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Hi all,

After many years away from the hobby I've decided to get back into 40k, I just wanted to ask you guys what kind of primer is good for undercoating plastic models black. I've been reading up on-line and I've heard everything from only GW all the way down to being able to use anything, even body spray that used on cars(!)

I'm just quite cautious as I don't want to melt my new miniatures, also I'm in the UK if that makes any difference (I've heared some sprays vary from region to region)

Thanks in advance,
Rowanthedawg

I'm very happy with Army Painter's line of spray paint. Goes on nice and even. Good stuff.

I typically use an automotive primer such as Krylon or Rustoleum.

A lot of folks have issues with Army Painter primers. If you use it, follow the directions on the can. Fuzzy coats don't help minis.

I use Krylon Dual, personally. It goes on well and has a wide ideal temperature band. You might also want a bottle of brush-on primer for touch-ups after spray-priming; you will never get complete coverage with just aerosol primer.

Some Army Painter are better than others. I use Skeleton Bone straight, it's great, but Daemonic Yellow only adheres over a white basecoat.

I've just been trying both Tamiya normal and fine primers. Both awful, sprayed close or sprayed from afar. The GW Skull White spray is much better.

I use Halfords car primers, specifically the grey and white ones.

Go with the Halfords brand of matt sprays.They work just as good if not better than GW's

I use the Halfords primers (generally white unless I am priming white plastic in which case I will use their grey, then overspray white)

Hmm, there is a halfords on the way back from uni, I'll go there tomorrow and pick up some black matte I think. any particular type from halfords, i.e. bike spray etc? or is it just a 1 type kind of deal?

They don't do a black primer unfortunately, but this one would be the one you want. Should be OK though.

Cool, I'll try t find that one. One more question. can I use and type of varnish or do I have to use a specific modelling one?

Hobby specific clear coats are often designed for light handing of display pieces and not playing pieces. A lot of people don't use them because they say they don't protect the paint. They are just using the wrong products.

I use Tremclad exterior clear coat for brass and other metal fixtures to prevent them from tarnishing when permanently left outside. It took 3-4 years of regular use of getting knocked around and dropped before any of my pewter models had a scratch or chip in their paint. I just went with the heaviest duty stuff I could find and it worked.

Your best option (imo) if you're getting fully into the hobby and plan to stay for a while, is to get an airbrush and use airbrush primer. You will get good, smooth, thin coats of primer. It is much cheaper than rattle can primers and less susceeptible to weather screwing you over.

You also get the benefit of airbrush techniques, some very simple and easy to use ones which can greatly increase the quality of your models and otherwise open up new techniques such as undershading to make nice highlights with smooth transitions, ie. priming black, spraying grey at 45 degrees, and spraying white from the top and on areas you want to draw the eye, before spraying the thin basecoat on the top. Basically you really want an airbrush : )

Specifically primers, Look into Vallejo polyurethane Black, Grey and White. 200 ml bottles for ~$8 each. So much value, and they're awesome - but can have a longer curing time, so leave them for ~24 horus before painting over them to be safe.

If you do use spray primer, I'd suggest putting your cans in very warm tap water for about five minutes before you spray your models. The heat will loosen up the accelerant and pigment, and allow it to mix better when you shake the can.

I recently saw this tip and it really helped making the primercoat much more even.

I like army painter, since they have a lot of colors from which to choose. It's nice to be able to primercoat a model close to the base coat of your model. Anything that takes out a step or two is okay in my book.

Edit: oh, and I highly suggest letting the area where you're spraying air out a bit between sprays. The pigment and accelerant in the air from a previous coat is one of the things that causes fuzzy primer coats. E new spray hits the dust particles and grab on to them their way to the model, and then you get fuzzy spray.

I've used several and the best black primer is P3 black primer from Privateer Press. Its cheaper than Army painter and GW primer and paint sticks to it very well.

 SilverMK2 wrote:
They don't do a black primer unfortunately, but this one would be the one you want. Should be OK though.

Halford's do advise using this primer for plastic:
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_203947_langId_-1_categoryId_165505
but I never have.

rowanthedawg wrote:
Hi all,

After many years away from the hobby I've decided to get back into 40k, I just wanted to ask you guys what kind of primer is good for undercoating plastic models black. I've been reading up on-line and I've heard everything from only GW all the way down to being able to use anything, even body spray that used on cars(!)

