Sanding primer?

[Dave G.]

1 hour ago, bobss396 said:

I keep an old food container by my kitchen sink with all my wet sanding stuff in it.

DM cloths, #1500 to #8000, some sand papers, sanding sticks.

Also a piece of old flannel and an old tube of toothpaste.

I haven't tossed the toothpaste out of my potential routine either. Never thought of it for primer but still use it to cut the final coat in my polishing process at times. Pretty often actually. It works great as the first step substance in polishing Createx 4050 UVLS clear. I'm thinking I've used it on 6mo cured Testors enamel paint too.

[mcs1056]

I NEVER sand anything. 

 

 

 

 

(Yes...you know I stole the picture from the site.)

[Donny]

Here is the '40 I'm working on first coat of primer. This is my first attempt in a VERY VERY long time, so please be kind but constructive, I'm a big boy, I can stand criticism, as long as it's constructive. To me I think this needs sanding, but I'm no expert. Thanks

Don

[stitchdup]

2 hours ago, Donny said:

Here is the '40 I'm working on first coat of primer. This is my first attempt in a VERY VERY long time, so please be kind but constructive, I'm a big boy, I can stand criticism, as long as it's constructive. To me I think this needs sanding, but I'm no expert. Thanks

Don

It looks like you need more primer around the headlights, the mold lines are starting to show and they will only get more noticable as paint and clear goes on. I like to use a guide coat on primer, it can be any paint as you'll be sanding it off anyway. I use my near finished rattle tins for guide coatsand after i think its smoooth enough it gets one last coat. if your doing multiple layers it can sometimes help to start with 600 grit and work up to 1000 or so on each primer layer

[Donny]

12 minutes ago, stitchdup said:

It looks like you need more primer around the headlights, the mold lines are starting to show and they will only get more noticable as paint and clear goes on. I like to use a guide coat on primer, it can be any paint as you'll be sanding it off anyway. I use my near finished rattle tins for guide coatsand after i think its smoooth enough it gets one last coat. if your doing multiple layers it can sometimes help to start with 600 grit and work up to 1000 or so on each primer layer

Thanks Les. Apart from the things you have pointed out, I think the primer is too rough anyway. Time to get to work.

 

[Bugatti Fan]

Generally it is the surface of the bare plastic, resin, metal or whatever that needs 'keying' to take the shine off it more than the primer itself. Primers vary quite a bit regarding smoothness of feel once dry.

Some feel quite smooth to the touch and on others you can feel a very slight surface 'texture' for want of a different word. So it is a matter of the user to determine whether the primer needs any further rubbing down or not.

My own method that works for me is it it feels smooth enough I leave it alone. If slightly rough to the touch I give it a very light rubbing with a fine grade of wet and dry paper used dry. Once smooth enough I simply dust the item off with large a soft  cosmetic brush purloined from my other half that is used for blusher application. Seems to work OK for me and saves all that wet sanding work that some others have suggested in this thread.

There is no right or wrong way with using primer. Just what works best for each of us as individuals.

Incidentally, a blusher brush is absolutely ideal for dusting finished models being very soft it can be worked around some quite awkward places without damaging fragile details.

Edited 11 hours ago by Bugatti Fan

[Cool Hand]

There is a reason some of us are willing and like to spend the extra dollars on hobby grade primers or surfacers. 

No sanding required, and a perfect foundation for colour coats.

And all had Tamiya TS-14 Black applied for colour coat, and none required a clear coat the following results are black straight from the can.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Donny]

 

Luke:

There is a reason some of us are willing and like to spend the extra dollars on hobby grade primers or surfacers. 

As I'm new to all this, 

Recommendations please. As the above photos are all Tamiya paint, are you suggesting Tamiya primers/surfacers are worth looking at/using

Thank you, Don

[Cool Hand]

Yes mate, mentioned else where in one of the other threads. It is pricey, but worth it, when you wont have to sand.

 

Also when using spray cans in winter, place the can in some hot tap water for 5 min before shaking and spraying. It will help the paint atomize better and get a smoother finish.

Edited 22 hours ago by Cool Hand

[Donny]

1 hour ago, Cool Hand said:

Yes mate, mentioned else where in one of the other threads. It is pricey, but worth it, when you wont have to sand.

 

 

Thanks Luke, within reason of course, I don't mind spending a few dollars to get a good result and not have the frustration of NOT getting a good result. What's the point of putting the time in to build a model as good as I can and then finish up with Shitty paintwork. If I have good/top materials, then if I can use them correctly, that one less thing for me to worry about, and get on improving other area's. I assume I choose one of those you have recommended. Thanks for your help and advice.

