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Now, this isn't your normal question about how to stop a metal model from chipping. I'm having problems with chipping BEFORE I finish painting it, I'll put a layer or two on, then a large bit of paint will chip off.
Can anyone help me before I put so many layers on that my model becomes a ball of paint?

Many thanks,

LazzurusMan

Did you wash the mini with warm soap water before painting? It is possible there was some sort of residue on it that is stopping the paint from adhering to the surface properly.

First I stripped the model of it's paint, then I washed it in warm soapy water. It only seems to be on this one area that it chips though :/

Right, I suspect some of the stripping agent was left in that spot. Try washing it again in warm soapy water, and gently scrub with an old toothbrush to make sure you got everything out of the cracks.

What are you using for primer?

Is it chipping off or could you be rubbing the primer off with your fingertips? I only ask because I have very bad habits of touching the model and rotating it with by the model vice the base and I find I rub sections of the primer off quite easily. Especially on the points of the models.

I primed it with abbadon black. I left it a couple of hours to dry, applied the next colour, and when I came back after that, the paint was gone on parts of the model

 LazzurusMan wrote:
I primed it with abbadon black. I left it a couple of hours to dry, applied the next colour, and when I came back after that, the paint was gone on parts of the model

That's your problem right there.

Abbadon black is what GW calls a "base". It's a somewhat confusing term that refers NOT to primer, but rather to a thick, heavily pigmented paint. Abbadon black will not adhere to the model in the same way as a primer, and is much more likely to chip off in the way you are describing.

GW does sell a brush on primer called "imperial Primer"
http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/catalog/productDetail.jsp?catId=cat440253a&prodId=prod80003a or you can buy one of their sprays.
Alternatively some folks use
-Primers from other companies
-Gesso
-Regular hardware store spray paints.

I've used most of these and they all work better than what you're doing which is essentially using thick acrylic paint as primer.

So, I basically need to strip the model again and find some cheap black spray paint...

Good thing I live with enough females to drown myself in nail polish remover XD

 LazzurusMan wrote:
So, I basically need to strip the model again and find some cheap black spray paint...

Good thing I live with enough females to drown myself in nail polish remover XD

Probably the best idea would be to strip it and start fresh. As to what product to use for primer, that's up to you.
Best of Luck.

I wouldn't use a "cheap black spray paint" as a primer. I've been down that road and it sucks. badly.

Get a decent primer, the longevity of the paint on your model will be well worth it.

Though "decent" doesn't necessarily mean GW Black spray primer at > $10/can. If you go down to your local hardware store/Home Depot, you can pick up auto primer, Krylon, Rustoleum, etc brand primer that will work quite well at a fraction of the price.

Well for now the model will be stripped bare of all paint and left silver and clean until I have the money to buy a dedicated primer XD

clively wrote:
I wouldn't use a "cheap black spray paint" as a primer. I've been down that road and it sucks. badly.

Get a decent primer, the longevity of the paint on your model will be well worth it.

Meh, YMMV,
For a couple of decades now I've had good luck with the sort of one buck black and white sprays that every hardware and big box store seems to have as well as the somewhat more expensive (but still half the price of GW) colored camo and primer sprays from Krylon and Rustoleum.

Durability has never been an issue. The only problems I've experienced have been frosting or clumping when trying to spray when it's too humid out, but that's a factor with any spray paint (Armory primer seemed to be particularly susceptible). The other issue that some folks run into is that certain auto primers are made to go on really fast and thick because unlike model hobbyists, auto body fixers actually want to hide any surface irregularities (i.e. what we'd call detail...), but it's not something you run into too often. Your store clerk and/or a quick test spray will let you know what you are dealing with.

If you're worried about it then by all means go with something "better". I don't personally think hobby sprays are worth the cost, but spending a few bucks more for peace of mind isn't a bad investment.

I'm a big fan of Dupli-color Sandable Primer, which you can get in most auto parts stores, but I've had luck with basic Krylon, as well (I just didn't like it as much).

GW's primer isn't actual primer, by my understanding -- it's just regular black paint in a spray can. That's not my experience, just regurgitating what I've seen on CMON.