Question for those that use non hobby specific primers such as Krylon

[Lightsunglasses]

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?

[slusher]

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...

[Snake45]

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.

[1hobby1]

Duplicolor makes a good primer. Sprays great and covers very nice. I haven't had any issues with it.

[thejunkman]

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

[Lightsunglasses]

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.

[JollySipper]

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......

[Lightsunglasses]

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.

[Lightsunglasses]

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.

[chunkypeanutbutter]

Whatever you get, test it on a junk body first.

[astroracer]

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

[DrGlueblob]

The general rule of thumb is -Never shoot a lacquer over an enamel. The really cheap buck-a-can Wally paint are enamels.

[Lightsunglasses]

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?

[Tom Geiger]

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!

[Ace-Garageguy]

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).

[Ace-Garageguy]

  On 5/4/2015 at 2:15 AM, Lightsunglasses said:

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).

[Tom Geiger]

  On 5/16/2015 at 3:28 PM, Ace-Garageguy said:

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

[Guest]

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.