I Found a Good New Primer!

[Snake45]

Was in an independent hardware store this morning and checked out their spray paints. (I was there because I thought they carried Krylon but they're now stocking Rustoleum.) On the very bottom shelf I spotted some flat white and flat black paint in an off-brand that made me think of my beloved Walmart Color Place primers. The stuff is called Touch 'n' tone. Feeling lucky, I bought two cans of each. 

The plastic spoon tests look VERY good. The white is very opaque (I also tested it on a spoon that I'd previously painted flat black with something) and dries quickly, thin, and smooth. The black is really a very, VERY dark gray (like the old Pactra Hot Rod Primer) and dries fast, thin and smooth with just a hint of sheen that comes up a little by rubbing it with a finger. I think it would make a GREAT "hot rod black primer" final finish. 

The paint didn't cause any crazing on the spoons, nor with the old black primer on the one spoon. 

I can't say for sure if this is exactly the same stuff as Walmart Color Place, but it acts very much like it in all the good ways. I paid about $3 a can for it (not as good as Walmart's 99 cents) and I'll be keeping my eye open for more of the stuff. 

[Jantrix]

Good to know. Thanks.

[Snake45]

I just googled the stuff and found out it's a Rustoleum product. 

https://www.rustoleum.com/product-catalog/consumer-brands/general-purpose-paint/touch-n-tone

There's a store locator on the page. 

The google search seems to imply that Lowe's carries this paint, too, but none of the local Lowe's is mentioned on my local store locator search. 

[George Bojaciuk]

Just an FYI...do not use Rustoleum over Krylon. Ask me how I know!

[bbowser]

2 hours ago, George Bojaciuk said:

Just an FYI...do not use Rustoleum over Krylon. Ask me how I know!

I can second that opinion, I don't need to ask!

[Mike999]

6 hours ago, Snake45 said:

I can't say for sure if this is exactly the same stuff as Walmart Color Place, but it acts very much like it in all the good ways. I paid about $3 a can for it (not as good as Walmart's 99 cents) and I'll be keeping my eye open for more of the stuff. 

Thanks for the heads-up.  Does your Wal-Mart (or anybody's) still sell the Flat White & Black Color Place paints?  I haven't seen them for months in my closest store.  They have about 100 cans of Color Place Gloss Black on the shelves, and that's all.  No white, no flats.  I have a couple of cans bought long ago, trying to hoard them.

[George Bojaciuk]

Don’t hoard. They don’t last! 

[George Bojaciuk]

I was down to my final coat... both cans of Krylon failed. One was brand new! Both were hoarded cans. When I sprayed the final light coat of Rustoleum... the whole thing crazed!!!!

I was sick! This is an old resin piece with plastic added to make a back and base. Problem was to figure what could take the paint off without hurting plastic. ELO worked! Resin only, was cleaned with Eastwood PRE. Now ready for a re-do!

with all the EPA regs, paints have changed. What worked last year, doesn’t this year! 
My recommendation is to try to stick to the same mfg. with all stages of paint.

Edited February 12, 2020 by George Bojaciuk

[Plowboy]

I would do a test on regular kit styrene before committing to it. Spoons aren't the same as kit styrene. I had a bad issue with a can of Rustoleum. Even after drying for a week and half, I could scratch it off with my fingernail. I even put the body out in the sun for a couple of days. Then when I stripped it, it had etched into the styrene everywhere except where there was putty. Luckily, it didn't craze it. Cheap primer is just that, cheap primer. If you have to strip and start over, you haven't saved anything.

[Snake45]

44 minutes ago, Mike999 said:

Thanks for the heads-up.  Does your Wal-Mart (or anybody's) still sell the Flat White & Black Color Place paints?  I haven't seen them for months in my closest store.  They have about 100 cans of Color Place Gloss Black on the shelves, and that's all.  No white, no flats.  I have a couple of cans bought long ago, trying to hoard them.

I'm in the same boat as you, except my place also has gloss white. About a year ago I was able to order 6 cans of Color Place flat white and 6 cans of flat gray through the Walmart website and pick them up at the local store, but now they're even gone from the website. 

