Primer question

[Mickey thumbs]

In other posts I’ve seen people refer to filler primer. Is this a 1:1 body painting product? If so are there any cautions about use on plastic bodies? What brands seem to work best?

Thanks, Mike

[4424ever]

I’ve used aerosol automotive primer, no particular brand but use light coats it can fill details on a1/32 body if you’re not carful

[waaytoomuchintothis]

"Filler" primer is sold by several model paint folks. I use Tamiya primers, both "Fine", and regular. Fine primer prevents you from losing details, Regular "fills in" errors and sanding screwups. That's especially important if you do a lot of resin or PLA printed bodies.

Remember that paints for models are made of tiny particles, to keep the scale effect intact. When you use full scale paints, you can't avoid making the body look like it was squeezed from a tube like toothpaste. That's fine for bodies that are supposed to look like they are repurposed bodies for dirt track racing (see Strangebrew bodies! exactly what they are supposed to look like). Anything you are doing that is supposed to look like a 1:1 racer, except dirt track stuff, stay with scale paints like Tamiya, Testors, or an airbrush finish.

[CG Slotcars]

On a 1:1 application on say a bondo surface the product is called "High-Build Primer". It's very thick stuff and under enormous pressure to get it to spray out of a can. It's great on smoothing out imperfections - but you will lose the gaps of panel lines and small features (on a scale model). I use it on vacuum forming plugs to make windshields. sands down to very smooth surface easily

Zero Paint out of the UK makes "Filler Primer" for airbrushing scale models. It's like the same thing - just scaled down. The cellulose (the ingredient that makes it thick and fill voids etc) is scaled-down and much easier to work with . There are probably 1-2 other manufactures - particularly out of Japan.... But I haven't tried them

[chappyman66]

Initial smoothing using an xacto blade as a scraper is much faster, then follow that with finish sanding after.
But to give some idea, here is a body that I have done nothing to.....no sanding, no scraping. Just a couple coats of Rust-Oleum plastic primer ("bonds to plastic"). Note that this is at a layer height of 0.06 mm or so.


When held in the light, the ridges are visible in the hood, because it's a large flat surface.


In slightly different light, the trunk doesn't show as much because it's not as flat. But the ridges are still there.


Less noticeable at the front than by the windscreen.

The glazing putty or filling primer fills all of that. I wouldn't bother on this car.... but I am not nearly as detailed as many builders.

Hope this helps.

[chappyman66]

And whatever you do.... don't leave printed bodies to dry in the sun no matter how they have been painted.

[dinglebery]

Hahahahaaahaa I'm sorry but that's funny!!
No disrespect - it's kinda like seeing someone hurt themselves unexpectedly kind of funny, if that makes sense! Look at the red one!!!

[waaytoomuchintothis]

Holy Crap! How hot does it get in Minnesota?

[chappyman66]

Low 90s today. Just enough to get soft, apparently.

Good thing I didn't care too much about those.

[F1Fan]

In other posts I’ve seen people refer to filler primer. Is this a 1:1 body painting product? If so are there any cautions about use on plastic bodies? What brands seem to work best?

Thanks, Mike

You might be referencing my post where I mentioned that I used an automotive filler primer by Dupli-color for smoothing out an A71 3d printed body. For me it helped, together with much sanding in between, to eliminate some of the roughness inherent to printed bodies. I did not loose any significant detail or shut lines, but with regular plastic bodies my go to primer is Tamiya and my paints of choice are Zero or Gravity.



The finished product: