need primer advice

[D-rock1981]

Do you have a compressor that's up to the task?

[1968aj]

been a while but making progress. weather is good and plan to do final sanding with 800 and spray with black eastwood epoxy primer in the morning. interior almost finished also. if this primer turns out ok I will attempt to paint it soon.

[tinydb84]

Eastwood epoxy doesnt need to go to 800. I would do 600 at most it fills pretty well. It doesnt have UV protection but you will have to sand it when you paint it anyway.

This is Kirker (the company that produces Eastwood's paint) on my floors. It was prepped with 80 grit. You cant see any of the sanding scratches.

[hugger6933]

I wouldn't recommend painting over the epoxy primer. You CAN but I think you will be less than satisfied with the results, the epoxy you see has no fill properties what so ever and it is gonna look, well, bad is the word I'm looking for. You will see that when you spray the epoxy on the truck that it is gonna look different on the body spots than it does on the metal, that is because the primer is soaking into the filler and while you may have the body spots as perfect as can be there still gonna show. Now go right over the epoxy primer with a couple coats of a high build similar to MP282. [I use Omni so I am familiar with those numbers] It is a grey high build it sprays with the same tip gun as the epoxy. I know you may be up against the wall on time if this is a daily ride and you may need to be done but I just feel if you skip this all important step [in my opinion] it is gonna hurt your final outcome. Jim

[tinydb84]

Jim is right. Sorry I probably wasnt clear enough.

I'd shoot the epoxy then the fill/high build primer. Spend your time and effort on the fill primer and less on sanding pre-epoxy.

[1968aj]

this primer comes in 2 one gallon cans that have to be mixed. should I mix it all at once or in separate smaller quantities?

[hugger6933]

Just mix what you need as you need it if you don't use it all you will have a lump of primer in a can. I quite often mix a couple of oz. of primer weather it is epoxy or high build. I may need a spot the size of my fist so just mix a small amount.
If you were to mix it all at once it may start the hardening be fore you even get to it.

[1968aj]

Originally Posted by hugger6933

Just mix what you need as you need it if you don't use it all you will have a lump of primer in a can. I quite often mix a couple of oz. of primer weather it is epoxy or high build. I may need a spot the size of my fist so just mix a small amount.
If you were to mix it all at once it may start the hardening be fore you even get to it.

I was hoping you would see this. I was thinking to mix about 1/4 up at a time. what do you put your primer in to mix it and store it as you go? also what should I clean gun with when im done?

[hugger6933]

Go to the paint store and get some mixing cups. they have the gradations on them for different amounts and different formulas. Lets say this mixes 1 to 1 there will be a ratio for that and the line. You pour in the primer then the reducer or what ever mixes to the next line that way your consistent in the mixing and just pour in to the cup and stir like I sometimes do. I have been pouring into cups since before some of the guys on here was born before those fancy cups came along. It is not what I would suggest you do use the cups like I say. Only mix up a gun full at a time so you don't get primer hardening before you can get to it. The thing to do about the gun is get some lacquer thinner and run through it then take it apart and clean it. I make a rule, it is is mixed and sprayed the gun gets a teardown to clean and refresh. Otherwise your gonna use the gun one time where it sprays ok next time it barely will and if it will at all on the third time you will be wanting another gun to prime with. I use those guns that come in a kit with a couple of them in a bubble pack for like $70 bucks. I have been using the same primer gun for I don't know maybe 8 years or so and the same cheapo type gun with different tips for paint up until recently I bought some new Devilbiss guns but i still use the old cheap one for primer.

[1968aj]

ibought some cheap 30 oz measuring cups. so I willjust mix one at a time. thanks for all the help.

[1968aj]

well; its one color now. now I can really see what needs to be fixed . going to have to learn something about body work before I try to paint it.at least it looks better than it did.

[hugger6933]

Get some sanding blocks, also some high build primer and a guide coat system of some sort. The guide coat does just as the name implies it guides you how to finish the body spot. If you spray or daub on the guide coat[that is the two popular styles of guide coat]and you start to sand the spot and then you have say a spot right in the center that still has the coating on it it is low and need either filler or putty[2 part] or just more high build primer depending on the size and depth. You can determine this after you have a little practice. I use Evercoats 2 part poly filler putty as it can go on over bare metal primer paint or even scuffed clear coat. It is easier than butter to spread AND sand. I dries super fast if you trying to keep it moving.
Now there is such thing as a filler primer that is one step more than your basic high build primer and it is a product called slick sand it is made for stuff like hail dents I think was the original plan for this product. I've heard you can stick a quarter to a panel and slick sand over it and bury the quarter. Now you really need some sharp paper and lots of block sanding in mind if you use a product like that. I just use a regular high build primer like Omni MP282. I've used more than a hundred gallons of the stuff it is great. Spray some high build then block it with 180 or 220 grit then reprime and see where you are after that. EXCEPT on the panels where you can feel the spot or see where it needs work and then work it first.
Also some paper on a stir stick can really help you knock high spots of a body spot real quick. if you need more help let me know and I'll do what I can. Jim

[1968aj]

going back to work on the truck this weekend. the bodywork is going to be minimal. the worst spots are where I tried to fill in trim holes. should have left them alone but truck came missing all trim. will try to fill them again. think I will try and paint it since I already have bed off thinking of using eastwood single stage. ANY OPINIONS?

