Perfect primer for Gold

[Stoic Raptor]

This is something that may be of particular interest to Custodes players, but might also be helpful to anyone looking for a good undercoat for gold.

 

For the longest time, I'd been priming miniatures in black, and then using something like Mournfang Brown to basecoat sections that were to be gold.  It works okay, but you have the primer, then a couple thin coats of brown, then 1-2 thin coats of gold.

 

I've used Vallejo AV primer for the longest time, and I brush it on because weather and space concerns really keep me from using aerosol sprays or an airbrush.  But I've heard a lot of good things about Stynylrez from Badger.  They have a red-brown primer that looked to be perfect.  However, with the really cold weather we've had here for the last couple months, there was no way I could mail-order it and not have it frozen to uselessness by the time I get home to get the mail.  Well, the weather's finally warmed up to the mid-40s so I ordered some a couple of days ago and it arrived today.

 

I have got to say, the stuff is wonderful.  It goes on nice and smooth, even with a brush,  It's self-leveling like Vallejo but it dries with a matte surface rather than the shiny finish of Vallejo primer.  It's got more tooth for what you'll paint over it, and coverage is great.  And where Vallejo's ideal cure time is measured in days (one to three days was killing me to wait), Stynylrez cures in hours.  I primed a couple of Custodians before dinner, watched a little TV and came back to basecoat the gold.  They were ready to go.

 

Here's the best part.  Where I used to have to do three thin coats of gold to cover the black primer, Gold goes over red-brown Stynylrez in One. Thin. Coat.  And the brown undercoat makes the gold look really rich and warm.  Because you're applying fewer coats of primer, basecoat, and gold to cover, detail is preserved far better and the model doesn't look "painted".  I highly recommend this stuff for anyone who paints Custodes, Stormcast, or anything where you'll be doing a lot of gold.  You'll wonder why you waited so long.

[Tyberos the Red Wake]

I always shill Stynlyrez extremely hard, though I don't know how many people listen to me. I gave up after seeing just how many people STILL use Vallejo Surface Primer and still have great things to say about it when Stynlyrez is literally even better and solves Vallejo's biggest issue of long cure times and scratching/peeling.

 

There is not a SINGLE negative review for Stynlyrez on YouTube, as of mid-2017. I checked. The worst reviews for it were all "Wow, this stuff is pretty good, but I still prefer enamel primer" or "Huh, so I guess I was wrong and this stuff really IS as good as they say/lives up to the hype."

 

There is zero reason to use Vallejo primer now that Stynlyrez exists other than brand loyalty or you like huffing paint and Vallejo's formula smells sweeter and more banana-y than Stynlyrez.

[m0nolith]

I always shill Stynlyrez extremely hard, though I don't know how many people listen to me. I gave up after seeing just how many people STILL use Vallejo Surface Primer and still have great things to say about it when Stynlyrez is literally even better and solves Vallejo's biggest issue of long cure times and scratching/peeling.

 

There is not a SINGLE negative review for Stynlyrez on YouTube, as of mid-2017. I checked. The worst reviews for it were all "Wow, this stuff is pretty good, but I still prefer enamel primer" or "Huh, so I guess I was wrong and this stuff really IS as good as they say/lives up to the hype."

 

There is zero reason to use Vallejo primer now that Stynlyrez exists other than brand loyalty or you like huffing paint and Vallejo's formula smells sweeter and more banana-y than Stynlyrez.

Wow thats a hell of a advertisement for it.

Ok, you've convinced me. Next time i'm in the hobby store, if I see a bottle of Stynlyrez, i'll pick one up.

Im nearly out of Vallejo black primer.

[Magos Takatus]

The amusing thing is that I've only just progressed to Vallejo primer after years of using GW sprays. I just painted a batch of models with their rust coloured primer. It looks like this Stynlyrez stuff is easily available in the UK, too. I'll just have to file this away in the back of my head for when I run out of my spray cans and Vallejo primer. :p

[Axineton]

I might have to check this stuff out. I still don’t feel confident to spray or airbrush primers yet so this could be a great temporary solution till I am.

[betrayer41]

What perfect timing i just ran out of primer. Ordered some of this very excited to try it

[Stoic Raptor]

Vallejo is decent, but this is SO much better, I wish I'd heard of it years ago.

[Semper Fortis]

Another resounding endorsement for Stynylrez! I use their neutral yellow to prime Imperial Fists. It's not only a superior primer, but you get to skip that whole "basecoat with Averland Sunset" step.

