Priming your CAV models

[Pancakeonions]

Apologies, as I know this gets talked about a lot...  But could someone direct me to the "what do you prime your Bones Black models with?" thread?  I just got a handful of CAV models that I think were in the new "Black" material (actually light gray), the Warden, the Armadillo, and a Lynx.  I primed them with a can of gray Ace Hardware brand Premium Primer and they came out tacky.  I waited several days, and they never fully cured.  Thankfully, with a coat of Games Workshop Contrast paint (Militarum Green) the tackiness was reduced, but not eliminated.  Once that cured, I coated it with Liquitex paint on matte varnish, and the tackiness was all but gone (still a tiny bit tacky, but not bad).  The Gray Bones material is still very hydrophobic without primer, and Contrast paints wont work at all.  

 

What Primer have you had good luck with on Bones Black/Gray?  how are you painting your models? 

 

Do you use the same primer on Bones Black/Gray that you did on the original recipe Bones?  

 

And based on this thread, I wonder if these are Bones I bonesium, and not "Bones Black" - https://forum.reapermini.com/index.php?/topic/87431-bones-v-black-bones/  Maybe I'm actually working with original flavor bonesium that's just been tinted a bit? 

 

There's some details here: https://forum.reapermini.com/index.php?/topic/48669-bones-the-first-coat-is-the-difference/ but that was posted after Bones I - any updates?  

 

Any help or advice you could offer to someone new to recent Bones figures would be most appreciated!

Edited September 15, 2019 by Pancakeonions

[Corsair]

Okay, they are in original Bones, not Bones Black. I have never had good results from any rattle can primer, even the Krylon stuff made for plastics. Airbrushing with acrylics has worked well or just brushing on acrylics. Once you have a base coat you can use any paint you want. With the primer you used, you will probably have the problem of tackiness returning [sorry] so what I wound up doing was stripping them by soaking in Pinesol overnight, then repainting [again, sorry].

[CAVBOSS]

The ones you have are not original "bones" but were cast with a higher durometer for us than Reaper's white ones, so they are "stiffer". The only "Bones Black" one right now is the Enforcer, that we did back in 2017 and all of the stuff (new model wise) going forward will be as well.

Most of your air-brush primers work. I use Tamiya Plastic Primer and have used Army Painter with no problem, but I have heard some people say they have with it. Usually sealing with Testor's Dull coat will take away the tacky.

[WhiteWulfe]

I use either Reaper's Brown or Gray Liner, or Mission Models primer (usually black)..  And brush it on.   Eventually I'll be airbrushing my primers on, but that requires an airbrush.

[jsalyers]

I use Badger's Stynylrez primers with an airbrush and have never had any problems. You can apply Stynylrez with a brush too. 

 

Works like a charm!

 

J--

[Savage Coyote]

Testers Acrylic Model Masters flat black with a brush or airbrush and Testors Acrylic Model Masters Grey primer via airbrush (too thin to brush with)

I've avoided rattle cans for years as I've had horrible results :-/

[Werkrobotwerk]

15 hours ago, jsalyers said:

I use Badger's Stynylrez primers with an airbrush and have never had any problems. You can apply Stynylrez with a brush too. 

 

Works like a charm!

 

J--

Brush on Stynylrez works great with this. I started using it after getting a nice sample bottle in last year's reapercon swag bag.

[papabees]

I swear by Krylon Colormaster Primer Color Max White Ultra Flat in a rattle can. I live in Indiana which can be fairly humid and I have had great results with any type of bones. I tried all kinds of different rattle cans and this is by far the best I've used.

[Corsair]

Okay, I just tried the rattlecan Tamiya Ultraflat Primer on a recommendation from @golldanand it is great. Absolutely flat and perfect coverage. Dried quickly even on Halberds and Mantis CAVs. 

[CAVBOSS]

1 hour ago, Corsair said:

Okay, I just tried the rattlecan Tamiya Ultraflat Primer on a recommendation from @golldanand it is great. Absolutely flat and perfect coverage. Dried quickly even on Halberds and Mantis CAVs. 

That's all I use and other then when its been to cold, never had a problem with it.

[Pancakeonions]

I just tried the new GW / Citadel spray primers for their Contrast range, Grey Seer.  It worked well; it's a bit chilly here, but nothing too bad (San Francisco in the winter is more like late spring in most places...).  I also used Contrast paints on the models.  I absolutely love how great it looks with a single coat (with touch ups) but still found even with the primer that paint is pretty hydrophobic and would bead up a lot on the models.  You really have to be patient while you apply - carefully and methodically working it over the "hydrophobic" bits; it eventually settles down and stays put.  But a few hours later, I look over the model again, as inevitably a few little spots here and there don't stay put, and I have to cover up those bits.  You must varnish if you use contrast paints, however.  I've found using regular hobby acrylic paints, handling the models before varnish is fine; with Contrast, you do run a small risk of rubbing the paint off - so varnish as soon as you can.  

 

All in all, I'm a fan of Contrast for speed and how it looks.  It's a bit finicky, and not very durable.  So for those of you with more patience, maybe stick to other brands/types of paints?

 

Has anyone else found this to be true too? 

[CAVBOSS]

Here is a picture of some of the contrast paint colors that Todd Farnholtz did up as a test. Overall pretty good results. Maybe he will get on here and talk a bit more about technique and his overall thoughts on them.

[KruleBear]

I like how the white and orange areas look. 

Edited January 18, 2020 by KruleBear

[Corsair]

I would love to see his techniques explained!

[Savage Coyote]

I’ve also tried contrast with CAVs and some CAV vehicles and like the effect.  Two coats of Militarium green over a light grey base + sponge damage + edge highlights looks pretty good for the time put in!