Required: the smoothest primer and paint EVER

Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you:

No adverts like this in the forums anymore.
Times and dates in your local timezone.
Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance.
Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely.
Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net.

If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

**Grundz**

Okay guys.

I need an extremely smooth, airbrushed primer, base black paint, and a clearcoat as well.

the end product needs to be an extremely smooth, almost mirror like finish
I really dont care how thin it has to go on, or how many coats it takes, it just has to be smooth as humanly possible.

Have at it!

**Howard A Treesong**

You mean like the finish that modellers of racing cars get? There's a few things that can be done, like only spraying on a warm dry day, warming the paint, making sure everything is just right.

Then they polish them with waxes and microfibre cloths for hours on end. There's no short cut, only effort.

**Grundz**

Well, since my primer always seems to have chunks in it, I suppose that is at least partly at fault

I am prepared for the polishing to have solid chrome OSL grey knights

**winterdyne**

You're going for chrome? Look into ALCLAD lacquers. You need a gloss black coat underneath.

Gunze Sangyo's Mr Surfacer 1000 or better is likely to be a good primer for your purposes. Hard to find but it's nice. If you don't mind a rattle can, Tamiya's Fine Surface Primer is also worth a punt.

Edit: I've seen folks use the rattle can primers by decanting it into a jar (just spray it in), with something to catch the back spray.

**AustonT**

Gunze Mr. Surfacer 1200 simply the finest primer ever made. Cut 30/70 laquer thinner to surfacer. You could probably cut it thinner for what you want.
Here's a guide to all the mr surfacers
http://www.swannysmodels.com/Surfacer.html
And here's a look at someone that sells it.
http://store.spruebrothers.com/gunze-sangyo-mr-surfacer-1200-liquid-40ml-sf286-p463.aspx?utm_medium=cse&utm_source=googlebase

**Grundz**

Apparently chrome doesn't like solvents, however I will give it a try, thanks!

**Aerethan**

If you want a spray can, Floquil primer is the smoothest as it's made for scale model railroad pieces, so it is extremely thin yet doesn't require multiple layers to primer properly.

For airbrushing, Vallejo Model Air Grey Primer goes on equally thin as the Floquil. And you can thin it more if you prefer as opposed to a spray can that you cannot thin.

**Breotan**

Remember that priming does NOT mean base coating. You don't have to cake your mini in primer to get the paint to stick. Going as light as possible on primer will still make the paint stick while ensuring you don't interfere with any detail.

**stratassj**

I might try taking a look at the product that this place sells. Different colors of metal airbrush color, and a polishing powder that brings it out to a brilliant shine. http://www.hawkeyeshobbies.com/

**IK-Painter**

I think Les did a chrome tutorial over on his blog. Check out http://awesomepaintjob.blogspot.com/2010/11/realistic-chrome.html for details - maybe this will help you :-).

Cheers,

IK-Painer

**Orinoco**

when spraying check out your local hourly weather conditions with wunderground.com just put in your zip and go to hourly. You want really low humidity and a temperature that is not baking.

**mwnciboo**

If you want a Chrome effect (probably not but hell i thought I'd throw this in the ring) how about a Non Metallic Metal (NMM) Paint scheme like so....

Alternatively I have had success with Vallejo series of OLD GOLD, this is a Zinc formula (with the solvent being alcohol so it evaporates rapidly) they do a bright silver which is pretty amazing...

**Redfinger**

+1 on the Alcad II, great stuff...

also

+1 on the feedback about laying down a coat of primer, if you lay it too thick, paint wont stick.

Ashton

**Grundz**

Yeah I knew I shouldnt have mentioned the chrome because people would zero in on that

I'm just interested in the extremely smooth primer and basecoat, the chrome is dramatically different from the above and should give NMM levels of reflection if done perfectly, it isnt just "really shiney"

I'm currently waiting on mr surfacer to begin

**AustonT**

Best part about the Mr line of products is they are diverse and pretty universally near or at they'll end of whatever product type they are.