Do any stores carry Plastikote sandable primer?

[Snake45]

I bought three cans of Plastikote T-235 when it started to get hard to find five or six years ago, maybe longer. I save it for when I really NEED a primer that's both high-build and must stand up to hot paint. 

For a couple years now my go-to primer has been the 96 cent Walmart Color Place stuff, which is cheap, thin, smooth, opaque, fast-drying, and so far has stood up to everything I've thrown at it. It's just not high-build, that's all. Sadly, it's now hard to find, too. I managed to score six cans a few months back, which might be a lifetime supply if I use it carefully. 

The Color Place paint comes and goes at Walmart. For a while they haven't had any at all, but here recently Gloss White and Gloss Black are back. I'm hoping the flat white, gray, and black primers eventually show up again at some point. If they do, I'm stocking up! 

[tmathew1us]

6 hours ago, Snake45 said:

I bought three cans of Plastikote T-235 when it started to get hard to find five or six years ago, maybe longer. I save it for when I really NEED a primer that's both high-build and must stand up to hot paint. 

For a couple years now my go-to primer has been the 96 cent Walmart Color Place stuff, which is cheap, thin, smooth, opaque, fast-drying, and so far has stood up to everything I've thrown at it. It's just not high-build, that's all. Sadly, it's now hard to find, too. I managed to score six cans a few months back, which might be a lifetime supply if I use it carefully. 

The Color Place paint comes and goes at Walmart. For a while they haven't had any at all, but here recently Gloss White and Gloss Black are back. I'm hoping the flat white, gray, and black primers eventually show up again at some point. If they do, I'm stocking up! 

Wal-Mart Colorplace was also my go-to. They used to sell grey primer, but I haven't seen it for quite a while. I have to say the black and white matte coats do well for primer, especially the matte white under gloss white for race cars and such. However, as mentioned these are getting harder to find, especially the matte. I wonder if they grey primer and matte coats are being discontinued for environmental reasons? 

[Dave Toups]

On 1/26/2020 at 9:11 PM, tmathew1us said:

Wal-Mart Colorplace was also my go-to. They used to sell grey primer, but I haven't seen it for quite a while. I have to say the black and white matte coats do well for primer, especially the matte white under gloss white for race cars and such. However, as mentioned these are getting harder to find, especially the matte. I wonder if they grey primer and matte coats are being discontinued for environmental reasons? 

I looked up ColorPlace online and apparently it's also made by Valspar! Don't know if that's a recent change or not. Our Wal Mart only seems to carry Rustoleum primer. I bought a couple cans of Duplicolor and I'll try that.

[Snake45]

29 minutes ago, Dave Toups said:

I looked up ColorPlace online and apparently it's also made by Valspar! 

Amazing. I had no idea! I assumed the cheap Color Place stuff was made in China. 

At one point Walmart also had a cheap gray primer labeled Home Shades. It had the exact same UPC number as the Color Place, and in my testing it was identical in every way--color, smell, drying time, final finish, every other way I could think of to compare them. 

[Dave Toups]

31 minutes ago, Snake45 said:

Amazing. I had no idea! I assumed the cheap Color Place stuff was made in China. 

At one point Walmart also had a cheap gray primer labeled Home Shades. It had the exact same UPC number as the Color Place, and in my testing it was identical in every way--color, smell, drying time, final finish, every other way I could think of to compare them. 

I found it online. Apparently Walmart doesn't sell it in stores any longer. Apparently they're out of stock. Hope that doesn't mean it's discontinued

Edited January 28, 2020 by Dave Toups

[martinfan5]

On 1/23/2020 at 9:26 PM, Rodent said:

My LHS is now charging  $14 for Tamiya primer. It's great for some things, but doesn't work well over sanding or filler. I prefer a sandable primer when it's needed, Tamiya when it isn't. 

Tamiya has primer in the bottle that allows it be used as a filler primer

https://www.tamiyausa.com/shop/finishing/liquid-surface-primer-40ml/

If you have a Hobby Lobby, they carry Tamiya primer and you can use the 40% off coupon, I order my cans on line for about $9 per can at $3 shipping, I get a couple at time and save.

Edited January 29, 2020 by martinfan5

[martinfan5]

On 1/23/2020 at 11:46 AM, SfanGoch said:

I just got off the phone with Valspar customer service. The Plastickote line was discontinued; however, "We do produce Krylon products which are just as good."

And they said that with a straight face?,  that is load of bull, and then some.

[Snake45]

9 hours ago, Dave Toups said:

I looked up ColorPlace online and apparently it's also made by Valspar! 

I was unable to confirm this. I did notice that Walmart also uses the Color Place name for house paint. I wonder if Valspar makes that? 

