How to primer a white metal kit

[millerhillboy]

As the topic suggests just wondering what the best way to get my model into primer in order to let me see all the bits I've missed or that look wrong!!

 

Model is a N gauge Foxhunter kit of an A1 Peppercorn something like this, although it has advanced beyond this picture. The body is white metal with brass etches in places.

 

So my question is what do I need to do to get this into primer. Is there specifically a good primer to use, should I clean the model first with something?

 

[Mike G]

Hi

Clean with old tooth brush and Cif. Tooth brush should have medium hard bristles as you want to get the crud off the surface of the model. Leave to dry somewhere warm and do NOT touch with your hands again until the primer has dried. I'd use Halfords grey primer next, especially if this is a visual check on build quality and finish. The better the finish on your model the better the finished coat will look. Once you are ready to put a top coat on I'd use a 2 part etch primer - very fine coverage, almost invisible. For possibly the best book on painting and lining read/beg/steal a copy of Ian Rathbone's book "Painting and lining".

 

regards

 

Mike

[millerhillboy]

Hi

Clean with old tooth brush and Cif. Tooth brush should have medium hard bristles as you want to get the crud off the surface of the model. Leave to dry somewhere warm and do NOT touch with your hands again until the primer has dried. I'd use Halfords grey primer next, especially if this is a visual check on build quality and finish. The better the finish on your model the better the finished coat will look. Once you are ready to put a top coat on I'd use a 2 part etch primer - very fine coverage, almost invisible. For possibly the best book on painting and lining read/beg/steal a copy of Ian Rathbone's book "Painting and lining".

 

regards

 

Mike

 

Thanks Mike

Just what I wanted.

[Lady_Ava_Hay]

As the topic suggests just wondering what the best way to get my model into primer in order to let me see all the bits I've missed or that look wrong!!

 

Model is a N gauge Foxhunter kit of an A1 Peppercorn something like this, although it has advanced beyond this picture. The body is white metal with brass etches in places.

 

So my question is what do I need to do to get this into primer. Is there specifically a good primer to use, should I clean the model first with something?

 

Don't forget that, once the primer is on, soldering and glueing are out. It looks as though there are a lot of parts yet to fit.

 

You would do well to clean up the white metal anyway. It looks fairly old although the photo probably makes it worse than it really is. Assuming Brunswick Green (?) that slight marling on the boiler will spoil the finish unless carefully removed with ultra fine wet and dry used wet.

 

As already said, once clean and dry, get the primer on and I use Halfords as well but don't get too close as aerosols deliver a lot of paint very quickly. After the primer, satin black or if late in the locos life, charcoal with a bit of black mixed in. Gloss varnish next, then mask up for the colour. Transfers and lining next then overall satin or matt varnish. Don't mix acrylics with enamels on each layer although, if allowed to dry thoroughly, not too much harm will be done

 

Keep everything at room temperature or above when spraying and don't spray outdoors if you can avoid it. Wear disposable gloves and use tongs to hold the model.

 

Fun but messy and a lot of faffing about but, with care, a unique and individual model.

[GC Jack]

Agree with this but sometimes I actually prime a kit like this one to see what needs doing. The grey primer gives a clearer indication of any filling necessary, I sometimes do this before adding detail.

 

Jack

[millerhillboy]

Don't forget that, once the primer is on, soldering and glueing are out. It looks as though there are a lot of parts yet to fit.

David

Sorry, I wasn't exactly clear in the original post but I'd said that photo was out of date. To be honest all the parts are now on and it was my intention to prime it, as Jack suggests, to get a feel for what needs filled.

 

You would do well to clean up the white metal anyway. It looks fairly old although the photo probably makes it worse than it really is. Assuming Brunswick Green (?) that slight marling on the boiler will spoil the finish unless carefully removed with ultra fine wet and dry used wet.

What do you mean by marling and where specifically do you see it? Sorry for sounding stupid but I'm not clear exactly what you mean by marling?

Do you mean along the top of the smokebox and along the top of the boiler or do you mean the other main area of the boiler?

 

 

As already said, once clean and dry, get the primer on and I use Halfords as well but don't get too close as aerosols deliver a lot of paint very quickly. After the primer, satin black or if late in the locos life, charcoal with a bit of black mixed in. Gloss varnish next, then mask up for the colour. Transfers and lining next then overall satin or matt varnish. Don't mix acrylics with enamels on each layer although, if allowed to dry thoroughly, not too much harm will be done

 

Interesting to hear though that Halfords primer is favoured, I happened to have a tin of it in the garage but when I tried it on a spare N gauge body I found the spray way too heavy. Maybe I need to either a) thin the pain with a bit of heat before use (works well for me with aerosol varnish) and/or B) be very aware of the spraying distance.

 

Thanks for your reply, much appreciated. I want to do the best job possible so its better to be armed with as much information as possible so thanks for your post. Its just what I need.

 

regards

CJ

[Lady_Ava_Hay]

What do you mean by marling and where specifically do you see it? Sorry for sounding stupid but I'm not clear exactly what you mean by marling?

