Primers in the UK

[cornishleeParticipant 205xp 0]

Hi all, I can’t believe this hasn’t been asked before but I can’t find anything by searching the forums.

All of the online primer comparisons I can find are US based and include several that you can’t get on this side of the Atlantic.

So, what have you tried, what do you prefer and why?

[sundancer 42976xp 0]

I’ve used the old GW Chaos Black and White primers and loved them. Used the Vallejo White primer with mixed result. Currently I’m using Army Painter. If used right (shake for at least 2 Minutes and prep like Mel tells us to do. See video below) they work like a charm. Plus: when you use matching colours in the dropper bottle, you can fix mishaps easily.

[nogginthenog 3472xp 1]

I have two I use a lot.

 

Vallejo polyurethane primers – Great range of colours, easy to spray or brush on, self levelling so that they cover well without obscuring detail.

However, they are poor if you need to sand them at all, it tends to peel rather than sand properly unless you leave it for about a week after applying.

The other is badger stynylrez. You may think this is hard to get hold of in the UK, but it is also sold under the Ultimate Modelling products brand, a UK company, Its the exact same stuff, sold under license, and is available at model shops and direct from http://www.umpretail.com

Its a lot thicker than the Vallejo product, which can make it difficult to spray if your airbrush has a smaller needle, 0.3mm and below really have trouble with it un-thinned. Like the Vallejo it’s self-leveling so you can also brush it on.

The big advantage over the Vallejo is that it dries fairly quickly, and it sands down like paint if you need to. I get on with both fine, but if I were to choose, the stynylrez is probably the one I would choose.

 

[avernosKeymaster 33947xp 0]

Airbrush or spray can would be my first question. If it’s an aerosol spray halfords grey primer is fantastic and for my vehicles I use halfords red oxide primer as it was good enough for the wehrmacht ^^

Colour primers Army painter are good but jaysus some shaking is needed, while a warm water bath is required for the PSC coloured primers.

Airbrush I’m a massive fan of vallejo, mig Ammo are very good and badgers stynlrez is probably not spelt properly but everyone who has used it says it’s excellent as a self leveling primer.

[wilco92 7594xp 0]

Got to love the army painter range of primers. I use them mostly for terrain and any large force I need a good bace colour down on. in addition I’m always looking on eBay for good deals and prices. Mostly I use Stynylrez Black, Grey and White Primer By Badger. Good place to get it in the UK is Scale Model Shop Online.

https://www.scalemodelshop.co.uk/products/paints/model-paint-auxiliaries/modelling-primer

Great Airbrush Primer, lays so well and the best on fine detail minis.

[frostwolfParticipant 364xp 0]

I’m in the US, but Vallejo polyurethane is my primer of choice. Easily obtainable in the UK.

[orlandothetechnicolouredParticipant 4380xp 1]

Poundland’s best prodriver grey spray primer (somebody else’s video comparing it to Halfords is linked below),

works great, costs £1 for 300ml.

the one thing I always do with all rattle cans is to test spray onto a yoghurt pot or similar just to make sure the nozzle is ok (as you do get the odd one that produces a messy spray but that’s no more of an issue than it is with something like army painter). its also worth doing when you come back to a can you’ve used before just in case you’ve got a clogged nozzle

 

[orlandothetechnicolouredParticipant 4380xp 0]

Sadly it’s only in a fairly dark grey so if that doesn’t suit you you’ll need to use something else, and there are times when one of the coloured primers from army painter etc really saves time or hassle

[frostwolfParticipant 364xp 2]

Man, after all the comments I’ve read on this site over the years it just feels like Poundland is an absolute hobby mecca.  =)

[orlandothetechnicolouredParticipant 4380xp 1]

It’s a good first stop as stuff is cheap enough that you can experiment without worry which is how I know the £1 white prodriver spay paint (not primer) isn’t any good as while it sticks it’s too smooth and your paint will slide right off (If it has been £10 or 15 I wouldn’t have bothered, too expensive, it didn’t work but if it had i’d have has a cheap white alternative too)

It used to be my goto place for hobby knives too but sadly they’ve stopped selling the ones I got

(as are dollar stores in the states….. the trees and buildings I see people posting on the frostgrave group from dollar stores on Halloween or Christmas are great and I wish we got them here)

[phaidknott 7023xp 2]

Still using the Halfords rattlecan primer (been using it for over 30 years now). Not the cheapest, but it hasn’t let me down yet. I use either the grey primer or the Halfords Matt Black as a primer on 15mm or smaller scale minis (as you can’t afford to daub too much paint on these smaller minis without starting to obscure details).

 

…any else is new and trendy, and I don’t react well to change 😀

[torros 23816xp 1]

I use halfords as there a couple of minutes down the road from me. All primers are exactly the same no matter the cost. The cheaper ones have less propellant so need to be mixed by shaking for a lot longer . No matter the weather I put the can in warm water for a couple of minutes as this helps the mixing process

 

This us a good video on it  https://youtu.be/nCenxgOW-fs

[seldon9 12954xp 0]

I use Vallejo for brush on primer and Stynylrez for airbrush priming. Vallejo appears a bit thicker to me so dilutes better for brush on priming. Stynylrez is already very runny and will go through the airbrush without thinning. I found Vallejo much more awkward to prime with. I nearly always prime with black.

For terrain I’ve used Halfords, Rustoleum (from Wilko if you’re UK-based) and the Poundland primer mentioned above. All were fine and my choice depended mainly on whichever was in store. Poundland sells out of primer fast round here. Not sure if @avernos can confirm but last time I looked for Halfords primer they were only pushing grey with a view to you spraying another, non-primer colour over the top. Hopefully that’s a flash in the pan and they’ll bring their usual range of coloured primers back.

[olliepMember 6011xp 0]

As some have said above, Halfords Grey primer for me every time. Have used it for many years over multiple large  armies with no issues

[avernosKeymaster 33947xp 1]

@seldon9 I’m not sure about coloured primers, but the lovely red oxide is still there for all your wehrmacht needs 😀

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