Primer.. Um?

[Spartan Sauce]

Hey 405th,

I'm coming up to the Bondo stage of one of my pieces and I keep hearing the word primer being thrown around everywhere,

as the sub-title of the post says,

What the hell is it?



Cheers,

-Spartan-Sauce

 

[rundown]

Hey 405th,

I'm coming up to the Bondo stage of one of my pieces and I keep hearing the word primer being thrown around everywhere,

as the sub-title of the post says,

What the hell is it?



Cheers,

-Spartan-Sauce

its a spray paint that keeps your normal paint in place so it doesnt fall of in time

Its also handy to see certain details as it will make your object complere blanc in one collor.

 

[Spartan Sauce]

its a spray paint that keeps your normal paint in place so it doesnt fall of in time

Its also handy to see certain details as it will make your object complere blanc in one collor.

Right, so is it different to normal spray paint that colors?

Like is it availiable as primer or can it just be any old spray?



Cheers again,

-Spartan-Sauce

 

[Drakku]

Right, so is it different to normal spray paint that colors?

Like is it availiable as primer or can it just be any old spray?



Cheers again,

-Spartan-Sauce

Yes, primer is different than your regular spray paints. However, there are also some spray paints that advertise as being both primer and color, so it's up to you whether you want to use strict primer and then paint the color, or use the dual-spray paint.



Also, not only is primer good for having something that your color-paint can stick to (and thus not flake off later), it also helps you even out the color of your piece so that the painted color goes on more evenly. (For example, they were out of white cardstock and I had to use multicolor paper to assemble a pep. If I were to just spray the color on it, the blue/dark pieces would appear darker than the pieces that were light green paper, etc. But when I cover the whole thing in a gray primer, it's all gray now. See?)



Here's a pic showing a can of primer and a can of regular spray paint. As you can see, it's clearly labeled, so when you go into the store, it should be very easy to find.



Good luck, and have fun! Also, be safe and wear a respirator.



Edit: Just noticed you're in the UK. If you'll check out the UK Variant topic, it'll help you find specifics on what you need.

 

[Cadet]

Primer is also designed to adhere well to a wide vareity of surfaces, that regular rattle can paint might not stick to well. So you put down your layer of primer, which will stick to most surfaces, and then you put down your layer of regular paint, which will adhere to the primer, even though it might not have adhered to the material underneath the primer.

 

[Heatshock]

more british answers



primer - important to make sure your paint sticks onto what ever you are doing work on. Yes its different form the coloured paint, but you buy it in the same section. It comes in paint cans or spray cans.



in UK basically 3 easy sources:



Halfords - you have a choice of white or grey primer. I use grey, shows up the lumps and bumps better. Its Halfords own brand.



DIY shops - like B&Q, Focus etc. They tend to stock Plasti-kote. I personally dont like this paint as much. But thats from my own experience.



Art shops - like Hobbycraft etc. They tend to stock Plasti-kote or Humbrol spray/paint pots.



the important thing is NOT to mix and match primer/paints. ie if you use Halfords primer, USE Halfords paint.



lastly

.........What the hell is it?

was it really necessary to use such language? I know its not the most offensive word in the dictionary, and it may just be the dad in me but it did seem a little superfluous. Besides this is a family friendly board with other kids even younger than yourself posting here. just my 2 cents.