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No you are missunderstanding. The people reporting using the spray does some or all of those 4. The only reason we should not use the GW sprays is because we are looking something that bonds with the model so it is harder to scratch and chipp. Is it not?

The people reporting using the spray are reporting their own experiences relative to nothing in a controled environment.

Primer will make the best bond. It is not, in any way, durable on its surface. Paint is durable. Enamels dry very hard. Enamels are going to be very durable. But, if something scratches it, its scratching the paint. Which, because of the primer, shouldnt take more paint off the model then the scratch itself. Its wont come off in sheets or chips because its all bonded well. The only damage should be surface damage.

To protect against THAT you clear coat it. Go look at your kitchen table. Really look at it. Get down next to it. See that several mil thick coating on it? That clear coat stops all your forks, knives, and other metal utensils from scratching up the table.

If you want to protect your final paint job then clear coat it.

A single product that does all 4 doesnt exist.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
A under coat that protects against scratches on the surface doesnt exist. A paint that creates the optimum bond between plastic and paint doesnt exist. Some will do better than others sure. But the best is a primer.

So what does the primer do then if it does not help the paintjobb last longer? I thought that was why GW paints sprays are considered 'bad' to begin with?

 Niiai wrote:
So what does the primer do then if it does not help the paintjobb last longer? I thought that was why GW paints sprays are considered 'bad' to begin with?

Lets pretend you want a piece of plastic to stick to the wall.

1) you put water on the back of it

2) you put elmers glue on the back of it.

3) you put crazy glue on the back of it.

4) you put industrial 2 part epoxy on the back of it.

Elmers glue might work, but not very well.

Crazy glue will work... But its brittle and not really made for that. The wrong knock and it will fall off.

The 2 part epoxy means your going to hurt your wall to remove the plastic.

The paints people are talking about is crazy glue at best. Primer is the 2 part epoxy. How you prep for painting means the paint can do its job better. I dont actually have to Damage the paint if the paint isnt really sticking to the plastic. I just have to separate it. Primer means i cant do that.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Or a better analogy. Think of it like links in a chain. You only need to break your weakest link. Since paint has trouble bonding to plastic THAT is your weakest link. You dont need to break the paint. You just need to break the bond.

Primer makes that your strongest link. A solid top coat becomes your weakest link. And thats crazy strong.

Can you recommend any good airbrush primers?
How do i know which is the best? Is it enough that is say primer on the bottle? For example Vallejo surface primer?

Is there some kind of restriction that if it says primer on the bottle it is a primer?
Or can they name it whatever they want?

 DanceOfSlaanesh wrote:
Can you recommend any good airbrush primers?
How do i know which is the best? Is it enough that is say primer on the bottle? For example Vallejo surface primer?

Is there some kind of restriction that if it says primer on the bottle it is a primer?
Or can they name it whatever they want?

Badger Stynylrez or Vallejo Surface Primer. I like the badger line, but both work. There’s quite a bit written about both.

I’m unaware of a legislative definition that forces labeling. But the two primers I mentioned were both developed as and marketed as primers. They certainly differ greatly from the brands paint lineup and are intended to provide a surface for paint to stick to.

I am unaware of anything that forces them to call it that.

But its in the companys best interest to market their products correctly. If vallejo makes a primer i am sure its because they want you to get the best results from their paint. The way to ensure their paints are staying strong is to create that optimum bond.


My process is spray primer.
Brush base coat
Layers
Wash
Maybe highlight depending.
Spray Gloss clearcoat.
Spray Satin clear coat.
Ard, coat any glowy bits (necron eyes and orbs etc)

I use this line of clear coats
https://images.prod.meredith.com/product/cf2eefbc8476b9173b0535b4a0edb0aa/f4d20270b7f32c8efa3667fa96e56895abf7fa1279454a689753c1c8c8faec50/l/12-oz-deft-water-based-aerosol-polyurethane-finish-semi-gloss

Except i have the interior/exterior. Again, anything that would damage my models would break them before it ruined my paint.

I think it doesn't really make much of a difference if we're talking plastic or resin miniatures, paintjobs on them don't chip easily anyway. I've been painting and gamingfor about 25 years and the only models where I ever had to fix a paintjob were metal models. I actually don't even varnish plastic minis anymore.

Badger Stynylrez or Vallejo Surface Primer. I like the badger line, but both work. There’s quite a bit written about both.

The Badger stuff is good. I tried the Vallejo once (the 200ml bottle), but it turned out to be so glossy and - for lack of a better word - dense, that no other paint would stick to it, it was like trying to paint on a miniature that had mold release residue on it. Got a bad bottle, I guess.