Lightsunglasses Posted May 3, 2015 Share Posted May 3, 2015 I've noticed plenty of people have had success using Krylon primers and even paints as they are more affordable. My question is; are you guys picking Krylon paints and primers that specifically state that they are for plastics? Or are you just using the 'regular' Krylon cans that you can find at your local stores? Also, I found a rattle can of Rustoleum Clear Gloss in my garage; would this be useful for modeling? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slusher Posted May 3, 2015 Share Posted May 3, 2015 Krylon paints work great over Tamiya primer an most primers. i have used it on bare plastic before. The same with Rustoleum they work well with most primers. I have Krylon clear but i generally use Testors clear over all paint i use. Do not use Krylon fusion on any model it ruins the plastic... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake45 Posted May 3, 2015 Share Posted May 3, 2015 Stay away from "general" paints that state they're for plastic, as they're formulated to "bite" into plastic and are much too harsh for our work. If you want a GOOD cheap primer, Walmart's CHEAP house brand gray is about as good as you can find anywhere. Wonderful stuff--it's been my go-to primer for about two years now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1hobby1 Posted May 3, 2015 Share Posted May 3, 2015 Duplicolor makes a good primer. Sprays great and covers very nice. I haven't had any issues with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thejunkman Posted May 3, 2015 Share Posted May 3, 2015 (edited) I guess I am probably the odd person out in the conversation as I am a first timer and a novice builder, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. On my project I have been mostly just using what ever I have left over from other projects. Rattle can and even automotive stuff. As for pirmer I am cheap and dirty. I used sandable primers on parts that I wanted a "rough" look. For colors I mix and match my stuff, but I do have a background in automotive paint and bodywork with my restorations that I have done. Mind you this is not finished (you can find the build in the On the workbench section) I used very little "hobby" specific paint as that stuff is expensive for what you get so I only buy it when I need a specific color and not much of it. The blue is a Wally World color with a Krylon flat topcoat. The frame base color is a black sandalbe PPG automotive primer that I always have on hand. Edited May 3, 2015 by thejunkman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lightsunglasses Posted May 3, 2015 Author Share Posted May 3, 2015 Thanks for the tips guys; I think I'll try and check out some of that Color Place primer from Walmart, seems to be extremely affordable. What about paints? I have tons of Testor enamel rattle cans but have heard that I can't expect good results from them. Hearing Kyrlon and Duplicolor spray cans are a good choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JollySipper Posted May 3, 2015 Share Posted May 3, 2015 If you decide to use Dupli-Color spray, you need to use their primer, as it will craze the WalMart primers...... Your Rustoleum clear should work on any paint, including the DupliColor...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lightsunglasses Posted May 4, 2015 Author Share Posted May 4, 2015 Really? Okay, good to know. I think I'll use the cheap Walmart primer for little pieces that will be handbrushed with enamels like engines and running gear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lightsunglasses Posted May 4, 2015 Author Share Posted May 4, 2015 And then I'll see about Duplicolor or Rustoleum for the main body pieces. I'm still eager to use up the cans of Testor enamels that I already have however. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunkypeanutbutter Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 Whatever you get, test it on a junk body first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astroracer Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 (edited) Not to muddy the waters but I have migrated away from most "automotive" type paints and moved into the nail polish realm... This Camaro was shot with a Chrome nail polish over Dupont sandable grey primer. You need to use Dupont or Rustoleum primers as most nail polishes are laquer based and are "hot" to the base plastic. Buying a couple bottles of nail polish at the dollar store is MUCH cheaper then a rattle can, even at Walmart. And the colors are endless. You will need a bit of laquer thinner for mixing and cleaning the airbrush but a quart of that is pretty cheap and lasts for a long time. Mark Edited May 4, 2015 by astroracer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrGlueblob Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 The general rule of thumb is -Never shoot a lacquer over an enamel. The really cheap buck-a-can Wally paint are enamels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lightsunglasses Posted May 4, 2015 Author Share Posted May 4, 2015 That car looks great with the nail polish; unfortunately I do not have access to an airbrush so it's not an option for me. Has anyone had success with the cheap Walmart color paint spray cans? How comparable are they to a testors paint spray can? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Geiger Posted May 16, 2015 Share Posted May 16, 2015 Are you near an Ollies? It's a closeout store chain. I recently bought Plastikote auto primer spray cans for $1.50 a can. I use Plastikote or Duplicolor primers exclusively on my models. I bought all they had, so I spent $25., the equivalent of buying 3 cans in the real world. This should last me a few years! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace-Garageguy Posted May 16, 2015 Share Posted May 16, 2015 Both Plastikote and Duplicolor primers are excellent. I'd personally stay away from primers made for craft and household use...if you want professional looking results. The Plastikote and Duplicolor products are made for real-car work, are sandable, and come in several colors and high-build and regular. Primer, especially no-name unknown formulation junk is NOT the place to save money...if you want consistent good results with no primer surprises (like crazing). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace-Garageguy Posted May 16, 2015 Share Posted May 16, 2015 I'm still eager to use up the cans of Testor enamels that I already have however. You can get good results with Testors enamel rattlecans, but it takes a bit of practice and persistence, as well as patience to allow for things like recoat-windows and full dry-to-polish times (geological). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Geiger Posted May 16, 2015 Share Posted May 16, 2015 (edited) Both Plastikote and Duplicolor primers are excellent. I'd personally stay away from primers made for craft and household use...if you want professional looking results. The Plastikote and Duplicolor products are made for real-car work, are sandable, and come in several colors and high-build and regular. Primer, especially no-name unknown formulation junk is NOT the place to save money...if you want consistent good results with no primer surprises (like crazing). Agreed. I cringe at some of the cheap dollar store like supplies guys mention on the boards... whether it's using the right primer and paints, real Bare Metal Foil, Tamiya tapes, glues or other supplies... you are just cheating yourself out of professional looking results. All in all, for the time you spend on building a model, the correct supplies really aren't costly at all... especially once you've spread them across several model builds. I know that I don't want to get 3/4 the way through a 50 hour build to find that the cheapo primer and paint I used has crazed because I saved $5. The right stuff makes building more pleasurable and the results much more professional. Edited May 16, 2015 by Tom Geiger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 16, 2015 Share Posted May 16, 2015 One word of warning with using Krylon paints: They have a re coat window that must be adhered to strictly. Usually, it's within one hour or after twenty-four. Anything in between will result in disastrous results! Read the can beforehand to make sure of the re coat times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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