Primer - Paint problems

[hooterville75]

Could the primer that a model builder uses be the sole contributor to paint problems ? I did a McDonalds Bill Elliott Nascar model as my first kit ever. Primered it with Testors Gray Primer from the Aero can. Then painted it with Testors Red decanted and shot out of my Aztek propellent airbrush I started with. The end result was what I considered a really happy product with nice results for my first ever kit.

Ive since got this idea that this big ole can of Rustoleum primer I seen would be better. Cheaper and a lot bigger can. I did my next kit which was a Davey Allison Nascar kit. Primered it with this Rustoleum primer. Came time to paint the body and it did some serious orange peel and paint was like cracking on the trunk bad. I got irritated with it, put it in the box and left it alone. Moved onto a 1957 Chevy Bel Air AMT kit. Put the primer on, painted the body and hood, well wouldnt ya know. Orange peel again. So I'm thinking ok whats going on here. I get the Davey Allison body back out of the box, sand it all down, wash it up with warm soapy dish soap water, re prime it, come back in a couple of hours to check it and its all orange peeled and cracking again only this time on other parts as well as the trunk.

Could it be the Rustoleum primer is the problem and not actually the paint or my equipment or even as I want to not think of, user errors creating the problems ? Really frustrating me badly. I hate to waste it but if the Primer is the problem, its going in the trash can and a bottle of Plasti-Kote or even back to the Testors primer again. Any info or advice would be greatly appreciated.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Cracking is absolutely positively the result of incompatible topcoats over your primer. (It's this incompatibility that is exploited in the 'crackle finish' antiquing products.) The "big ole can of Rustoleum primer" seems like a better deal, I know, but it just won't work under some paints, and cracking is telling you that. Orange peel is NOT usually the fault of the primer, unless the primer itself was orange-peeled. BUT, you could be seeing minor wrinkling (which WOULD be the fault of the primer) and mistaking it for orange peel.

It also depends on WHICH Rustoleum primer you're using. Rusto' makse an "Automobile Primer' that is sandable, and that will probably work under most model paints, though I have NOT tried it (I have a can here and will experiment and post the results), but I'd stay away from the other Rusto' primers unless you're using Rusto' topcoats (like for engines, etc. which I sometimes do).

I've NEVER had a problem with Plasticoat Sandable primers or Duplicolor Sandable primers, and they are both "big ole cans".

You've hit on the reason why many experienced modelers experiment on plastic spoons or scrap bodies before painting a model with unfamiliar materials.

[cobraman]

I had so much trouble with the Rustoleum brand of paints I never use them anymore. Use one of the other brands as William has suggested and you will be much happier.

[Draggon]

Rustoleum primer, well, I cant say it without warning points, but saying I dont like it is an understatement.

[hooterville75]

Well being lucky to have multiple kits of this same Davey Allison, I got another body out, primed it with the same Rustoleum primer and then re painted it with the cheap Wally World Black paint and when I came up about forty five minutes after the first coat, it seemed fine. Time will tell. Im giving up on the Rustoleum regardless because I A want to try Plasti-Kote that Dr Cranky recommends and B want to try the Tamiya surface primer.