Why is my Primer Grainy

[Atomic]

Hi i am sure you get this kind of question alot. I\'ve tried looking through past topics but i could find a topic exactly.

Anyways, i sprayed some of my IG and they turn out to be quite grainy. Like not just your kind of normal sandblasted texture of spray paints but its like rough like sand paper kinda feeling. and i can see the inconsistent bumps.

What could be causing this.

I made sure i took care of the 3 things about primers that i new about.

1. I shook it up well (shoof for a minute and flipped it over and shook for another minute and shook every so often during spraying.)

2. I sprayed short bursts and did coats, letting the first coart dry b4 the other coat.

3. Made sure the temperature was right. It was like 20 C out there. Seems like perfect priming temperature.

But the grainyness appeared so can anyone help me or give me any further advice?

Thanks alot

 

[DukeGeorgal]

Spraying Distance?

1) How far away was the can from the model when you were spraying the primer?

2) Have you successfully primed with this brand of primer before?

3) Was this a new can of primer?

4) Was it damp, foggy, excesively humid, or had it rained recently?

-Florida Kevin

 

[Pogue]

Yeah, I would be sure to check the humidity level on your local news website to be sure it isn\'t too high. A good tip I read-probably on these forums is if the cement is wet don\'t use a spray primer.

 

[Arma]

I have issues with different colours of primer... Black always goes down wonderfully for me, also grey.

In terms of smoothness it works like this for me:

Mr Surfacer (Gunze Sango) Grey
Tamiya Super Fine Grey
Citadel Black
Tamiya Super Fine White

 

[Larre]

okay, so now we know that primer sometimes get grainy, now, does anyone know what do to prevent it?

// Larre

 

[Spacemunkie]

Are they plastic figs?

You\'ll find that some sprays will eat the surface of plastic, giving it a rough, finely pock-marked texture.

Great for vehicles, crap for figures.

 

[Atomic]

These were plastic figures and I was spraying about 12 inches from the figure.

it was a new can of primer and it did work ok b4,

I\'ve heard about the eating away at plastic before, On the GW website they say to wash your plastic peices while they are still on the trays. Its a protective coating that they put on that reacts with the ptimer and water and soap will take it off.

However for these IG figures i am spraying over models that are already painted.

Let me think about humidity....I think it did seem like it was going to rain. But it never did anyhow.

 

[Swordwind]

Let me guess, its GW paint. Bin it and get some Matt Black Primer from Halfords.

 

[JaPizzy]

My local GW bunker staff have told me that there has been a new batch of their black cans that did this exact thing to many people in the store including myself. So if it is a newer can of primer that they have sold then it could be that.

 

[airhead]

Originally posted by DukeGeorgal
1) How far away was the can from the model when you were spraying the primer?

2) Have you successfully primed with this brand of primer before?

3) Was this a new can of primer?

4) Was it damp, foggy, excesively humid, or had it rained recently?

-Florida Kevin

Welcome to the forums from another Florida Kevin - and you sound like me.

GW has had so many issues with primer that I never recommend their brand. Krylon is cheaper and better, Tamaya is not cheaper, but way better.

You used this can before you say? without problems? Then I would suspect the spray nozzel was not cleaned out and causing spitting.

Humidity will cause all sorts of problems with spray products - canned or airbrush. In Florida, you spray early afternoon or inside (but the other people that live here complain about spraying inside - go figure)

And there is a major difference between black primer and black paint.

A primer test:
http://www.maximusinminimis.com/Primer%20Test.html

 

[Rigged4Mini]

Airhead,

The humidity in Florida...ugh.. I\'ve been unable to prime outside..Im forced to prime inside in a little closet where the boiler and AC unit are in..If my girlfriend finds out.I will get a a$$whoppin.

 

[uberdark]

a primer that is grainy is a common problem i had to with gw primer a year ago. i bought like 3 cans! and still had that problem. then i soaked the spray nozzles in some everclear i had and presto the next day all three cans worked perfectly. no problems since.

in fact you could say i bought those three cans for a whole years worth of spray paint.

i talked to gw on phone and they said it was the nozzles that were causing it last year. so try that before shelving it and buying a different bottle. it just might work.

 

[Eryops]

Originally posted by uberdark
i talked to gw on phone and they said it was the nozzles that were causing it last year. so try that before shelving it and buying a different bottle. it just might work.

I had the same grainy spatter cover some of my minis. I concluded that it was due to the fact that the can was about 80% empty, had sat for months, and - cheapo that I am - I wanted to use every last drop. This is a good trick that I\'ll try with my current can that has been sitting for a few months.

The minis ended up having a white primer powder that got everywhere and left the minis looking terrible. Has anyone else had this happen? What did you do? Brush them off? Strip and re-prime?

 

[Atomic]

hey thanks for the tips, I was beggining to seriously think about brush-on primer.

so i guess to summarize everything.

1. make sure temperature is good for spraying
2.make sure that its a primer and not paint
3. shake well
4. to clear the nossel i like to spray into the air first and then spray the figures
5. shake while spraying
6. thin layers many thing coats
7. clean nossel using everclear
8. spray atleast 12 inches from models
9. make sure the air is dry

am i missing anything?

by the way what is ever clear and where can you get it?

can you wash of the white primer powder?

 

[JakeSh]

I\'ve always had this problem with white primer, but never with black.

One other tip that I didn\'t see mentioned is to warm up your cans. I have heard of people dunking them in a bucket of warm water. I usually either sit with it between my legs, or stuff it in my hoodie (make sure the cap is on) if I\'m wearing a sweatshirt. I\'ve heard it helps with atomization. It really can\'t hurt at all, so you might as well.