Spray with sandable primer. That's it. All you have to do. A large spray can cost $5 from Sherwin Williams.

Would you be kind to show us pictures of the resulting surface? How strong is this coat?

I get some pictures posted this evening. I soaked the kit in oven cleaner 4 times 2 hours each time and it didn't even smudge the paint.

Please post some pics!!! I have a similar question using textured spray paint to achieve the effect.

I know this post is a few years old, but has anyone tried this method? I'm getting back into the groove after over a year off of modeling, retired and moved and starting to dig stuff out. I've chosen the Italeri M47 that I've had for a few years. Even after all these years I've never really attempted to do a heavy armor texture to a model, and this one really needs it. Maybe even a good article on using liquid glue and/or Mr. Surfacer, anything.

Thanks guys.

Not sure why I never posted photos. I will try to locate them, when I get home(not an easy thing after the pb debacle).

Another great product is Citadel's Liquid Green Stuff , I just stipple it on with a stiff brush . Great for adding weld beads as well . Should be in most hobby shops that stock the Games Workshop line

A bit off-topic , but since you're the OP :
What the Heck is going on in your avatar pic ??

Random artwork. I used to be an artist and still am.

I can't recall at the moment where I found the text below on Mr. Surfacer, but here goes (edited for readability):

The Japanese company GSI produces the Mr. Hobby brand and the Mr. Surfacer range within. The range is a set of brush on fillers and spray primers in various grades.

Brush On: Mr. Surfacer 500, 1000, 1200, and 1500. Again all of these are in a light gray and the 1500 also comes in black, plus as mentioned above the Mr. White Base is also a 1000 grade surfacer which is white in color.

Spray Cans: Mr. Surfacer 500, 1000, 1200 and 1500 all of which come in a light gray color: the 1500 spray also comes in black. the 1000 spay also comes as Mr. Oxide Red Surfacer 1000.

What do the grades mean? Well as in most things that are graded, the higher the number the smoother the finish, which puts the Mr. Surfacer 500 as the roughest and the 1500 as the smoothest.

The main use for this product is for gap filling and it’s used extensively on plastic kits, but also has its uses for figures as well. Instead of two-part putty, just run Mr. Surfacer into the gap, seam or hole as the need dictates. For large gaps, use a plastic putty such as Perfect Putty or Vallejo Putty. Mr. Surfacer sands extremely well and it can also be removed from unwanted areas either before it dries or when dry using Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) or the Mr. Thinner. It is a little harder to rub off with IPA though, so you will need to rub a lot harder than you would if using the Mr. Thinner.

It doesn’t stop there, however, Mr. Surfacer can also be used for removing/filling imperfections in metal figures. Just open the jar and paint it on where needed or for larger areas it can be sprayed on either using one of the spray variants or by diluting the contents of the jar a bit with Mr. Thinner and putting it through an airbrush. Add a small amount of thinner at a time to the jar if it gets too thick. Too much thinner added and it is going to turn gloopy and be unusable.

Sculptors who will use Mr. Surfacer 1000 to back fill areas of their work especially when doing fine detail work as it will help prevent the silicone rubber used in the moulding process from getting under parts of the sculpt and destroying it when it is de-moulded. It is a lot easier to brush into small areas and as mentioned the excess can be wiped away whilst still wet, rubbed off with Mr. Thinner or sanded when dry.

When applied by brush, clean up can be done with Mr. Thinner; using an old brush and not one of your favorite Kolinsky Sables.

The Mr. Surfacer 1200 can be used as a surface primer as well as a fine filler. This makes a very fine primer that is quite smooth when dry, although the Mr. Surfacer 1500 is even smoother. Both are suitable for a final spray preparation before painting begins.


Brush-on Bottles (40 ml.)

SF285 Mr. Surfacer 500 - Gray. Lacquer based Mr. Surfacer 500 should be on every modeler's workbench. Mr. Surfacer 500 is the best for filling small holes, imperfections, creating surface texture and filling gaps and is suitable for large scale repairs and can be used as soluble putty. Can be diluted with either Mr. Thinner or Mr. Levelling Thinner. Dries quickly and can be sanded and polished once dry. Can be applied in multiple layers as needed for that perfect finish.

SF284 Mr. Surfacer 1000 - Gray. Mr. Surfacer 1000 contains finer granules than Mr. Surfacer 500 and is useful for filling in bumps, dents, scratches, for removing bubbles and finishing bases. Can be diluted with either Mr. Thinner or Mr. Levelling Thinner.