Do you mean along the top of the smokebox and along the top of the boiler or do you mean the other main area of the boiler?

 

Arrr me lad. Well now Marling ye say? It is an obscure word that I picked up somewhere and is used where there is roughness or stippling on the surface. On your pic on the side of the boiler is a patch that looks vaguely like sandpaper. This effect can sometimes be illusory and white metal is notorious for variations in quality and surface finish. Lots of reasons for this.

 

To a certain extent marling is almost a corruption of marbling. Mostly marble is smooth and glossy but marbled glass isn't.

 

I shall stop using marling forthwith but it just sprung into my head in relation to your casting but, as I said in the post, photography of white metal is distinctly worse than the real thing.

[millerhillboy]

Arrr me lad. Well now Marling ye say? It is an obscure word that I picked up somewhere and is used where there is roughness or stippling on the surface. On your pic on the side of the boiler is a patch that looks vaguely like sandpaper. This effect can sometimes be illusory and white metal is notorious for variations in quality and surface finish. Lots of reasons for this.

 

To a certain extent marling is almost a corruption of marbling. Mostly marble is smooth and glossy but marbled glass isn't.

 

I shall stop using marling forthwith but it just sprung into my head in relation to your casting but, as I said in the post, photography of white metal is distinctly worse than the real thing.

 

:D Do you know I kind of knew what you were meaning just by the sound of the word. I even googled it with little effect.

 

I'll need to look closer and perhaps when in primer it might show up worse or better but that area when under the touch doesn't seem so bad but I'll certainly keep an eye on it.

 

Thanks again for your help.

[JZ]

I too would use Halford's primer. Though I can't see what the point of using an etch primer on top of this is. As has been said, an old toothbrush and any cream cleaner as these contain pumice. I alway handle anything that needs spraying with latex gloves.

I have used an etch primer-Teroson- on brass coaches. It is heavier than normal primer and for 2mm stuff you may loose some detail and it's about 3x the price.

[corax67]

Interesting to hear though that Halfords primer is favoured, I happened to have a tin of it in the garage but when I tried it on a spare N gauge body I found the spray way too heavy

 

 

Halfords primer (like all aerosol sprays) does give the best results when the cans are warm - Halfords is my preferred primer for all of my painting; railways, Games Workshop, military models, etc. as it is consistent quality, modestly priced and I have yet to have any adverse reactions between it and any other makes of paint I have used (acrylic or enamel).

[millerhillboy]

Interesting to hear though that Halfords primer is favoured, I happened to have a tin of it in the garage but when I tried it on a spare N gauge body I found the spray way too heavy

 

 

Halfords primer (like all aerosol sprays) does give the best results when the cans are warm - Halfords is my preferred primer for all of my painting; railways, Games Workshop, military models, etc. as it is consistent quality, modestly priced and I have yet to have any adverse reactions between it and any other makes of paint I have used (acrylic or enamel).

 

Have to agree now having played about, I used a warmed up tin of Halfords primer and it was much much better. In fact I warm up gently any aerosol, including varnishes, that I'm using as well as a good shake. Seems to give much better results.

[millerhillboy]

Just to put a conclusion to this thread in case anyone stumbles across this with the same question.

 

I scrubbed the body using Cif and toothbrush and left to dry. Thereafter I only handled the body with gloves on.

 

I heated up a Halfords primer aerosol on a radiator and then in a cup of warm water. Then after vigorously shook it as you would expect and then just went for it.

 

Excellent results, nice uniform finish. Very happy with the outcome.

 

[MarkC]

That looks like a very nice job, millerhillboy. Well done.

 

As others have commented, applying primer can certainly show up blemishes. I've spent many hours rubbing down filler, priming, then having to do more rubbing down to remove flaws shown up by the paint. Worth it though, once finished.

[millerhillboy]

That looks like a very nice job, millerhillboy. Well done.

 

As others have commented, applying primer can certainly show up blemishes. I've spent many hours rubbing down filler, priming, then having to do more rubbing down to remove flaws shown up by the paint. Worth it though, once finished.

 

Thanks Mark for your kind words. It has came up pretty well although the full size images show up things that probably do need attention. Although I do need to keep reminding myself its N gauge and some of these things in pictures are not going to be hugely visible.

[96701]

I've sprayed up 3 00 diesel bodies so far, and would not dare post photographs of them because the photos can show horrendous mistakes, however most people who've seen my locos don't differentiate between them what I've painted and them that I've taken from a box. Well done on the build, it looks super so far.

[M.I.B]

A tip from the '12" to the foot' car world, but very tricky in N:D - if you are unsure how good the smoothness is on an item, primer it in light grey, and then MIST (not coat thickly) a thin "barely there" coat of much darker colour over it, Get out the wet n dry and rub down with even pressure all over. Any high points will be taken to base material ( plastic or white metal). Any "level areas" will be primer grey, and any "low" areas will be speckled with top colour.