I'm just quite cautious as I don't want to melt my new miniatures, also I'm in the UK if that makes any difference (I've heared some sprays vary from region to region)

Thanks in advance,
Rowanthedawg

Well, I use this stuff which is unbranded £1.25 per can and is actually pretty decent, but I'm not sure what you have around but but some and test it on sprues or something.

Good luck man.

Rust-oleum Painter's Touch Ultra Cover Flat Black Primer

Never fuzzy, cheep, works.

I've started useing Black Gesso, since alot of times it's to cold to spray prime when you live in Edmonton Alberta. Waiting untill spring to be able to properly prime with spray paint just isn't a option, and didn't want to gas myself out trying to use the stuff indoors.

Also fun fact. I'm prety sure "Imperail primer" from GW is just repackaged Black Gesso.

I use citadel white primer mostly.

Oh and IP seems more like black paint thinned to much.

i have used Gesso and GW ... both work ok (well the white gw spray i never had good luck with) ... Gesso sometimes doesn't give me a smooth enough coat ... for a mini it is ok but for a ship or something with smooth sides it isn't.

recently tho i started picking up rusteolum branded camo paint (the bottle the says bonds with plastic) they have about 6 shades of green, brown/red, tan, and a black and works great ... covers most army colors ... or at least something close enough to it ..

have yet to try army painter ... have some on order but it keeps getting put on backorder from where i ordered it from.

I use rustoleum paint/primer spray paints regularly. Takes a day or 2 to set up but it doesn't rub off like imperial primer, and doesn't turn into giant clumps like the GW spray primers. That and I can buy 6 cans for the price of 1 GW. I haven't tried it on some of the finer detailed models or finecast models.

This is rust-oleum camo green. 2 light coats ... i did not spray the base directly .. so it is mostly just overspray ... it is also where my fingers touched the model last (putting them on a stick to spray several at once) so they are rough from the oils on my hand ... will be basing the models once done so doesn't matter on that.

I'm another Halfords primer user (the white and grey shades), and have done since I started painting models and mini's properly.

The main advantages are that it's fairly easy to get, the big 500ml cans will cover maybe a couple of hundred mini's, and it's a reasonable price compared to other brands *cough*GW*cough*

I haven't varnished a mini for a while (I'm a recently returned modeller as well) but in the past I used Halfords matt lacquer.

SilenzZzz wrote:
(well the white gw spray i never had good luck with)

I had problems with skull white before I started spraying from a bout 50cm away.

 sing your life wrote:

SilenzZzz wrote:
(well the white gw spray i never had good luck with)

I had problems with skull white before I started spraying from a bout 50cm away.

i tried everything ... first spray i carried back to store and they swapped out for another can .. (was about 80f and 40% humidity with little wind, but it bubbled up some and fuzzed badly from about 12" away)

second can did the same thing .. so i tried moving inward and further outward ... with no luck ... so shelved the can till temp was a bit cooler and got the same results ... so at that time switched to gesso and started using it .

recently tried the black GW can and it worked ok on terrain stuff ... but still app about using it on mini's ...

started using the rustoleum for some bulk mini basecoating and it has worked great.

If you have access to an airbrush, I HIGHLY recommend the Vallejo Surface Primers. They can be bought from just about all the major sellers (Amazon, War Store etc) and they are fantastic. Cover really well, very thin, tough as (plastic) nails etc. And you can spray them indoors without all the fumes and hassle of the rattle cans.

PhantomPhixer wrote:
If you have access to an airbrush, I HIGHLY recommend the Vallejo Surface Primers. They can be bought from just about all the major sellers (Amazon, War Store etc) and they are fantastic. Cover really well, very thin, tough as (plastic) nails etc. And you can spray them indoors without all the fumes and hassle of the rattle cans.

i actually looked for that at a local shop that carries some vallejo (mostly their model color line) before i decided to pick up the rusteloum stuff instead ...

may try to order some in a few colors i know i could use and give it a go .. still learning to use the airbrush

Another piece of advice regarding colour: using grey primer on grey plastic is difficult because you can't tell when you're done.

Halfords or GW for me. GW is without a doubt the best black primer I have ever come across. Halfords grey and red are both great too.
Army Painter sprays are very inconsistent in my expreience, one can can be great and the next absolute rubbish so I tend to avoid them where possible.

But for the origional question go GW, its worth the extra couple of quid IMO