Guide: Preparation and Primer
A flawless finish starts before the first drop of colour. Clean, smooth and well-primed parts are what make the colour look right and the clear coat look deep.
You will need
- Koloi Aqua Primer: Pure White, Neutral Grey, Dark Grey or Deep Black
- An airbrush with a 0.3–0.4 mm nozzle
- Very fine abrasive for smoothing dust
- A mask and eye protection
Step by step
- Clean the parts. Wash them in warm water with a drop of detergent, rinse and let them dry completely. From here on, hold the parts by the edges or on a stand, so fingers do not leave grease on the surface.
- Fix the surface. Remove mould lines and fill and sand any gaps. Primer shows every flaw that is left, so this is the moment to correct it.
- Choose the primer. See the table below: the primer colour changes how the final colour looks.
- Shake the bottle for at least 60 seconds.
- Airbrush straight from the bottle, no thinning needed, with a 0.3–0.4 mm nozzle at around 20 PSI (1.4 bar). Apply light, even coats.
- Let the primer dry fully, then lightly smooth any dust with very fine abrasive. If a flaw shows up, correct it and re-prime just that area.
- Clean the airbrush with water before the primer dries.
Which primer for which colour
| Primer | Use it under |
|---|---|
| Pure White | Bright colours: reds, oranges, yellows. They are naturally translucent and stay vivid over white. |
| Neutral Grey | Most solid colours, silvers and light metallics: the all-round base. |
| Dark Grey | Dark colours. |
| Deep Black | Dark metallics and pearls, which read deepest over a smooth black base. Candies go over a metallic base (aluminium, chrome or silver). |
What usually goes wrong
A bright colour looks patchy or dull
It was sprayed over grey. Reds, oranges and yellows need a white primer to reach full colour without piling on coats.
Flaws show up after the colour coat
They were there before. Check the primed parts under strong light before painting, correct them and re-prime the area.
The primer has runs
The coat was too heavy. Let it dry fully, smooth the run with very fine abrasive and re-prime with lighter coats.
Safety
Koloi Aqua Primer causes serious eye irritation: wear eye protection. If it gets in your eyes, rinse cautiously with water for several minutes and remove contact lenses if present and easy to do. Work in a ventilated room, wear a mask when airbrushing and keep the product out of reach of children. Safety Data Sheet available on request.
Next step: Solid colours · Metallics and pearls · Candy colours