Don   

[espo]

Need to spend some time with some sanding pads. With any paint work the primer base has to be as smooth as you are expecting the final finish to be before going to any color coats. As you apply each layer of paint, any imperfections tend to grow as you add addition coats of paint. You are still going to have light sanding followed by polishing on your final coat of paint, but it all starts with the primer and hopefully finding any body imperfections during your primer work.  

[sidcharles]

On 3/14/2025 at 7:41 AM, bobss396 said:

I keep an old food container by my kitchen sink with all my wet sanding stuff in it.

DM cloths, #1500 to #8000, some sand papers, sanding sticks.

Also a piece of old flannel and an old tube of toothpaste.

sound like an inventory of my "go-bag"

no seasonal adjustment required for me.

[sidcharles]

Q: is it just semantics, or is there a real difference of the types of paint between a guide coat  and a primer coat?

are they different or one in the same by different words?

[johnyrotten]

3 minutes ago, sidcharles said:

Q: is it just semantics, or is there a real difference of the types of paint between a guide coat  and a primer coat?

are they different or one in the same by different words?

A guide coat isn't full coverage, it's a method used to check how "flat" the surface is becoming.  It can be a powdered product,like I've used on full sized projects, or even a haphazardly sprayed contrasting color. Primer is just that. Primer. Used to promote adhesion and the last step in bodywork. Think of it like super thin spray-able filler. That's how I was taught.👍👍

[Ace-Garageguy]

Thing is, all of the advice can seem overwhelming, especially when it's often contradictory...so tend to believe those who show their work over those who don't.

AND...the wide array of products can also be intimidating to a relative beginner.

BUT...after you have a little experience, including a few disastrous failures (which we ALL have had), the prep and painting phase of model building becomes a repeatable ritual with predictably excellent results.

I've personally never quite grasped the mindset of modelers who don't seem to know how their builds, including paint, are going to "come out".

The only guesswork or uncertainty for ME comes from trying new stuff for whatever motive, like trying to save money by using cheap primers or big-box rattlecan paint, or shortcutting "wasted time" on sufficient prep.

Just figure out what works consistently well for YOU and keep doing it...and feel free to experiment, but don't do it on a model you care about getting good results on.

And never forget, you're smarter than the inanimate models and materials you're working with.

Use your intelligence to develop whatever innate talent you may have into skills, decide what level you want to work at, and keep trying until you're consistently reasonably well satisfied with what you produce.

As for me, I'm never 100% satisfied with my work, and always see something I missed or could have done better.

But I always know going in to a project that it's going to "turn out" well within the level I find to be acceptable FOR ME, at this point in time, because I've learned what works FOR ME, and also know that if something "goes wrong", I know how to fix it, whatever it takes.  

 

 

 

 

 

[Ace-Garageguy]

18 minutes ago, sidcharles said:

Q: is it just semantics, or is there a real difference of the types of paint between a guide coat  and a primer coat?

are they different or one in the same by different words?

 

10 minutes ago, johnyrotten said:

A guide coat isn't full coverage, it's a method used to check how "flat" the surface is becoming.  It can be a powdered product,like I've used on full sized projects, or even a haphazardly sprayed contrasting color. Primer is just that. Primer. Used to promote adhesion and the last step in bodywork. Think of it like super thin spray-able filler. That's how I was taught.👍👍

Yes, they're different things, but they can kinda overlap.

Darker colored primers can "guide" you as to where imperfections lie, but that's not their primary purpose, as John says.

A "guide coat" as he also says, is very often a dark color of primer or specific rattlecan material shot dry and speckled over a primered surface (and sometimes a powdered product that's dabbed on) that will subsequently be sanded further.

Divots and dings and orange peel will jump out at you if you're using the stuff right...but I've rarely needed a specific "guide coat" on a model.

On the other hand, using different colored primers as you build a surface is a great way to locate imperfections you might otherwise miss.

[StevenGuthmiller]

1 hour ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

Thing is, all of the advice can seem overwhelming, especially when it's often contradictory...so tend to believe those who show their work over those who don't.

AND...the wide array of products can also be intimidating to a relative beginner.

BUT...after you have a little experience, including a few disastrous failures (which we ALL have had), the prep and painting phase of model building becomes a repeatable ritual with predictably excellent results.

I've personally never quite grasped the mindset of modelers who don't seem to know how their builds, including paint, are going to "come out".

