Thanks to a fellow airbrusher who gave a good review, I went ahead and purchased some Badger Stynylrez polyurethane primer (Amazon had a good deal on a pack of 3 - white, black, and gray). I don't have an airbrush with a .5mm nozzle (which is recommended in the instructions on the bottle), so I used my trusty Thayer-Chandler Omni 5000 and watered the primer down just a bit (maybe 5 parts primer to 1 part distilled water). Even though it was watered down (you can spray it straight from the bottle if you have an airbrush with a large enough nozzle), it went on beautifully. I haven't been 100% happy using Tamiya spray primer on my smaller models as it took many layers to completely cover and it wasn't nearly smooth enough for my liking on Micro Mini models. It also required me to spray outside or fire up the spray booth, which is not in a convenient location. The Stynylrez went on super smooth and covered fairly quickly, even watered down. Clean-up wasn't any more difficult than regular acrylic airbrush paints.
But, as is often the case with white-pigmented paint, there was significant tip build-up. I had to FREQUENTLY stop to wipe the build-up off the tip of my needle. It was a small price to pay, though, for a smooth, non-smelly primer that I am able to spray any time and at my normal painting table. I won't use this on larger models as I like using the Rust-Oleum 2X Ultra Cover for those. But for Stablemates and Micro Minis, the Badger Stynylrez primer is now my new preferred primer.
As long as I was trying a new primer, I thought it was a good time to try out some new sealers that I could shoot through my airbrush. Again, I plan on using these sealers on the smaller models I paint. For larger models, I will stick with the kinds in the spray cans that I prefer (which was the subject of an older blog post).
First up was Jo Sonja Matte Varnish. After much shaking to make sure everything was properly mixed, I thinned it 1:1 (2:1 using a higher psi) with distilled water and shot it through my T-C Omni. No problems whatsoever. It dried quickly and to a lovely satin finish (yeah, not matte at all). If you have ever used Krylon Matte Finish in a can, it dries similar to that. Not super shiny and not super flat but a happy in-between light sheen. I really liked how it brought out the depth of the colors and yet it took the subsequent layers of paint without any beading.
Then I tried the Golden Polymer Varnish (Matte). Same story - shake, shake, shake, thin with distilled water and shot it through my T-C Omni. Now, this stuff is MATTE (flat). For you fans of Dullcote, that is how flat this stuff dries. Clean-up wasn't a problem, either. There wasn't significant tip build-up as I was using it and both cleaned up easily with airbrush cleaner.
Because this is the first time I have used these sealers, I have no idea yet as to their durability, especially with an eye towards performance showing. I will be curious to see if the nice, flat finish of the Golden will stay flat or will it develop shiny spots where the model is touched or rubbed.
First up was Jo Sonja Matte Varnish. After much shaking to make sure everything was properly mixed, I thinned it 1:1 (2:1 using a higher psi) with distilled water and shot it through my T-C Omni. No problems whatsoever. It dried quickly and to a lovely satin finish (yeah, not matte at all). If you have ever used Krylon Matte Finish in a can, it dries similar to that. Not super shiny and not super flat but a happy in-between light sheen. I really liked how it brought out the depth of the colors and yet it took the subsequent layers of paint without any beading.
Then I tried the Golden Polymer Varnish (Matte). Same story - shake, shake, shake, thin with distilled water and shot it through my T-C Omni. Now, this stuff is MATTE (flat). For you fans of Dullcote, that is how flat this stuff dries. Clean-up wasn't a problem, either. There wasn't significant tip build-up as I was using it and both cleaned up easily with airbrush cleaner.
Because this is the first time I have used these sealers, I have no idea yet as to their durability, especially with an eye towards performance showing. I will be curious to see if the nice, flat finish of the Golden will stay flat or will it develop shiny spots where the model is touched or rubbed.
Note the very flat finish on this custom Breyer Mini Whinnie that was final sealed with Golden Polymer Varnish-Matte. A definite plus when taking photos under bright lights - very little glare!
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