Problem with Stynylrez primer

[Mr Bowcat]

Morning guys,

I was priming some bits last night with Stynlrez grey (my go to primer). I was shooting it from a .4 needle at around 25 psi as usual. Normally this setup works fine, however last night I was having loads of issues, it wasn't spraying nicely at all, constantly clogging and drying on the tip of the needle.

I'm near the end of the bottle and I'm wondering if it thickens up as it runs out/ages? If so, is it worth trying to thin it or should I just bin it and buy another? I was going to order a large bottle form John (currently got the smaller bottle), but if it does have a tenedency to go off I might just stick to the small.

Any advice gratefully appreciated.

Cheers,

B

 

[Awins]

Hi Bob, I use the same primer. I've had the large bottle now for 14 months and had no issues. I do shake the living life out of it before use as you can clearly see how it settles in the bottle.
Once had tip issues and I found that my comp moisture trap was rather full allowing water to enter the airbrush and mix with the primer.

 

[Mr Bowcat]

Thanks Alan. I have a stainless steel ball in the bottle and did give it a good shake, and had only started airbrushing so no moisture build up. I'm really not sure why it behaved so differently than normal?? I'll try again tonight and really shake the hell out of it.

 

[BarryW]

It can thicken over time as I found. It is also very important to strip clean the airbrush after use. It does gum things up worse than base paint.

 

[Mr Bowcat]

Cheers Barry.

Yes, I do give it a full strip after using the primer, as you say it likes to stick fast to eveything. Anything I can do about thinning it, or is best to chuck it and buy another?

 

[BarryW]

I used Vallejo Airbrush Thinner - it works just as well with Stynyrez as with VMA. Water should work though I do think the thinner is the better route.

 

[Mr Bowcat]

Ive only got IPA or X-20, any idea if either would work?

I guess I should probably try on some scrap styrene with each and see which works better.

 

[meggsy]

Rightly or wrongly I've thinned it with IPA with no problems

 

[Mr Bowcat]

Thanks for that Steve, IPA it is.

Edited to add, what sort of ratio do you use?

 

[meggsy]

I've no rule of thumb just till it flows easier probably 30% IPA to 70% primer

 

[Mr Bowcat]

Cool, cheers.

 

[John Rixon]

I'd be tempted to add a little flow-improver and retarder to the mix (and hey presto, you've made your own thinners!) Although Stynylrez works fine out of the bottle, thinning it thus will not affect its greatness, just make it a little more tolerant! You'll still get that super smooth finish.

 

[Mr Bowcat]

Thanks John.

I did try it with a little IPA last night and it was defintiely better. Having said that, there's probably less than 10% left in the bottle, so when my order from John arrives later today I will probably bin it.

 

[colin m]

I use the same stuff, but leave the bottle on its side. Once in a while, like when I remember, I rotate the bottle 180 degrees. This strange ritual, I hope, stops the primer settling too much.

 

[Mr Bowcat]

Thats not a bad idea, maybe just give it a shake every week.

 

[spanner570]

Bob, slap me with a wet kipper if you think the following is silly....

Because of this cold snap, could it be that the paint is simply too cold? I put my paints on a radiator for a short time before use.

Just a thought.

Ron

 

[Mr Bowcat]

Not in my house Ron. We have cavity wall insulation, yet the missus still has the heating up so high that I'm in constant fear that all my built kits will become puddles of paint and styrene. And should I dare to suggest that she put a jumper on, the dirty looks I get are on par with Medusa's.

Wet kipper on standby.

 

[Tom Rigg]

would it be easier to mix (keep better) if the container was stored on it's side? just thinking the mixing (esp. with a BB) might be more efficient.
Tom