The only guesswork or uncertainty for ME comes from trying new stuff for whatever motive, like trying to save money by using cheap primers or big-box rattlecan paint, or shortcutting "wasted time" on sufficient prep.

Just figure out what works consistently well for YOU and keep doing it...and feel free to experiment, but don't do it on a model you care about getting good results on.

And never forget, you're smarter than the inanimate models and materials you're working with.

Use your intelligence to develop whatever innate talent you may have into skills, decide what level you want to work at, and keep trying until you're consistently reasonably well satisfied with what you produce.

As for me, I'm never 100% satisfied with my work, and always see something I missed or could have done better.

But I always know going in to a project that it's going to "turn out" well within the level I find to be acceptable FOR ME, at this point in time, because I've learned what works FOR ME, and also know that if something "goes wrong", I know how to fix it, whatever it takes.  

 

 

 

 

 

Very well put!

 

 

Steve

[Bugatti Fan]

The debates, arguements, advice, comparisons can go on ad infinitum about primer application.

It is good to seek advice for a bit of guidance, but it can be a bit conflicting depending on other model makers own experiences.

But at the end of the day we all find out what works best for us by making mistakes and learning by experience.

Lost count of the times I have screwed up a primer/paint job and had to start over again! 

Par for the course unfortunately.

Edited 11 hours ago by Bugatti Fan

[johnyrotten]

1 hour ago, Bugatti Fan said:

The debates, arguements, advice, comparisons can go on ad infinitum about primer application.

It is good to seek advice for a bit of guidance, but it can be a bit conflicting depending on other model makers own experiences.

But at the end of the day we all find out what works best for us by making mistakes and learning by experience.

Lost count of the times I have screwed up a primer/paint job and had to start over again! 

Par for the course unfortunately.

Absolutely 100% agree. I've got horror story level mishaps. When I mess up, I view that as part of learning, and as such the cost of that education. Figure out what went wrong, what caused it, and what has to be done to correct it. No better teacher than experience.

[Donny]

As Bill put it - 

Thing is, all of the advice can seem overwhelming, especially when it's often contradictory...so tend to believe those who show their work over those who don't.

AND...the wide array of products can also be intimidating to a relative beginner.

You sure put a mouthful there, Bill.

"contradictory," yep a lot of that, "intimidating", definitely. Some of this makes my head spin. What is right and what is wrong, who knows, not me, I just have to read what you guys post and go with what I think MIGHT be right and take note of "recommendations". I live in a state of confusion, so I now look at the models you post and your comments, and then, yep looking good. Proof of the pudding, they say is in the eating, so if the model looks good and I THINK the comments are what I consider right, I'll go with that. I'm now at the point of reduce the reading of posts and just do it, (as I've just done), and get you guys to crit it and work on those suggestions. 

Just one thing I would like you to note, I have a cataract in my left eye, so my vision is not super good, so something that looks okay to me, might be way off, I need you guys to point that out please, thanks.

Don

[R. Thorne]

First of all, you will NEVER go wrong with Ace’s advice on anything covered on this forum.  Me, I am lazy, and a super shiny paint job with hours of time priming, sanding, painting, incremental sanding again, polishing, etc., is not what drives me in modeling.  I am, however, allergic to inauthenticity in the mechanical parts of modeling (engines, trans chassis, etc.).  My paint jobs generally consist of no primer and TS series Tamiya paint (spray cans).  It just takes cleanliness and a little practice.

[johnyrotten]

Don, here's a perfect example of a rookie paint issue. This is testors enamel thinned with lacquer thinner. First time using that technique. The primer was smooth, but the thinner a bit too aggressive and I got a bit of crazing. Most of this body has smooth, glossy paint, half of the hood looks dry and a little textured. I'll probably end up clear coating it. I've got no issue with showing my goof ups.

[Donny]

Okaay, I'm going to give the Tamiya Fine Surfacer a shot, (when it arrives), and see how I go with that. Not touching the airbrush at this stage until I get other things sorted out.

Don

[NOBLNG]

This forum and YT are a great source of information no doubt. There are also many gifted model builders out there who have never watched a video or visited a forum. They learn by….experience.

[Rodent]

5 hours ago, R. Thorne said:

My paint jobs generally consist of no primer and TS series Tamiya paint (spray cans).

That Chrysler looks great, but I am gun shy about using Tamiya without primer. I have not found anything that will strip Tamiya if the paintjob goes south and there is no primer underneath to soften.