13 minutes ago, Plowboy said:

I would do a test on regular kit styrene before committing to it. Spoons aren't the same as kit styrene. I had a bad issue with a can of Rustoleum. Even after drying for a week and half, I could scratch it off with my fingernail. I even put the body out in the sun for a couple of days. Then when I stripped it, it had etched into the styrene everywhere except where there was putty. Luckily, it didn't craze it. Cheap primer is just that, cheap primer. If you have to strip and start over, you haven't saved anything.

Good point, and I will do. So far I've had EXTREMELY good results with the cheap Walmart white, gray, and black primers, and I'm hoping this new stuff will work as well. But I'm already virtually certain it'll work great with Testor Lacquers and Model Master enamels airbrushed with lacquer thinner. 

[Metalbeast]

I've never used the primer, but I did use some Touch and Tone gloss paint on a Model A body some time ago. I sprayed it straight onto the plastic with no primer after I'd sanded off the mold lines and flash and for cheapo hardware paint I was happy. It was kind of a shot in the dark. I wanted a bright red for the Model A and I just happened to have quite a bit of the bright red Touch and Tone left over from the can I bought to touch up a mower deck. I try to use primer from the same mfgr as whatever top coat I'm using so I'd like to hear your results on what works with the Touch n Tone primer. 

[martinfan5]

4 hours ago, Mike999 said:

Thanks for the heads-up.  Does your Wal-Mart (or anybody's) still sell the Flat White & Black Color Place paints?  I haven't seen them for months in my closest store.  They have about 100 cans of Color Place Gloss Black on the shelves, and that's all.  No white, no flats.  I have a couple of cans bought long ago, trying to hoard them.

Just the gloss black at one nearest to me, there are two within a few miles, but I really don't like going to those unless I really have to, so I am going to imagine they are same way.

I was a big user of the flat black .

 

Edited February 12, 2020 by martinfan5

[slusher]

5 hours ago, Plowboy said:

I would do a test on regular kit styrene before committing to it. Spoons aren't the same as kit styrene. I had a bad issue with a can of Rustoleum. Even after drying for a week and half, I could scratch it off with my fingernail. I even put the body out in the sun for a couple of days. Then when I stripped it, it had etched into the styrene everywhere except where there was putty. Luckily, it didn't craze it. Cheap primer is just that, cheap primer. If you have to strip and start over, you haven't saved anything.

I save old or extra model parts for paint testing. I do use some Rustoleum  but I have never had a problem yet. I stoped using Testors spray enamel because it’s thin and seems to not have as much pigment as it use too..

[Snake45]

I laid a HEAVY coat of Rustoleum auto Garnet Red paint on one of the white-primed spoons. No adverse reaction at all. 

[Painted Black]

Been using Touch n Tone for years, only primer that I've ever used that is easy to strip off. easy off takes it off quite well, same with the color choices.

[Classicgas]

It really sucks since Walmart quit carrying the flat black, white, and gray primer. It worked quite well.

[heyjohnxx]

If you have a Meijer in your area, they carry Touch N Tone Black, White, and Grey Primer. Price went up recently, last can of primer was $1.39. I would avoid the black and white; they're thin and runny. The grey primer works very well.

[Snake45]

36 minutes ago, heyjohnxx said:

If you have a Meijer in your area, they carry Touch N Tone Black, White, and Grey Primer. Price went up recently, last can of primer was $1.39. I would avoid the black and white; they're thin and runny. The grey primer works very well.

The black and white I bought aren't what you'd call "high build," meaning good for filling sanding scratches and other slight surface flaws and being sanded down.  They're thin, but I wouldn't call them runny. And they cover well. They're perfect for a great deal of what I use primer for. 

Edited February 13, 2020 by Snake45

[heyjohnxx]

Sorry. The black and white that I find are their gloss paints. I've only found their primer in grey

[oldscool]

You can also get the Touch and Tone paint at Auto Zone stores.