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Hi I've returned to the hobby after ~many~ years and have so far painted up 20 plastic figures and a metal bolt thrower. I found I was having problems getting paint to stick to the lead and I've realised I was wrong in assuming the Citadel's Base range are primers . I can see it's definitely needed on metal figures but the paint appears to have stuck perfectly well to the plastic. I'll throw a coat of matt varnish on them so I'm hoping I won't wake up one day to see they'll all shed their skin . Do I actually need to prime plastic? Perhaps I've only used crappy primer in the past but I found it would obscure some of the detail. I'll order a pot of the Imperial Primer before continuing with any metal painting (I can't really use spray cans here) but should I use it on the plastic?

Thanks!

Imperial primer is basically like gesso. So you might as well get black gesso if you want a brush-on primer. Far far cheaper.

It is important to wash both plastic and metal. I've found a 4 minute cycle in the ultrasonic cleaner I use for my airbrush works wonders.

I personally use an airbrush primer (efficient, not too smelly) but if you're working on metals, halfords grey primer is great, just spray outside now the nice weather is on the way.

Imperial Primer works okay on Plastic, but I've had zero sucess with it working on metal.

It's honestly terrible stuff, and like winterdyne said you are probably better off getting an actual brush-on primer like gesso.

That's great thanks, I'll give gesso a try. Should I definitely be priming plastic or is there split opinion on the issue?

I've never heard of plastic minis NOT being/needing to be primed before. No matter what the material is, plastic, metal, resin, finecast... priming is essential as far as I'm aware.

No it's not. It's helpful in getting an even basecoat, but there's no natural law stating that paint will just fall off models.

It's easier to paint on models with primer than bare plastic. Paint will stick better on a primed surface because *gasp* that's what a primer is for.

Always primer your models. Paints stick better.

Styrene takes paint reasonably well - the smooth surface seems to be more a barrier to the act of painting than the possibility of adhesion. The finished paintjob may not be as resilient as with a primed model, but it's possible.

I take the middle ground - for plastics, I "prime" with an aerosol enamel spray paint. It adheres just fine and provides extra tooth for the basecoat, while being cheap and going on nice and thin. Also allows me to tailor the color of the undercoat, if desired. Using an actual primer is certainly an option, but it's not a necessity for adhesion. On metals, certainly (regular enamels chip easily - God help you if you try to go straight in with acrylics!), but not on plastics. Others insist on using them on ALL materials, but that's just a matter of preference.

Also, as mentioned, GW's Imperial Primer is supposedly garbage. I'd get gesso or Vallejo's PU primer instead, if aerosols aren't an option.

When I first started painting I got the GW starter paint set and it came with a pot of Imperial Primer. The stuff was basically black sludge with a layer of medium on top, so I shook the hell out of it, added a little water, tried everything and couldn't get it to work. Then I looked online and discovered that my pot wasn't defective, Imperial Primer is always like this. It's a major pain in the ass and you have to shake it for literally 10+ minutes (I'm assuming, because I shook my for over 5) to mix the crap up and it is nigh impossible to paint an even coat with.

If you're looking to prime with a brush I would steer clear of Imperial Primer.

You are probably going to be much better off priming your models, both plastic and metal, with a spray primer. I use the Krylon primers and love em!

I find myself at ease with Vallejo's urethanic primer, both with brush (dos notneed to be thinned and coats evenly wityh a normal brush) and airbrush. You just only have to let it cure properly (and this means 24 to 48 hours of curing: you may paint just when dry, but you risk it peeling off)
Also, Tamiya and Army painter (spray can) primers seem to have quite a consensus.

 ZultanQ wrote:
Then I looked online and discovered that my pot wasn't defective, Imperial Primer is always like this. It's a major pain in the ass and you have to shake it for literally 10+ minutes (I'm assuming, because I shook my for over 5) to mix the crap up and it is nigh impossible to paint an even coat with.

If you're looking to prime with a brush I would steer clear of Imperial Primer.

I'd suggest a steel ball/agitator ball/ball-bearing's ball (or two) in the pot, it really helps. I put a couple of them in the bottle of vallejo primer, even if it is not that necessary.

 Kerrathyr wrote:
I'd suggest a steel ball/agitator ball/ball-bearing's ball (or two) in the pot, it really helps. I put a couple of them in the bottle of vallejo primer, even if it is not that necessary.

I'd be concerned that the ball bearing would rust or oxidize eventually and discolor your paint. I'd go with lava beads instead, they are cheap and inert, or alternately, ceramic baking beads which I have not personally used but were recommended. I also have left a hematite bead in water and shaken it now and then for... almost a year now, I guess, so that also works pretty well and also very cheap.

Ive found i get the best results with Coat D'Arms Grey Primer (which is basically the old GW Smelly Primer), for preference i cut it with airbrush thinner and spray it on, goes on nice and thin and holds the paint very well.

Personally i would avoid Halfords spray primer like the plague, no matter how long i spend shaking it i find its far too particulate and doesnt give a nice clean coat.