Paint does not stick to bare metal. Not properly. You can lay down a beautiful coat on a brass barrel or a photo-etch fret, let it cure for a week, and still lift it off with a fingernail or a strip of masking tape — because there's no tooth for it to key into. That's what this can solves.

Tamiya Metal Primer is a clear adhesion promoter that bites onto aluminium, brass, photo-etch, white metal and die-cast, giving your colour coats something to grip. Because it dries clear and goes on whisper-thin, it doesn't soften the razor-fine detail on an etched fret the way a pigmented primer can — no filled-in rivets, no lost mesh. And per Tamiya, it won't damage plastic, so on a mixed-media assembly you can hit the metal parts without masking off every styrene surface first.

• Stops paint lifting, chipping and tape-pulling on bare metal
• Dries clear and ultra-thin — preserves fine photo-etch detail
• For aluminium, brass, photo-etch, die-cast, pressed and white metal
• Safe on plastic, so mixed-media builds don't need masking
• Works under Tamiya lacquer, acrylic and enamel colours

How to use it: Degrease first — this step is not optional. Release agents on die-cast and finger oils on etch will defeat any primer. A wash in warm soapy water or a wipe with isopropyl alcohol, then handle by the edges. Apply one light coat of Metal Primer, leave it to flash off, then go straight to colour, or lay a surface primer over the top if you want a filling, sandable base. Metal first, surface primer second — that order is what makes a brass-and-styrene build finish as one piece.

Which primer do I need? This is not a substitute for a grey or white surface primer. It's clear, it doesn't fill, and it isn't meant to be sanded — its only job is adhesion on bare metal. For a sandable, opaque base coat on plastic, you want Surface Primer (87026 in 100ml, 87042 in 180ml). If you only need to treat a few small etched parts, the 40ml brush-on bottle (87204) may suit you better than an aerosol.

Specifications

Brand: Tamiya
Item No.: 87061
Series: Make-Up Materials Series No.61
Type: Clear metal primer / adhesion promoter, aerosol
Colour: Clear
Volume: 100ml
Suitable for: Aluminium, brass, photo-etch, die-cast, pressed & white metal
Safe on plastic: Yes
Sandable: No — not a filling primer
Use in: Well-ventilated area; wear a respirator