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Acrylic Black & White Primers 50ml (01.009 & 01.007) Water-Based Thinner (01.012) Jim Scale via HobbyColours Jim Scale is a Russian-based brand of modelling supplies that concentrates heavily on painting and finishing, with a great many products aimed at the modeller of Russian Federation or Soviet subjects, but with a broad range that will suit almost any subject. Their location might cause concerns for some of our members at the moment, but these products have come to us via HobbyColours from Greece, and might appeal to some of our members around the world, providing that supply doesn’t eventually become a problem. The range contains products that are water-based and alcohol-based, the water-based product codes beginning with 01., and with the colour or product number after the full-stop. This is good to know, as the packaging is written almost entirely in Russian, which isn’t a language many native English speakers are familiar with. Fortunately, our mobile (cell/handy) phones are becoming more competent with every generation, and translation from one language to another is the work of moments, simply aiming your phone’s camera at the text and tapping translate. To this modeller’s mind, a good primer is crucial for a fine finish on your model, as it unifies colour, texture and equalises absorbency of successive coats of paint, as well as showing up blemishes and other issues before you engage in the time-consuming act of laying down the top coats and subsequent modulation or weathering steps. There was a time when most primers were grey, but now we have a wider choice, some companies offering several different colours, but most providing at least black, grey and white primers in their range. The Jim-Scale water-acrylic range is thinned and cleaned-up with water, as the name suggests, and should appeal to those wishing to get away from malodorous lacquers or enamel-based paints, especially those modellers who ply their hobby in their homes, and must consider their family’s health and wellbeing more than they would in a separate outbuilding, shed or workshop. Both primers arrive in translucent polyethylene bottles containing 50ml of product, with a handy measuring scale embossed on the side of the bottle, capped off with a yellow screw-cap, and with a stainless-steel mixing ball inside, which usually starts to rattle after just a few shakes. The primer is finely ground, with its pigment grains filtered to 10 microns, which should ensure smooth spraying through any sized needle without clogging or spitting unless the temperature is high enough to cause drying on the tip, which can be remedied by adding a few drops of thinner to slow drying. As they are designed in Russia, the paint can withstand very low temperatures down to -35c, which would see most modellers running from their sheds down the garden for the relative safety of the house. It’s good to know that they’re unlikely to be spoiled by low temperatures however. It is suitable for painting plastic, metal, photo etch, and resin models, and is ready for action straight from the bottle, requiring no dilution, although if you get the bottom of the bottle and have been careless with recapping it, you can dilute it with water, or their thinner 01.012. If you’re wondering what the number 1500 on the front of the bottle means, it’s the equivalent of a fine surface filler-primer, such as Mr Surfacer 1500, although they are of course using an entirely different base chemical. Opening the cap reveals the contents, which has a very slight odour akin to artists’ paint if memory serves – it’s a long time since my art ‘A’ level. To smell it strongly however, you must put your nose within inches of the bottle, so the aroma shouldn’t travel too far in use, unless you undertake an extended spraying session. The paint pours cleanly straight into the paint cup of my airbrush, which for this test was one of my favourites, the Gunze Sangyo Procon Boy PS-270 with a 0.20mm needle, equal to or smaller than most airbrushes in general modelling use with a few exceptions. I sprayed the primers onto test spoons, which had been flatted with a fine sanding sponge in preparation, and I had vigorously shaken the bottles before uncapping them as per the instructions, although my Apple translation told me “It is recommended to shave before use.”. One must look one’s best when modelling, but that’s a bit extreme! I started with an experimental fine mist coat over the exterior bowl of the spoons, which involved an act of faith with the white primer, as the spoon was already the same exact shade of white. Another coat followed, then to test how it went down in heavier coats, a final thick wet coat was laid down soon after, changing the finish from matt, through satin to a semi-gloss finish, which toned down to satin and finally matt as the primer cured over time. It dries thoroughly in 24 hours, but will be touch-dry sooner, although initial handling is to be discouraged. Clean-up is with water, although I used a little of their thinners to clean the paint cup in between colours, which quickly cleaned the cup, even though that’s not its intended use. When cleaning or thinning with water, you do not have to use distilled or deionised water, and clean tap water should suffice for use. A short interlude of 24 hours ensued, after which the spoons were examined and photographed before some handling tests were undertaken. The photos don’t quite do the smoothness of the finish justice, especially as I had drawn a dusty finger over the black spoon. The surface was beautifully smooth, and robust at the same time. After taking the picture above, I tested the adhesive qualities of the surface against well-burnished Tamiya tape, which was firmly attached and pressed down, then left for 5-10 minutes before snatching it off without any regard for the paint whatsoever. As anticipated, nothing lifted, and apart from a little change to the edges where my fingers had overlapped onto the paint surface, there was no sign that the tape had ever been there. The next step that I feel is particularly important for any primer is whether it can withstand sanding, as it’s often the case that priming exposes flaws in your model, so making good with sanders and even filler is likely after first priming. If the primer peels off when sanded, it’s no use in this respect. Using a medium sanding sponge initially, there was zero peeling, and it appears that the surface is very strong and resistant to abrasives, which is promising for handling of your model during building, as the foundations are important on any model. When I finally broke through the primer, I then moved on to a finer abrasive, which smoothed out the surface nicely, leaving no sharp demarcations between the paint and the surface of the spoon, which is good news for re-priming. Conclusion I tried to approach the use of this primer with an open mind, but past experiences with water-based primers haven’t converted me to using them long-term. This primer however is a different story. It goes down well, creates a high-quality silky-smooth finish, can be sanded and polished in preparation for re-priming of blemishes, as none of us are perfect, and mistakes can get missed and only show themselves after priming. The only mild negative is the time it takes for the primer to cure, as I’m used to being able to resume work within a few minutes of applying primer, although my usual brand is lacquer-based, so it’s swings and roundabouts. It should appeal widely, especially to modellers that either can’t abide or can’t use products that emit strong odours, and anyone with the patience to wait for the primer to fully cure, which is a small price to pay for an excellent finish. Highly recommended. Since we received these bottles for review, they have been superseded by new bottles that are 60ml instead, and you’ll be able to purchase those when they arrive in stock with Hobby Colours shortly by following the links below: Black Primer (01.009XL) White Primer (01.007XL) Review sample courtesy of

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