After Primer

[Marlin523]

So you use primer, make repairs, sand the rocket smooth? Do you guys then paint, or do you primer again and paint over that, or do you hit it once again and then paint without sanding to give the paint a stickier surface before painting? Thanks for your responses. I'm always looking to improve.

 

[Micromeister]

So you use primer, make repairs, sand the rocket smooth? Do you guys then paint, or do you primer again and paint over that, or do you hit it once again and then paint without sanding to give the paint a stickier surface before painting? Thanks for your responses. I'm always looking to improve.

Turely it totally depends on the model your working on. Primers are really nothing more then conversion coatings between the substrate(s) of our models and the dry paint film. They are mostly to be removed in an effort to prepare/repair the subsurface for the coming thin film of paint.
If after sanding down most of the primer we haven't without going into wood, paper or substrate, if we are satisfied with the surface being as blemish free as we will accept, it can be tac-rag wiped and go on directly to color coat(s).

If in some areas we've reopened grain or sanded to whatever is under the primer than another coat or two of primer are indicated. If the area is small, not in a noticable area or we're just tired of messing around, it's perfectly fine to apply a base color coat (I often use flat white for this as it sets up very quickly) then check the finish and these open areas for flaws. This Flat white base coat can be fine sanded to smooth any objectionable area or be completely sanded off and hit with another coat or two of primer if needed.

I mentioned "Finishing primer" in another thread. These are "Generally" White or Red oxide primers. I've stoppped using red oxide as it's just toooooo!!!!!! fine and make a god awful mess in sanding. White Automotive primers (NOT KILZS) have the next finest solids, laying down a thinner primer coat that generally takes care of those "sand through" areas with one or two light coats. Sand again with dry 360grit, tac-rag and on to our first color coat.

May I suggest a brief visit to narhams.org wegsite library section to download Tech-tips-002-005 may be of interest and will take the reader for raw base materials to babies butt smooth finished product. Even covers hand painting and lettering

Hope that helps.

 

[cwbullet]

I love the sandible auto primer, but it is tough to deal with all the dust.

 

[SCIGS30]

I will hit the rocket with one coat of grey primer. If there are major blemishes, I fix them and sand down. Apply one more coat of grey primer. I will sand that back, then shoot white primer. I do the white primer as my base coat so I don't have to use much of my Old Krylon stock. Flat white will also work for this coat. By that point everything should be nice and smooth.

 

[exprditer789]

I will hit the rocket with one coat of grey primer. If there are major blemishes, I fix them and sand down. Apply one more coat of grey primer. I will sand that back, then shoot white primer. I do the white primer as my base coat so I don't have to use much of my Old Krylon stock. Flat white will also work for this coat. By that point everything should be nice and smooth.

Not to steal this thread but what is so special about old Krylon paint.Alex

 

[Micromeister]

Not to steal this thread but what is so special about old Krylon paint.Alex

New Krylon paint doesn't even like itself as a second color!!! LOL!!! very difficult to work with. Do a search you'll see loads of comments about it without disrupting this thread.

 

[RimfireJim]

I will hit the rocket with one coat of grey primer. If there are major blemishes, I fix them and sand down. Apply one more coat of grey primer. I will sand that back, then shoot white primer. I do the white primer as my base coat so I don't have to use much of my Old Krylon stock. Flat white will also work for this coat. By that point everything should be nice and smooth.

I'll use a primer that is closer to my top coat color, rather than always using white. That way I'll use even LESS of my Old Krylon stock. White primer for white and other light hues, gray for medium hues including yellow, and red for dark hues. Yellow, being particularly bad at coverage, seems to benefit the most from the gray undercoat.

 

[dedleytedley]

I like to start finishing with a tack coat then a heavy coat of Armorcote white primer. Prior to sanding I fill as many spots as I can find, let the filler dry, then go over it again with filler. Next I sand the entire rocket and spot prime the filler areas and spray on a heavy coat overall. Another round of sanding with a fine sponge is followed by inspection and more filling if necessary. A spot priming is done and then sanding of the entire rocket with 320-400 grit paper. The rocket is dusted, tack-ragged and a first coat of finish is applied. After it is thoroughly dry I apply one or two more finish coats sanding between as necessary. Ted

 

[SCIGS30]

Here are the main reasons I like it...https://www.kpg-industrial.com/products/5ball_interiorexterior_paint/

I have had good results with Enamels, but man, these Lacquer acrylics make things easy.......