Acrylic primer for vinyl figure?

[Mongo Mel]

Hello all.
Haven't done any posting for a very long time but still here and still painting
I'm having trouble with using oils on a vinyl figure.
I've have the same problem in the past where certain colors (but by no means all) refuse to dry...for weeks at a time!
So, my solution has always been to undercoat with an acrylic but that's not working this time.
So, can anyone recommend a good acrylic primer I could use?
Or any other possible solutions for this problem?
Many thanks in advance.
Craig

 

[arj]

I'm not speaking from any particular experience.
It might be worth trying a coat of pva/water mix before applying your preferred primer.
I vaguely remember such a solution for priming soft plastic and Helmet figures.

Cheers,
Andrew

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Hi Craig!

Havent seen you around for a while?

I have not primed vinyl for a few years and the brands I used is not available anymore.
I would however like to remember that an acrylic primer will dry on the vinyl and create a barrier between the vinyl and next layer of paint.

Can they have changed something in the primer youve used previously? Or perhaps the primer coat was too thin?

Cheers
Janne Nilsson

 

[kagemusha]

From past experience vinyl kits need to be cleaned thoroughly....then I always used Tamiya primer
However...if the kit is soft vinyl....like a mask etc.....Andrews idea may well work....

Ron

 

[Mongo Mel]

Hi guys.
Just a quick reply as I'm at lunch here.
First, thanks for the replies and suggestions.
More info tonight after I get home and can get organized
Craig

 

[Mongo Mel]

Back again
So here's my story...
The piece is a soft vinyl like the old Horizon figures.

First attempt: Cleaned and primed with AlClad lacquer thru my airbrush.
Oils never dried so I stripped with lacquer thinner and started over.
Second attempt: Cleaned and primed with Dupli-Color automotive primer.
Undercoated with acrylic flat paint thru airbrush.
Got a little farther with the oils and some dried but some stayed a little tacky and were easily damaged while applying secondary colors.

I've used both of these primers quite a bit in the past with no problems.
I ran into this same problem years ago on my Superman bust with red paint.
Checked my notes and found that I solved it by priming and then undercoating with Andrea red acrylic before applying red oils.
Dried fast and stable.

I do have a bottle of Vallejo acrylic primer that I tried once but it didn't seem to want to stick to a resin figure.

Andrew...never heard of that trick before. So basically mixing white glue and water. Interesting. Thanks for the idea.

Ron...I have a can of Tamiya primer. Will give that some thought as well.

Right now, leaning towards the AlClad primer with an Andrea acrylic base coat.


Again, many thanks for the helpful suggestions.
If I can get things to work, maybe I'll even post a picture or 2
Craig

 

[kagemusha]

Oils over an AlClad primer can't work...simply because of two things....a conflict between the Lacquer based AlClad and the oil/drier....
Secondly...oils dry by penetration & oxidisation...lacquers prevent the oils from penetrating...which is why they will take months to dry....and because they can't penetrate...and they have nothing to grip on to...so will rub off easily...

Ron

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Do you apply the Vallejo Primer with airbrush or brush?

A test a while ago I found out that Vallejo Primer works well but it dries slowly. 2-3 days on Resin. 5-7 days on white metal. Applied then with airbrush.

Cheers
Janne Nilsson

 

[Mongo Mel]

Hi Ron.
That's interesting to hear. I've used the AlClad primer on my figures for years with no issue. I thought it was the "tooth" of the primer that the oils were sticking to.
I also use a drying box to greatly speed up my drying times to usually 24 hours or less.


Janne, I sprayed the Vallejo primer thru my airbrush. It just didn't seem to stick well to the figure for me. I believe I had cleaned it first but who knows

Thanks again guys.
Craig

 

[kagemusha]

Very interested to hear which brand of oils you use over the Alclad primer.....and your correct in that the 'tooth' is important to the adhesion....which is not usually something 'lacquers' are known for having...
Also surprised that you use a 'drying box'....as the lacquer base would normally reject the oils when heat is applied....something which I experienced several times before I moved to acrylic primers and stopped using heat altogether.

Ron

 

[Mongo Mel]

Hi Ron.
Practically all my oils are Winsor Newton brand. One thing that I do is apply them straight from the tube with no thinning agents.
My drying box is a homemade wood box with a 75 watt light bulb as the heat source. The box is big enough that there is a few inches of space between the light and the bulb. How does that compare with your set up?

 

[Eludia]

I too use oils over Alclad primers, and also use a drying box - no issues so far.

I use W&N oils, thinned with Zest-It.

 

[ssculptor]

How do I determine the type of plastic used in flexible plastic toy figures? As far as I can tell there are vinyl (polyvinyl?) and urethane.
Are all the cheap flexible plastic toy figures made of vinyl or what?
What type of plastic did Marx use in their 6 inch tall flexible figures? By the way the Marx 6 inch Flexible soldiers have been reissued recently. I got some off eBay and as soon as they arrive I will read the display box and hopefully I will get the info and will report here on what I find.
Ssculptor

 

[winfield]

Here in the States there have been multiple spray-paint companies release primers made specifically for soft plastic. Not in hobby paint, but at the home improvement and hardware stores in the paint sections. I have used it on Airfix-styled 1/72 figures and it is very good.

 

[socko47]

Heeellllooooo Craig, A big Happy New Year to you. I had two thoughts. One, I liked Winfield's idea, maybe a specific primer for Vinyl siding. The other thought was - is this an old figure? I seem to remember some either were not cured properly or they started to weep from being old. Just my 2 cents, I am not experienced with the issue.

 

[Tommy Brown]

Clear primer by Dupli-Color Adhesion Promoter for Plastic/Flexible Surfaces