SF283 Mr. Base White 1000. Mr. Base White 1000 is the white basecoat or primer. The 1000 signifies the particle size in the Mr. Hobby line, with 1000 being a mid level coating. The paint will clean up with lacquer thinner. Mr. Base White 1000 is a fairly thick lacquer based paint with the consistency of cream. It can be thinned with nail polish remover (acetone) although it is best thinned with lacquer thinner, or Gunze Sanyo's Mr. Color Thinner.

SF287 Mr. Primer Surfacer 1000 - Gray. Mr. Primer Surfacer 1000 is a new formula compared to the standard Mr. Surfacer series. It improves adhesion not only to plastic but also metal and resin. Can be diluted with either Mr. Thinner or Mr. Levelling Thinner. Covers minor scratches and surface imperfections. Dries quickly and can be sanded and polished once dry. Can be applied in multiple layers as needed for that perfect finish.

SF286 Mr. Surfacer 1200 - Gray. Mr. Surfacer 1200 contains finer granules than Mr. Surfacer 1000. It is used in much the same way as Mr. Surfacer 500 and 1000.

SF289 Mr. Finishing Surfacer 1500 - Gray. Combined filler and primer for final finishing. Contains finer particles than Mr. Surfacer 1200. Can be hand brushed or airbrushed.

SF288 Mr. Finishing Surfacer 1500 - Black. Combined black filler and primer for final finishing. Contains finer particles than Mr. Surfacer 1200. Can be hand brushed or airbrushed. For airbrushing, use about 3 parts Mr. Color Thinner to 1 part Mr. Surfacer and apply at about 12 psi for excellent coverage. Has a super fine satin finish. Can be thinned with Mr. Color Thinner and Mr. Color Levelling Thinner.

MP-242 Mr. Metal Primer. Use Mr. Metal Primer for priming and undercoating metal figures and parts. This includes photo etched parts in brass, stainless and nickel. Mr. Primer etches into the metal and can also protect it from tarnish if it is to be left in a natural finish. It does not build up thick like regular primers

Sprays

B506 Mr. Surfacer 500 - Gray 100ml. Mr. Surfacer 500 is the best for filling small holes, imperfections, creating surface texture and hiding that fingerprint left after gluing! Mr. Surfacer 500 should be on every modeler's workbench.

B505 Mr. Surfacer 1000 - Gray 100ml.

B519 Mr. Surfacer 1000 - Gray 170ml.

Mr. Surfacer 1000 contains finer granules than Mr. Surfacer 500. Both products are used in much the same way but with the finer granules, after sanding with waterproof sand-paper, a more perfect surface is possible. Available in bottle and spray. 100ml spray can.

B525 Mr. Surfacer 1000 Oxide Red - 170ml. This surfacer reproduces the red oxide color used as the base color on tanks. Lacquer based spray micro filler/red oxide color primer. Suitable for small gap/crack filling and priming of plastic/resin/metal/wooden models. Contains extra pigment and makes a smooth red oxide on any colored surface. Ideal for WWII Tanks and armored vehicle models but also on industrial equipment of dioramas as it provides a strong base for weathering techniques.

B518 Mr. Base White 1000 - 170ml. This recently developed product uses special pigments to completely hide the base color and aids application of detailed finishing and top coats. Because it also works as a surfacer, it can be used to hide small imperfections.

B515 Mr. Surfacer 1200 - Gray - 170ml. The best final primer for models and figures before you starting the painting process . Super fine grain and a beautiful flat finish! Mr. Surfacer 1200 contains finer granules than Mr. Surfacer 1000. It is used in much the same way as Mr. Surfacer 500 and 1000.

B527 Mr. Finishing Surfacer 1500 - Gray - 170ml. Contains even finer particles than Mr. Surfacer 1200. Has the characteristic of being fine grained and it is not prone to clogging up detail in the model. Most suitable as a final base before painting.

B526 Mr. Finishing Surfacer 1500- Black - 170ml. A black primer for final finishing. Contains even finer particles than Mr. Surfacer 1200. Has the characteristic of being fine grained and it is not prone to clogging up detail in the model. This is a black version of the Mr. Finishing Surfacer. Also use as a black base before applying a metallic colors.

B504 Mr. Metal Primer - 100ml. Use Mr. Metal Primer for priming and undercoating metal figures and parts. This includes photo etched parts in brass, stainless and nickel. Mr. Primer etches into the metal and can also protect it from tarnish if it is to be left in a natural finish. It does not build up thick like regular primers.

Hope this helps a bit...it did me! Lots to go through, but having that cast texture makes it well worth it...

Click on the photo and you'll see the beginnings of 'texturing' of an M47 turret on my workbench, using various brush on grades of Mr. Surfacer.

I use Mr.Surfacer 500 for cast texture and am quite happy with the result.