fog a little, and then be clear again in 20mins to an hour.

The best clears made are 2 part urethane made for use in a spray gun but as I am assuming you don't have a spray gun, spray booth, hazmat suit that is not an option.

just spray paint in the evening or in the morning if there is high humidity. that is what i do.

if you are undercoating black or white, but the 98 cent can from home depot. Works the same.

For any other color i would suggest using the insanely expensive citadel paint because it is amazing and works wonderfully, as well as dryes fast.