Wood primer

[kimstation]

Hi, I am building some IP wagons and coaches, which I am going to paint. Can anyone recommend what wood primer I should use, in an airbrush, please.
Thanks
Kim

[GTB]

Hi, I am building some IP wagons and coaches, which I am going to paint. Can anyone recommend what wood primer I should use, in an airbrush, please.
Thanks
Kim

For wooden models I use a 'Sanding Sealer' from the local hardware. There should be something similar to it available in the UK.

The stuff I used is similar to model aeroplane dope, but with enough filler added that it looks like matt varnish in the tin. It soaks into the wood surface, fills the grain and dries hard for sanding. Effectively it turns the surface of wood into plastic. I brush it on, as it is sanded to smooth the surface after each coat in any case.

The IP railcars I built recently took 3 coats to get a reasonably smooth surface on the plywood. I just used the sanding sealer as the primer and airbrushed the colour coat with enamel.

Regards,
Graeme

[Sleeper Agent]

Just to put it out there i'm brand new to the world of outdoor modelling. I've brought a few open and semi-open coach kits from IP Engineering to get me started and am wondering how to best proceed. Should I prime the main components before glue assembly or afterward and would the above mentioned 'Sanding Sealer' be a sound choice as a primer (they will be painted afterwards, not stained).

Regards
Steve

[bazzer42]

I have never used a primer just bog standard car aerosols,. Need to say I've only made as few wooden kits.

[Big Jim]

With plywood I tend to sand before building and then sand again and prime once it is complete.
With mdf I use sanding sealer or dilute pva after a quick rub down.

[laalratty]

I tend to build and then prime and paint, first a couple of coats of sanding sealer, sanded back each time, then at least one coat of spray primer or wood primer, again sanded back (with then another coat of primer in necessary). Finally I paint the top coat, with as many coats as needed to get a good finish, again sanded back each time. I build first as I don't think gluing onto paint will produce a particularly strong joint.