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*Sigh*

So, I thought I'd ask this here after yet another Armypainter color primer can has failed on me. Probably 75% of the way through the can (gun metal) going on butter smooth, and with vigilant shaking and upside-down spraying, and the can clogs on me, petering out and then finally stopping altogether. This makes about 5 cans which have done this at varying times, a couple times with at least half a (expensive) can left. I love how the spray primers work-when they do- but it's to the point where I expect them to fail.

As a 20-year veteran of spray priming, its getting way past annoying. Several people I have spoken with have had the same experiences, where they end up stocking up on large batches of models to try to get the most out of a new can before it inevitably fails.

Does anyone out there have any good tricks? Is it a purely nozzle-clog issue, and if so, are there good nozzles I can get ahold of that I can replace bad ones with? Or it is a situation where the connection tunnel inside the can is where the failure is, and there's no fix once it happens?

So, I've had the same problem on probably 50% of my cans - either a result of their mixture being thick or they simply use a piss-poor manufacturer.

One trick I have found which does work is simply changing out the nozzle. I've been able to fix 90% of these issues...but yes you can go through several nozzles, so buy a decent sized bag of them.

Having used AP sprays for a few years I've just come to accept that their system does this, for whatever reason. Shame too, as if this was my first can I'd have never bought another.

This did happen on my first can and I won't buy another. It started going on reeeeeeeal thick, then clogged up altogether.

I assumed nozzle issues but don't have another compatible nozzle as it seems every other can uses a different type.

I stopped buying their sprays as it happened to me several times. When you are paying £8+ per can, I'm not prepared to waste half a can of spray because the nozzle clogs.

These are what I had a bag of (and may buy another!)



Just generic spray can nozzles. Using these, I've been able to basically use the entire can with the exception of one bad can of white. I have maybe 20-30 cans of AP spray at the moment. I'd love them to get their gak together and fix them, but for $2-3 for the nozzles I'll cope with it for now. The benefit outweighs the issues I've had.

So are the nozzles the actual culprit, rather than the opening the fit into? Because Im wondering if I can use a syringe of rubbing alcohol to clear them followed by a blast of canned air, rather than the upside-down spray method.

I was worried it was the gasket the nozzle fits into, but if I can get replacements, even better. Does anyone have a link to any? Elbows, if you have one that you buy from?

I also read a article online that says to soak nozzles in thinner overnight, and then use a can of spray lubricant (the kind with the straw) to blow it clean. I assume you would probably want to use canned air to get all the solvent out before spraying a model.

Lol, army painter sprays suck.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
People trying to fix... ive used 15 to 20 gw new sprays.

Smooth like butter is definitely not what you want from a primer. Primed surfaces for mini painting should feel like very fine cement or chalk.

Thanks for the great input Snail? I guess I can't say much, I'm only about 600 minis in, almost all primed with AP (oddly the only one I don't like is their white primer) colours.

 Snail22 wrote:
Lol, army painter sprays suck.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
People trying to fix... ive used 15 to 20 gw new sprays.

Smooth like butter is definitely not what you want from a primer. Primed surfaces for mini painting should feel like very fine cement or chalk.

'Smooth' primer is fine. If you think you can feel the texture of a paintable surface you vastly overestimate the sensitivity of the human finger.

I tried AP because it's cheaper and more easily obtained in NZ, but won't be trying it again because of the clog. It's a pain in the neck, and I don't have nozzles to replace it.
All my GW sprays have worked, so I'll just put the extra expense in, in future, and call it 'stress avoidance'.

 Snail22 wrote:
Lol, army painter sprays suck.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
People trying to fix... ive used 15 to 20 gw new sprays.

Smooth like butter is definitely not what you want from a primer. Primed surfaces for mini painting should feel like very fine cement or chalk.

When I meant smooth I meant I have never had Armypainter sprays fuzz up on me, while its happened from time to time with all other brands. I also like the 100% color match when I am doing things like Gunmetal Stormcast or Dwarves, and I don't have to worry about painting every section of metal over a grey primer coat, or having a wash work differently on two parts of the model.

I used to prime absolutely everything a medium grey, and then paint absolutely every color layer over that regardless of color, but with two toddlers eating up my time I need shortcuts, lol.

 Snail22 wrote:
Lol, army painter sprays suck.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
People trying to fix... ive used 15 to 20 gw new sprays.

Smooth like butter is definitely not what you want from a primer. Primed surfaces for mini painting should feel like very fine cement or chalk.

most people dont know these sprays are NOT primers and its really missleading of GW when people expect some wear and tear from playing

I don't get some of the negativity, Snail. And was originally a bit condescending.

Replacement spray nozzles certainly aren't any different from the dropper bottles I buy to transfer GW paint into from their horridly designed bottles, so my paints don't dry up halfway through (I have decade old droppers that still work great), or drip all over the hinge area and the clog up the mechanism when closed-or worst case scenario, spatter out when the top snaps shut. God forbid the screw-top years, and that nightmare...