Tweet Copyx I’m reviewing three brands of primer so you can pick the best one for getting your custom model horse ready for paint. They each have their pros and cons. I will also end the video with a few bonus brands you can consider. First up is the Rustoleum brand of primer. Rustoleum offers many different kinds of primers for different types of projects, and in different colors.
The specific type I’m reviewing in this video is the American Accents 2X Ultra Cover in red and white. Anytime I buy primers, I look for sandablity, which this primer definitely has. It won’t overly gum up on your sandpaper, or leave sticky residue behind when you sand it. I also look for good tooth, which this one has. It stays smooth, but not so smooth that your paint has nothing to grip. Unfortunately, this particular version of Rustoleum primer goes on very thick.
That can be nice when you need to fill imperfections, but it’s not great if you have fine details you want to preserve. It also limits how many coats you can apply before you lose detail. It’s not my favorite for stablemates or other minis at all. Finally, the white version of this primer did not spray consistently and required that I strip my test model. Krylon CoverMaxx was my go-to primer for a long time. It goes on very thin, holds detail, is smooth, and decent for sanding.
It also came in a good range of colors, from white, grey and red, perfect for model horses. However, now I have a hard time finding that particular version, what I often find instead is the ColorMaster. It’s not my favorite. It too goes on thin, but it’s hard to sand. In fact, it’s very gummy when sanding. I also find that it’s too smooth and doesn’t offer much tooth, which I find even more problematic as an airbrush artist.
If you can find the CoverMaxx, it’s a nice workhorse primer, especially for minis, but I wouldn’t really recommend the ColorMaster. This next one is an automotive primer, which I think is a godsend because not only are automotive products generally cheaper than hobby products, but they are great at preserving fine details. This is the Duplicolor Sandable primer. I love this primer. It goes on thin and preserves details wonderfully.
But my top favorite things about this primer are it’s perfect amount of tooth, right amount of smoothness and wide range of colors. It does cost a little more, but the results are so much better I feel it’s far worth the couple extra dollars. So my only real con is that it can be tricky to find it. Most stores carry the filler version, which I don’t recommend because it’s thicker. When you do find the sandable version, it’s not easy to find all the colors, especially rust and gray.
There are so many different kinds of primers out there, and I reviewed these three because they were either the easiest to find, or I felt the best options. But there are others that I haven’t gotten to try yet that are worth taking a look at yourself. Rustoleum makes an automotive primer as well that may be worth comparing to the Duplicolor Sandable primer.
Then there is the world of airbrush primers, from brands like Vallejo and Badger. I haven’t tried these either, but since you are running them through an airbrush, these could afford a lot more control over the spray intensity and what details you can preserve. Definitely worth a look for mini model horse artists. Hopefully this video helps you find your perfect primer for your model horse customizing projects. Now go paint ponies!
Primer Brands for Model Horse Customs
The specific type I’m reviewing in this video is the American Accents 2X Ultra Cover in red and white. Anytime I buy primers, I look for sandablity, which this primer definitely has. It won’t overly gum up on your sandpaper, or leave sticky residue behind when you sand it. I also look for good tooth, which this one has. It stays smooth, but not so smooth that your paint has nothing to grip. Unfortunately, this particular version of Rustoleum primer goes on very thick.
That can be nice when you need to fill imperfections, but it’s not great if you have fine details you want to preserve. It also limits how many coats you can apply before you lose detail. It’s not my favorite for stablemates or other minis at all. Finally, the white version of this primer did not spray consistently and required that I strip my test model. Krylon CoverMaxx was my go-to primer for a long time. It goes on very thin, holds detail, is smooth, and decent for sanding.
It also came in a good range of colors, from white, grey and red, perfect for model horses. However, now I have a hard time finding that particular version, what I often find instead is the ColorMaster. It’s not my favorite. It too goes on thin, but it’s hard to sand. In fact, it’s very gummy when sanding. I also find that it’s too smooth and doesn’t offer much tooth, which I find even more problematic as an airbrush artist.
If you can find the CoverMaxx, it’s a nice workhorse primer, especially for minis, but I wouldn’t really recommend the ColorMaster. This next one is an automotive primer, which I think is a godsend because not only are automotive products generally cheaper than hobby products, but they are great at preserving fine details. This is the Duplicolor Sandable primer. I love this primer. It goes on thin and preserves details wonderfully.
But my top favorite things about this primer are it’s perfect amount of tooth, right amount of smoothness and wide range of colors. It does cost a little more, but the results are so much better I feel it’s far worth the couple extra dollars. So my only real con is that it can be tricky to find it. Most stores carry the filler version, which I don’t recommend because it’s thicker. When you do find the sandable version, it’s not easy to find all the colors, especially rust and gray.
There are so many different kinds of primers out there, and I reviewed these three because they were either the easiest to find, or I felt the best options. But there are others that I haven’t gotten to try yet that are worth taking a look at yourself. Rustoleum makes an automotive primer as well that may be worth comparing to the Duplicolor Sandable primer.
Then there is the world of airbrush primers, from brands like Vallejo and Badger. I haven’t tried these either, but since you are running them through an airbrush, these could afford a lot more control over the spray intensity and what details you can preserve. Definitely worth a look for mini model horse artists. Hopefully this video helps you find your perfect primer for your model horse customizing projects. Now go paint ponies!
