Tamiya Liquid Surface Primer - over White Metal?

[AJP01]

Hello all,

I've got a Tameo white metal kit that I'm getting ready to surface prime and perform guide coat sanding, smoothing, etc. I usually use the aerosol Tamiya Fine White primer in cans or the Tamiya Gray Primer as a base, then white primer over it for lighter colors.

My question is; do any of you have experience using the bottled Tamiya Liquid Surface Primer (gray and white both) over white metal? Does it work equally well over resin / plastic / white metal? How is the adhesion and bite into the white metal sanded surface? I have some gap patches done in styrene as well as Milliput, etc., so it's multiple surfaces that this primer would be applied to.

I also have the Tamiya Metal Etching Primer in an aerosol can, but that's too much spray volume for what I'm doing, and I'm planning to use the liquid surface primer mentioned above through an airbrush for more control. Thinning it with Tamiya Lacquer Thinner.

What's your verdict? Good for this usage, or bad? Please share your thoughts as I perform my initial testing.

Thanks,
AJ

[Paul_OFarrell]

Hi AJ,

I would question whether Tamiya's liquid surface primer will actually etch into white metal like automotive etch primer does. No harm in testing the theory, you can always remove the primer after testing is completed with a quick dose of acetone or paint stripper.

I always apply etch primer over bare white metal first, then prime and then paint. The etch primer does as the name suggests, it etches into the metal to provide a better foundation for subsequent primer / paint etc to bite into.

Do a test with Tamiya's liquid surface primer. I would be interested to learn from the results.

Cheers, Paul
Sydney, Oz

[43rdMichael]

It doesn’t tech into the metal, but its still perfect for dealing with any pitting on the casting. Halfway between filler and primer.

[cbk57]

Tamiya primer without a metal etch primer to start with will definitely flake off white metal. I learned that the first time I tried and did not know better so just shot tamiya primer on metal. It came off, imagine that.

[AJP01]

It doesn’t tech into the metal, but its still perfect for dealing with any pitting on the casting. Halfway between filler and primer.

So Michael if I understand you correctly, you recommend A/ using the Tamiya Liquid Surface primer applied by brush into areas only where it's needed to smooth imperfections, B/ sand it down to the degree that you've got only the minimal areas filled with that (mostly bare metal again), and then C/ spraying Tamiya Metal Etch Primer over that combo for best adhesion?

Thanks much -

[43rdMichael]

It doesn’t tech into the metal, but its still perfect for dealing with any pitting on the casting. Halfway between filler and primer.

So Michael if I understand you correctly, you recommend A/ using the Tamiya Liquid Surface primer applied by brush into areas only where it's needed to smooth imperfections, B/ sand it down to the degree that you've got only the minimal areas filled with that (mostly bare metal again), and then C/ spraying Tamiya Metal Etch Primer over that combo for best adhesion?

Thanks much -

Hi AJ

Yes, spot on. That’s how i use it. There is probably a better way, but i have no issues with adhesion etc.

The one ‘add’ is i have two bottles of the tamiya surfacer. One had at least half of the thinner removed before use, so is extra thick sludge.

I keep the surfacer away from the panel lines and detail (naca ducts etc), but otherwise am fairly liberal with applying it over any pitting or casting lines.

Cheers
Michael

[AJP01]

These comments and input are very much appreciated. Thank you!