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Lately I have.had a run on a couple different brands of primers giving me real grief. First it was some Privateer Press flat black which had been used on more than a few models perfectly until the sudden problem, and then I tried some Dupli-Color grey after hearing everyone rave over it. Both problems were where even waiting 24+ hours, the primers never seemed to have cured completely. Regular handling during painting just sort of smeared it off, even more than a week later.

I have primed models in the same area before, our basement. Humidity should not be it, as a brand-new humidifier is down there, set to 55%, and the priming was done right next to it in hopes that would help. Hell, one model done with the duplicolor was even placed on the outflow vent of the actual humidifier, in an experiment theorizing that it was the least humid air possible.

Anyone tackled and beat this problem? All the situations were plastic models, which had been cleaned with an old tooth brush under hot water. Hundreds of models, and this is the first time it has happened. Not shaking enough? Spraying too close?

Are you talking rattle can or airbrush?

This probably isn't the solution to your problem, but in general, try using some soap to clean the models instead of just brushing.

I use a spray bottle of diluted Simple Green, and no brushing. I haven't had any issues with airbrushing Vallejo surface primer this way.

I'm in a tricky spot as well..

I primed a GW Resin figure using badger sty. airbrushed primer and it seems to have stuck really well (and usually i need to be careful handling this primer and AB'd coats over it else have to fix them until sealed)

Yesterday afternoon I primed a FW resin figure as well as some plastic bits (weapon swap arms) using Duplicolor Sandable Black Primer as I read the FW used to recommend an auto primer for extra bite on their resin

Today the resin and plastic bits all still smell of spray primer, usually this smell would have dissipated by now. I cannot scratch the paint off the plastic bits but a bit of force with a fingernail scratches it right off the FW resin, but it has coated it evenly without any unprovoked peeling or bubbling.

I tested the spray on a resin vent piece and saw that it was going on nice and even without clogging so I finished them all, I assumed cure would go well and it would bite based on so many highly recommending posts I read after thorough research

May try some chaos black or just the AB primer if I'm going to need to be clear coating it in any case.. the set is on nice and even but I'm hoping it will cure well..

I use rattlecans for priming- have for year and years. I admit I didn't use anything like Simple Green while cleaning, but typically never do unless using it to strip models. It may be a next step for me to try though.

The next thing I am also trying is going back to priming with Army Painter rattlecan primers. I don't like them as much because their thickness means if you aren't extremely vigilant with clearing the nozzle, they go bad. But at least I love how they work on the plastics I have used them on in the past (though they tend to chip off metal far too easy for my tastes).

Just weird that everyone loves Dupli-Color, but it immediately gave me trouble. Hopefully it's a case of cleaning the plastics better, as I used the same can of Dupli-Color (brand new) on a metal Infinity figure that I had to strip (the last of a can of Rusoleum did the same curing issue, but on metal, and I had initially attributed that to the can being too old), and while there was a bit of the curing issue on the plastic base, it seemed to stick to the metal figure, so I thought I had the problem whipped till it happened all over a plastic figure.

Maybe it was a coincidence, and it just stuck better to the figure because of the Simple Green bath I stripped it with?

Is this a subtle jab trying to further emphasis the existence of the mythical climate change?

haha I kid... (although we know GW created 'climate change' to sell more models)

I had the same issue before... but with me it was definitely a humidity issue.

It was early in my miniaturing career... maybe 3 months in... I had been using nothing but Armory and all seemed well except for one batch I did. At the time I was doing miniatures work I had been priming models in my room (haha kind of dumb I know)... and then putting them by an open window to help them dry... I want to say around that time the whether was changing... it was getting a bit more colder... I think the drop in temp futzed with the humidity levels which in turn futzed with my primer job.

Disclaimer: I no longer spray prime indoors (much) nor do I any longer use Armory.

Speaking of nozzles... that could be the issue... it could be maybe a build up at the tip and its messing with the primer leaving the can? like maybe the ratio of stuff in the primer is getting messed up by the time it hits your model?

Are either of them enamels? Enamels can take days if not weeks to cure, you can usually smell the solvent for quite a long time. Especially the cheaper ones can take ages.

