12-22-2018, 01:22 AM
I had the opportunity this evening to apply primer to these cars, and since I'm running low on Floquil Grey Primer, I decide to try Tamiya Surface Primer, in a spray can.
While it went on fairly well and covered well, too, I found it comparable to swatting flies with with a sledgehammer, whereas using an airbrush is much easier, like using a flyswatter in the above example.
Despite the comparatively heavy applications, the primer levels well and dries to the touch fairly quickly. There seems to be still a fair amount left in the can, but there's no way it can compare to Floquil primer in coverage-for-your-modelling-dollar. I did five cars, inside, outside, and underbody, and I'd guess what's left should do another three or four.
The 100ml can cost approximately $8.50, while a 29.6ml bottle of Floquil grey primer would have been around $3.50 (I know, it's an older product purchased at an earlier time, so price comparisons won't really mean too much).
The price, per ml for the Tamiya is 8.3 cents, and for the Floquil, one ml cost 11.8 cents. If the Tamiya covers 8 or 9 cars...let's give it the benefit of doubt, and call it 10, that's $.85/car. A bottle of Floquil will easily do 20 cars or more, but even at 20, that's only $.18/car.
Clearly, the Floquil would be a better choice, dollar-wise, were it still available. If you ignore the cost difference, though, and if I could still get Floquil Grey Primer (forget the other colours, in my opinion Pollyscale was an all-around better paint) I would choose it over any other, as applying it with an airbrush, as opposed to Tamiya's spray can, is much easier, and offers better control. As for coverage and finish, I'd rate both Tamiya and Floquil equally good.
....and, after a little on-line searching, I found Tamiya grey primer in a bottle, thinnable with lacquer thinner. I'll probably give it a try, as ease of application (airbrush) outweighs price as far as I'm concerned.
Anyway, here are some photos of the gondolas in primer...
This is one of the four which will become TH&B cars...
![[Image: THB%20gondola....jpg]](https://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/doctorwayne/Freight%20Cars%20-%20Part%20III/THB%20gondola....jpg)
...and this one, based on a TH&B cinder car, will become an EG&E cinder car....
![[Image: EGE%20cinder%20car....jpg]](https://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/doctorwayne/Freight%20Cars%20-%20Part%20III/EGE%20cinder%20car....jpg)
...and a couple of end-views...
![[Image: Cinder%20cargondola....jpg]](https://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/doctorwayne/Freight%20Cars%20-%20Part%20III/Cinder%20cargondola....jpg)
![[Image: Cinder%20cargondola%20-%202....jpg]](https://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/doctorwayne/Freight%20Cars%20-%20Part%20III/Cinder%20cargondola%20-%202....jpg)
I'm not sure how long the Tamiya needs to cure before it can painted-over, so I'll wait until the smell is gone. And before painting in the final colours, there are more details to add.
Wayne
While it went on fairly well and covered well, too, I found it comparable to swatting flies with with a sledgehammer, whereas using an airbrush is much easier, like using a flyswatter in the above example.
Despite the comparatively heavy applications, the primer levels well and dries to the touch fairly quickly. There seems to be still a fair amount left in the can, but there's no way it can compare to Floquil primer in coverage-for-your-modelling-dollar. I did five cars, inside, outside, and underbody, and I'd guess what's left should do another three or four.
The 100ml can cost approximately $8.50, while a 29.6ml bottle of Floquil grey primer would have been around $3.50 (I know, it's an older product purchased at an earlier time, so price comparisons won't really mean too much).
The price, per ml for the Tamiya is 8.3 cents, and for the Floquil, one ml cost 11.8 cents. If the Tamiya covers 8 or 9 cars...let's give it the benefit of doubt, and call it 10, that's $.85/car. A bottle of Floquil will easily do 20 cars or more, but even at 20, that's only $.18/car.
Clearly, the Floquil would be a better choice, dollar-wise, were it still available. If you ignore the cost difference, though, and if I could still get Floquil Grey Primer (forget the other colours, in my opinion Pollyscale was an all-around better paint) I would choose it over any other, as applying it with an airbrush, as opposed to Tamiya's spray can, is much easier, and offers better control. As for coverage and finish, I'd rate both Tamiya and Floquil equally good.
....and, after a little on-line searching, I found Tamiya grey primer in a bottle, thinnable with lacquer thinner. I'll probably give it a try, as ease of application (airbrush) outweighs price as far as I'm concerned.
Anyway, here are some photos of the gondolas in primer...
This is one of the four which will become TH&B cars...
...and this one, based on a TH&B cinder car, will become an EG&E cinder car....
...and a couple of end-views...
I'm not sure how long the Tamiya needs to cure before it can painted-over, so I'll wait until the smell is gone. And before painting in the final colours, there are more details to add.
Wayne