Meanwhile, I looked at two different MSDS/SDS sheets for Color Place aerosols. Both had the "Manufacturer" listed as: Distributed by Walmart, Bentonville, Arkansas. Interesing. Maybe Walmart has the Color Place aerosols made by the lowest bidding vendor of the moment, to a standardized formula? 

 

[Ace-Garageguy]

10 minutes ago, Snake45 said:

 

...Maybe Walmart has the Color Place aerosols made by the lowest bidding vendor of the moment, to a standardized formula? 

Most likely, and if the lowest bidder is Chinese, and quality control on this side of the Pacific is anything like it is in the car-parts biz, don't expect to get the same product every time.

Reality can be a real bidge.

[Ace-Garageguy]

49 minutes ago, martinfan5 said:

And they said that with a straight face?,  that is load of bull, and then some.

Hey man...it probably is "just as good" if you're the typical DIY consumer, putting a runny, dust-filled layer of color over your bleached out rattan lawn furniture.

[martinfan5]

4 minutes ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

Hey man...it probably is "just as good" if you're the typical DIY consumer, putting a runny, dust-filled layer of color over your bleached out rattan lawn furniture.

For that, sure, it probably is "just as good" for those people, sigh.

Edited January 29, 2020 by martinfan5

[Rodent]

2 hours ago, martinfan5 said:

Tamiya has primer in the bottle that allows it be used as a filler primer

https://www.tamiyausa.com/shop/finishing/liquid-surface-primer-40ml/

If you have a Hobby Lobby, they carry Tamiya primer and you can use the 40% off coupon, I order my cans on line for about $9 per can at $3 shipping, I get a couple at time and save.

I have three Hobby Lobbys, about to have a fourth. Haven't seen Tamiya primer at any of them. Spray paint is all locked up anyway. IF you can find someone with a key, they have to take it up front for you and leave it at a register. I will look for the bottled primer. My LHS just moved and I hope they are going to stock up on some stuff now.

[martinfan5]

39 minutes ago, Rodent said:

I have three Hobby Lobbys, about to have a fourth. Haven't seen Tamiya primer at any of them. Spray paint is all locked up anyway. IF you can find someone with a key, they have to take it up front for you and leave it at a register. I will look for the bottled primer. My LHS just moved and I hope they are going to stock up on some stuff now.

My guess is they are always sold out , its a product they sell, for long time, it varied and some locations here would or would not have them locked up.  The bottle of primer is not locked up at any of three locations that I visit. 

Edited January 29, 2020 by martinfan5

[BubbaBrown]

I agree totally with The Ace. I found a small auto parts store on my state line still selling Plasti-cote and when I used it , it would not dry and was entirely a different formula from the good stuff. I had pretty good results from Dupli-color but about 1 in 10 or more was just too hot for the new plastic. So thats when I switched to just Plasti-cote. My problem now is I can't find it in light gray color only medium or dark and these old eyes just miss too many bad marks with those colors. So I bite the bullet and use Tamiya.

[GMP440]

I have always had good results with Duplicolor primers.   I have never experienced it bring too hot for plastics.  I don't use heavy coats.  Duplicolor is all I use.  Was just at the autoparts store; available is the sandable primers; which I use, primer surfacer's and primer sealers .  This is at Advanced Auto.

[Ace-Garageguy]

31 minutes ago, GMP440 said:

I have always had good results with Duplicolor primers.   I have never experienced it bring too hot for plastics.  I don't use heavy coats...

A lot is going to depend on a particular builder's technique.

I don't "use heavy coats", but I learned to shoot "full, wet coats" in order to let my materials flow out and thereby eliminate much sanding required to remove orange-peel.

If I shoot full wet coats with Duplicolor primer, most kit plastics of fairly recent manufacture will craze.

Up until the reformulation of the PlastiKote line a couple years back, I could usually shoot full wet coats in safety. 

[my80malibu]

I have had good luck with Duplicolor brand, but I am always looking for the next best thing, and right now that seems to be, Mission Model's  primer and paint. Easy to mix  Easy to clean, Does not obscure fine detail. Comes in colors, black,grey, red,white.

[Rodent]

On 1/28/2020 at 8:22 PM, martinfan5 said:

My guess is they are always sold out , its a product they sell, for long time, it varied and some locations here would or would not have them locked up.  The bottle of primer is not locked up at any of three locations that I visit. 

I got a bottle of the Tamiya primer at the LHS today. I had never seen it before. Thanks for the tip.

[martinfan5]

15 hours ago, Rodent said:

I got a bottle of the Tamiya primer at the LHS today. I had never seen it before. Thanks for the tip.

My pleasure Steve.