If you don't care about the money, my favourite priming method is a thin coat of Tamiya primer followed by one of their coloured sprays. The Tamiya primer surface itself is a bit too smooth, but it sticks incredibly well, once you spray a matte Tamiya colour over the top the smoothness isn't quite as extreme which means further layers of paint stick really well.

So basically the Tamiya primer sticks like crazy to the plastic, the coloured spray sticks like crazy to the primer, then regular hairy brushed paints stick well to the coloured spray. Both the primer and coloured spray have good shrinkage so they don't clog details even if you apply a few coats.

But yeah, not the cheapest way to prime, but on days where I don't care about money it's what I do Their sprays are lacquers, which mean they dry super fast and are tougher than your average acrylic.

I haven't tried Tamiya primer directly on to metal, I have a specific metal primer I use for metals.

If everything's suddenly going wrong at once it's probably temperature or humidity rather than any inherent problem with the primers.

Prepare for something of a rant/something of a study I've made. I've used almost (and under almost any conditions like weather, prep the mini in different ways, etc, etc) all brands of primer out there (spray cans, to airbrush/brush on. etc) they all tend to chip/peel off (especially acrylic ones for airbrush). The only (spray can) one that really bites the plastic and don't let go like a pitbul is Tamiya and probably Mr.Hobby (did not tried their can I use their Aribrush Primer), but the Tamiya have one con - it is great for vehicles and not so good for marines - it creates shiny/glossy surface that prevents most acrylics to stick properly. Same goes for Dupli-Color primer.

If peeling off or not curing properly is getting on your nerve, you can either varnish (but then what kind of primer requires varnish when the primer should be there to prevent chipping the paint off) or instead of priming and varnishing, just use random black/white/gray spray paint as base coat. You can get it from the hardware store, look out for matte sprays thou. I am currently using a 1.5 Dollar Black Spray paint, this our equivalent of Krylon spray here, which is most people alternative to GW Chaos Black. And Chaos Black is guess what? Not a primer, but rather just random black spray paint.

The spray can I have now creates nice base coat and guess what? It helps the acrylics such as GW and Vallejo to stick to the paint almost as good as most of the ridiculous overpriced "primers" out there.

Yes, I know that people will now bash me and provide arguments, but you know, everything is subjective and everyone likes different things.

 DalinCriid wrote:
it is great for vehicles and not so good for marines - it creates shiny/glossy surface that prevents most acrylics to stick properly.

That's why I hit it with the primer first and then use just a non-primer matte coloured spray to finish it off

You only need a really thin dusting of the primer to give you the bite in to the plastic, then the matte spray gives you a surface that is better for acrylics to go over the top.

AllSeeingSkink wrote:

 DalinCriid wrote:
it is great for vehicles and not so good for marines - it creates shiny/glossy surface that prevents most acrylics to stick properly.

That's why I hit it with the primer first and then use just a non-primer matte coloured spray to finish it off

You only need a really thin dusting of the primer to give you the bite in to the plastic, then the matte spray gives you a surface that is better for acrylics to go over the top.

Yeah, but the only primer I will ever spray is Mr. Surfacer

Yeah, that's the only one I airbrush, but when I can't be bothered setting up and cleaning out my airbrush I reach for the Tamiya rattle cans.

Once I actually sprayed a Tamiya rattle can straight in to my airbrush cup and then shot it through my airbrush. It actually worked really well, but I imagine it'll kill the seals because the rattle can lacquer solvents are waaaay harsher than Gunze's lacquer thinners.

I haven't tried Mr Surfacer in rattle can form. They're probably better but they're harder to find out here. They come in different grit levels the same as the glass bottle versions....

http://www.bnamodelworld.com/gsi-creos-gsi-b506-mr-surfacer-500-100ml

http://www.bnamodelworld.com/gsi-creos-gsi-b519-mr-surfacer-1000-deluxe-170ml

I am looking forward to try Mr. Surfacer can, but you know the thing with any kind of cans is humidity, weather etc. etc... I wonder if there is a way I can spray at home, but....

I spray indoors by using a box with a powerful fan in it. It has to be a powerful fan because rattle cans create much more intense clouds of fumes than airbrushing does. I wouldn't trust one of those cheap airbrushing booths to do the job.

Leave the fan running for a few minutes after spraying with the model in the box because the model continues to release fumes for a while after you've sprayed it.