Vallejo Surface Primer for airbrush questions

[Jakko]

A friend of mine recently bought a cheap airbrush, with the idea of using it to prime his fantasy and science-fiction wargames figures. He also got a few different colours of Vallejo Surface Primer, the airbrush formula, and played around with it a bit. He found it adheres extremely poorly, rubbing off tin figures just by picking them up and from plastic figures if he tries scratching it with his nail — even after drying for a couple of days, and regardless of whether he applies a single coat or several. Yesterday, I tested the same paint (from one of his bottles, so the exact same paint) a bit with my own airbrush, and I can only conclude that either he wasn’t doing anything wrong, or both of us do the same thing wrong.

All we both did was chuck it into the airbrush straight from the bottle and spray it. I know the paint I sprayed went on wet and seems to have dried properly into a good coat, and the figures he sprayed that he showed me, also didn’t look like he hadn’t covered them properly.

Does anyone else have experience with this primer? Is it indeed as poor at it seems to us, or are we using it wrong?

 

[BarryW]

It is not a great product and is best avoided. But it can work. Some tips.

1/ If thinned make sure you use Vallejo thinner not water.
2/ Clean the plastic first. Any grease will be a problem. Make sure you wipe the surface with ipa.
3/ When spraying do so with very light coats.
4/ Give it lots of time to cure. Humidity is a big problem for all Vallejo paints. It is best left to cure in an airing cupboard

hope that helps.

 

[Deleted member 7181]

I used it a few times, exactly as directed, but soon moved on to different products as I didn't find it did the number one job of a primer - adhere to the substrate.

It seems to have a poor reputation amongst much more experienced modellers than myself, but some also seem to success with it. I have 3 virtually full bottle of the stuff, but given how good the Stynylrez / One Shot / UMP family of primers are, I can't see why anyone would take the risk of using it.

 

[Steven000]

I read a lot about problems with vallejo primer, however, I've been using it on all of my models without any issues...

I do exactly as Barry said (point 1 to 3), I let it dry 24hours before touching it in general.
I also think it needs to be shaken very well.

This type of paint doesn't 'bite' into the plastic as some other paints do, so degreasing is indeed very important.

I always add Vallejo thinner, which has the 'sticky' stuff in it and thus helps a bit with adhesion, never use just water.

The bottles might be old or have been heated by the sun?

 

[Tim Marlow]

I’ve had the same issues. I found it goes on really smoothly without any need for thinning, but unfortunately comes off the same way despite leaving it for several days to gas off. I also found it wouldn’t sand either, just coming off in shreds. I now only use it for priming MDF gaming buildings and blue foam scratch build stuff. I can’t see me ever using up the green and red lead colours that way though....

 

[Bortig the Viking]

I'll add my opinion into the mix, had used Vallejo primer, still got a bit left but I prefer using Stynylrez seems to stick better and can be gently sanded and ultimately provides a better surface to paint onto, mind you only sprayed it, yuck, and not with a brush not even sure it can be brushed, others might help with that.

 

[Dave Ward]

Stopped using Vallejo Primer quite a while ago - I not only had problems with the primer not sticking, but airbrush clogging as well!
I use AK and Stynylrez Primer now - don't really need to think about primer problems now!
Dave

 

[Deleted member 5496]

Vallejo Primer. I gave mine when Stynylerez came onto the market, sadly for all the money spent, a burial, the dustbin.

Stynylrez I have found, using it since the dustbin event, to be an easy to use primer. However just on plastic in the kit. Does not hit it off on resin or metal.

Nice parts about Stynylrez. Dries in 2 hours. Then can be wet & dried & it feathers to a very fine edge. I do however wet & dry all the plastic to be primed with a 1200 gauge. This takes all the shine away any grease from fingers & gives a perfect base for the primer.

Recommended by Badger that you use a .5 needle nozzle. I use a 0.4 needle nozzle with out problems.

Rare to get a strip when removing masking. The other most important. Make sure the brush ireally well cleaned. I always strip down the H & S brush I use just for priming.
Plus buy the larger bottle which are marketed under Ultimate. The smaller bottles tend to dry out.

Laurie

 

[JR]

Still have a large bottle of dark green, some brown, not impressed by any means hence still have it, think it's time to bin it. Now use one made by Badger and the new AK 3 gen .

 

[Jakko]

Thanks for the thoughts, all — I think the conclusion is that the best thing he can do is use another brand of primer, then …

 

[Steven000]

I think the main problem for most people is they spray it too thick, I almost 'dust on' my layers, while I see many spray to cover the model in one 'wet' coat. I believe this should be avoided, but still... haters gonna hate

 

[Archetype]

The opposite to most. I could not get on with stynylrez so bought some black vallejo primer to try.
After a few experiments I settled on thinning it 50/50 with vallejo thinners.
I build it up in very thin coats that are pretty much dry before I go over again.
Also, and as mentioned, I wipe my models down with meths prior to priming.

Worth mentioning it does not adhere to PE at all and will come off if nudged, as others have suggested.

 

[Tim Marlow]

I dusted it on as well. Got the main coat down thin and tight. It covers beautifully with a really smooth thin finish. Unfortunately it is difficult to work once dry so any minor remedial work is obvious.

 

[Archetype]

I have no issues with remedials. I wet sand with 600 and 1000 grit.

The difference is experience is strange! I wonder why?

 

[Tim Marlow]

I don’t know Chris, but it is a shame because I found it easy to use and easy to get a good even coat. It was after that it simply didn’t work for me. I’ve gone back to lacquer primers. Mind you, most of my recent work has been on metal gaming miniatures which I think water based primers would have trouble adhering to anyway.

 

[Archetype]

Again, used the vallejo on a load of GW recently and no issues!

The thing that's clear to me from this thread is that I have been lucky with it and that Jakko's OP conclusioon should be to go with a more reliable primer.

 

[Defiant911]

i have several large bottles I purchased before I realised it’s not the best primer. However other than the previous comments about cleaning etc, I find as long as it’s thinned for airbrush it seems to work just fine. Dont handle it too much after and once the top coat of paint is on I’ve not had a problem. You just have to handle it with extreme care. That said, I’d probably not buy it again once my supply of it runs out.

 

[Jakko]

Dont handle it too much after

For what my friend wants to use it on, that’s not an option: wargames figures

 

[Defiant911]

For what my friend wants to use it on, that’s not an option: wargames figures

Definitely not the right primer for that then. Not so bad for planes etc where you prime and almost paint main coat straight after.

 

[BarryW]

I have no issues with remedials. I wet sand with 600 and 1000 grit.

The difference is experience is strange! I wonder why?

It could be the sensitivity to humidity and weather conditions. It does affect not just how it sprays but the curing as well. I know from the old days when I used it how it varied and was it consistent in use.