Bare metal is where good paint jobs go to die. Brass barrels, etched frets, white metal figures, die-cast bodies — the surface is too hard and too smooth for paint to key into, so the coat sits on top rather than gripping, and comes off with a fingernail, a tape pull, or the first bit of handling. Mr. Metal Primer R exists to stop that.

It's a thin, transparent lacquer primer that bites onto metal and gives your colour coats a surface they can hold. Applied in a light pass, it doesn't blunt the detail that makes photo-etch worth using in the first place — no clogged mesh, no softened engraving, no filled-in rivets. For anyone already working in Mr. Color, it's the natural choice: same lacquer system, same shelf, no compatibility guesswork about what goes over what.

• Locks paint onto brass, copper, white metal, photo-etch, aluminium and die-cast
• Transparent and thin — fine etched detail stays sharp
• Prevents chipping, peeling and tape-lift on handled metal parts
• Pairs naturally with Mr. Color lacquers; also takes acrylic and enamel top coats
• 100ml aerosol — sized for detail parts rather than whole hulls

How to use it: Degrease before you spray. This is the step everyone skips and the reason most metal paint jobs fail — die-cast carries mould release, etched frets carry finger oil, and no primer defeats either. Warm soapy water or an isopropyl wipe, dry thoroughly, then handle by the edges or on a stick. One light coat is enough. Let it flash off, then go to colour, or lay a surface primer over the top if you want a filling, sandable base.

Which primer do I need? This one is only for bare metal — it's transparent, it doesn't fill, and it isn't meant to be sanded. For a sandable opaque base on styrene and ABS kit parts, you want a surface primer instead. If you're choosing between this and Tamiya's Metal Primer (87061), they do the same job at the same 100ml size; pick the one that matches the paint system you're already using, and stay in it.

Specifications

Brand: Mr. Hobby (GSI Creos / Gunze Sangyo)
Item No.: B-504
Type: Transparent metal primer / adhesion promoter, aerosol
Colour: Clear
Volume: 100ml
Suitable for: Brass, copper, white metal, photo-etch, aluminium, die-cast
Sandable: No — not a filling primer
Use in: Well-ventilated area; wear a respirator