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.

Haven't painted in quite a few years and trying Vallejo surface primer for the first time.

My impression so far is that it seems pretty thin, seems to be sliding off the flat surfaces and gumming up the detail a little bit.
I did shake the bottle before putting a couple of drops onto a (home-made) wet palette.

Am I doing anything wrong, or is this how it should behave?

Any comments/suggestions gratefully received

It is thin. You need to apply it very thinly (very little flow off the brush; if you flood it, it won't behave properly). Better yet, get an airbrush and spray it on. It's extremely good that way.

Hmm, I don't use a wet pallete for the primer, I have no trouble.

Good point from pundabaya , I wouldn't use a wet palette for the primer as you are essentially thinning it and the Vallejo primer doesn't require thinning, it's already thin enough. Probably why it not sticking so well. Is it possible your models need to be washed first? Maybe the have some release agent from the molding process. Give them a warm bath with som dish soap an a light scrubbing with a toothbrush before priming. I use the surface primer with a brush all the time straight from th bottle but never thinned and never on a wet palette and font have any problems. Hope this helps