Do you Prime Bones Black and USA Black models

[Psychonomad]

Do you need to prime Bones Black and USA Black or the gray plastic type Bones models?

[SotF]

I don't believe that you do.

 

However, if you're working on a project where they're with different materials, you might want to start them with a primer between all of the minis. The material color does effect the colors of paints over it same as primers and other things

[Inarah]

I prime everything. 

 

Technically you're supposed to wash the various Bones materials, priming is not supposed to be necessary but I get better results with it. 

 

 

[R2ED]

I've heard these legends about not priming and the paint adhering.  I've also heard about the white whale that strikes at ships...

 

Seriously though, I wash, then prime.  I learned not to use spray Primers because some of them make the miniature sticky.  I also don't use flow improver in my primer mix of going through an airbrush.  My most recent just-get-it- done method has been brushing on Stynylrez black primer. I do this for all of my models (priming that is).  

 

I've had Issue where my base layer kept sliding around and it acted like a wash instead of paint.  I gave up on not priming and the cost of time saves me later, as well as delivers consistent results. 

 

 

[WhiteWulfe]

I'm definitely in the wash and then prime mindset, I've had too many cases where I've have to start all over again because the base layer either wouldn't stick, or it would pretend to and paint is just falling off the next day... 

[Count Urlik]

Yep, what they said!

[haldir]

4 hours ago, Count Urlik said:

Yep, what they said!

 

Yep, Yep!

 

Priming is just a step in the hobby. Learn it, & it'll serve you well in the future.

[Ratmaster2000]

Airbrush priming stynlrez is the way to go! You can brush on as well, but airbrusing makes the paint go so much further. No thinning, just put it in yopur brush and fire away. The self leveling feature of the primer is just awesome.

[Wren]

I don't prime Bones classic or Bones Black. My decision not to prime classic is based on testing a variety of first coat options by painting over them and stress testing the paint. My observation was that I saw either little difference or the straight paint was sturdier. Either way, saving a step is a score in my book! The pictures and methodology of my tests is available in pinned posts in the Reaper Product Lines subsection of the forum here.

I haven't actually tested Black the same way, but observationally it hasn't seemed different enough to change my approach.

 

And definitely wash them. Wash all minis, even those you plan to prime. Finger grease from packagers, mould release - there's gunk on figures. Regardless of your paint surface and priming intentions, I would say this step is more essential to a sturdy paint job than sealer at the end.

 

I haven't tested Bones USA, but observationally my belief is that these should be primed. The material is described as and seems much closer to resin than PVC. I have painted several with no primer, and there's no issue with painting them. On one of those I was noticing some paint rub-off issues, and that's what prompted me to think about the differences between the two materials based on manufacturing and other factors.