[Arkhanist]

I always shill Stynlyrez extremely hard, though I don't know how many people listen to me. I gave up after seeing just how many people STILL use Vallejo Surface Primer and still have great things to say about it when Stynlyrez is literally even better and solves Vallejo's biggest issue of long cure times and scratching/peeling.

 

You convinced me to look into it 6 months ago, and I was an immediate convert. Vallejo has been around for years, and if you let it cure for several days and don't sand it, it does still do a decent job. Plus it's everywhere; dunno about the US, but in the UK stynlyrez isn't as widely spread yet - but then, it's only been around for a few years.

 

I do tend to end up having to do a little sanding/scraping after priming because I find bits of flash I haven't removed as much as I thought, and I always seem to get little cat hairs stuck on, no matter what I do. Stynlyrez is so much better at standing up to that even after only a few minutes cure time it's not even funny. The finish is better too I think, but to be fair it's not a huge difference. The coverage is REALLY good. Given they're the same price in the UK, it's a no brainer for me. Now they've got the extra colours, I can't think of any reason I'd buy vallejo new.

 

There's only three issues with stynlyrez. The first is that it doesn't tolerate being frozen well, i.e. sat on a doorstep for hours in sub-zero temperatures. They're working on that. Secondly, you do need to make sure it's well mixed, give it a good shake. The last is the name is bloody hard to spell, and I have to look it up every time.

 

They do recommend you use a largeish needle size, but I haven't found that actually a problem so far. The video below which helped sell me (big fan of flory models clay washes), he uses a 0.2mm needle.

 

Edited February 16, 2018 by Arkhanist

[Burias-Drak'shal]

Seems expensive in the UK. Does anyone know of a good place to get I from?

[Arkhanist]

Seems expensive in the UK. Does anyone know of a good place to get I from?

 

Scalemodel shop is where I got mine, £4.99 for 60ml - cheaper than vallejo! Or there's the 120ml for £8.49. Only issue is they do struggle with stock a bit.

 

As a backup if you're in a hurry, you can get 'ultimate primer' from emodels - it's just relabelled stynylrez, with less colour options.

[Burias-Drak'shal]

 

Seems expensive in the UK. Does anyone know of a good place to get I from?

 

Scalemodel shop is where I got mine, £4.99 for 60ml - cheaper than vallejo! Or there's the 120ml for £8.49. Only issue is they do struggle with stock a bit.

 

As a backup if you're in a hurry, you can get 'ultimate primer' from emodels - it's just relabelled stynylrez, with less colour options.

 

 

 

Thanks.

 

 

 

As a primer for gold I would consider using a silver primer as gold covers better over silver than black.

[Stoic Raptor]

 

There's only three issues with stynlyrez. The first is that it doesn't tolerate being frozen well, i.e. sat on a doorstep for hours in sub-zero temperatures. They're working on that. Secondly, you do need to make sure it's well mixed, give it a good shake. The last is the name is bloody hard to spell, and I have to look it up every time.

 

The first reason is why I had to wait so long to try it - our mail carrier is horrible, it's all we can do to get her to deliver to the right address, or leave the key to the larger box in the right mailbox... so there was no choice but to wait for warmer weather.  

 

Definitely shake it well, it helps.  When I first tried to apply it, it was going on really thin and clear but then I gave the bottle a good shake and it's way better.

 

As for the spelling?  Remember STYrene, viNYL, and REZin.  Ok, so they took a little liberty at the end there, but it's very descriptive for a primer that works on many surfaces.

 

 

As a primer for gold I would consider using a silver primer as gold covers better over silver than black.

 

 

Seriously, try it over brown.  You'll get a warm, burnished golden color that looks really rich.

[Axineton]

I might have to check this stuff out. I still don’t feel confident to spray or airbrush primers yet so this could be a great temporary solution till I am.

My confidence was short lived I just sprayed 4 primaris test models and they look great!

[Bloody Legionnaire]

I'm going to come out and say I'm a hypocrite first, because I continue to use GW acrylic metallic paints. There is something about the way acrylic paints are formulated and dry that causes them to not have the best finished product when it comes to metallics. Ideally a enamel would give you a much better result. I don't know if you'd be willing to switch, but that would make a difference. You may not even need a primer because enamels are so much more durable. 

I also use Vallejo Surface Primer but I apply it through an airbrush. I've noticed if I can get a basecoat over top of the surface primer after it's dry to the touch then the two coats harden at the same time and the end result is a little bit more durable.

Stynylrez would probably give you a better result but I have not used it myself yet to speak definitively. You can try getting some matte or flat medium and mixing that in with your basecoat or layers. I've noticed matte and flat surfaces allow acrylics to "bite" a bit better than smooth or glossy surfaces.