[raggedjim]

Truck looks better already.

As far as going ahead and painting the only advice I have is get the body as straight as you possibly can before you do. Primer, because it is "flat" (no reflective properties) will hide imperfections, paint will NOT and will make all imperfections painfully, gutwrenchingly, obvious (I know from firsthand experience)

I hate block sanding and finish bodywork, but not as bad as an improperly prepared paint job. I would rather drive with the primer than get in a hurry to lay paint.

Good luck, Rg

[Robznob11]

Originally Posted by cooperhw

^^^agreed^^^
Eastwood has a budget epoxy primer kit that doesn't break the bank. I gallon kit will not be enough and two you will have some left over. Kirker also has pretty good budget stuff.
I think both can be purchased on Amazon. Use a prime account and it's free shipping.

1 can is enough with some to boot, it makes 2 gallons. 1:1 mix

[1968aj]

Originally Posted by Robznob11

1 can is enough with some to boot, it makes 2 gallons. 1:1 mix

I used eastwood epoxy primer. still have about 1/2 of it left. was thinking about buying the eastwood single stage paint

[tinydb84]

Originally Posted by 1968aj

I used eastwood epoxy primer. still have about 1/2 of it left. was thinking about buying the eastwood single stage paint

Buy Kirker. It is Eastwood paint. You might get it cheaper that way if you look around.

If you are going to paint it with minimal bodywork (say you are going to do a complete rebuild in a year or two) why not shoot it with a matte single stage? It should look good and hide a bit of the imperfections. I always liked flat blues and greens.

[hugger6933]

I use Omni MP 170[grey] and MP175 [Black] epoxy primers. Mainly I use the black then when I spray the grey high build [MP282 over the top of it spraying from black to grey really helps in spots [say the ones hard to reach] that can tell you how the coverage is. Any way I have some grey that i will be using up to get it gone cause I'm out of black right now.If you spray high build primer on it [like i said I use MP282] and then go over the body spots again reprime then I sand with 220 grit over the whole panel. If the panel is mostly flay I'll sand with my D.A.then spray a couple more coats on then sand with 400 for a nonmetallic color or 600 for a metal or pearl or [off normal type] color.
See, the metal particles will fall in the "tracks" made by the 400 grit paper but not ones left by 600 grit. And if you have a bunch of metal flakes "line up" in a "trough" made by the sand paper it looks like crud for a lack of a better word. Good luck and happy sanding. Jim

[1968aj]

tried to fix the spots where I filled in holes for trim. thought I would try to do it with supplies I had on hand . first I sanded the spots down . then I covered them with bondo. then I sanded with 220 followed by 600. it looked good I thought so I reprimed it with the epoxy primer. now it looks even worse so I guess I didn't sand as good as I thought. now I need to do it all over. maybe I will learn to take you guys advice this time.

[hugger6933]

I thought I had told you must have been another member, start off with 80 grit then go 120 once you think your close followed by 180 or 220 grit to smooth out he areas around. your panel my panel any ones panels that are first sanded with 220 [ on the body work] are gonna look worse than crud. Sand with some 80 first then put some on a stir stick and work with that a while. After there are what you think is close then spray another stripe[since that will do] of high build and see where you stand. After working those spots again with the right type of paper you will have a lot better understanding of whats needed and what you will have to do from there.
Don't give up on this thing and just go flat, unless you like those then by all means go ahead but still lets work on getting the body spots in better shape. Jim

[1968aj]

Originally Posted by hugger6933

I use Omni MP 170[grey] and MP175 [Black] epoxy primers. Mainly I use the black then when I spray the grey high build [MP282 over the top of it spraying from black to grey really helps in spots [say the ones hard to reach] that can tell you how the coverage is. Any way I have some grey that i will be using up to get it gone cause I'm out of black right now.If you spray high build primer on it [like i said I use MP282] and then go over the body spots again reprime then I sand with 220 grit over the whole panel. If the panel is mostly flay I'll sand with my D.A.then spray a couple more coats on then sand with 400 for a nonmetallic color or 600 for a metal or pearl or [off normal type] color.
See, the metal particles will fall in the "tracks" made by the 400 grit paper but not ones left by 600 grit. And if you have a bunch of metal flakes "line up" in a "trough" made by the sand paper it looks like crud for a lack of a better word. Good luck and happy sanding. Jim

now that I have sprayed the epoxy I have the body work pretty smooth. are you saying to paint the entire truck with the high build or just the spots that need work? should I sand the epoxy before I spray the high build? there are acouple of sots that are not dents but are like chips in the paint that need to be filled. will the high build cover these or do I need to do something else? THANKS

[ol_skool_chevy]

PPG K-36 polyester high build Primer....or Eastwood's version of the same is From Jegs #352-13523ZP POLYESTER PRIMER SURFACER http://www.jegs.com/i/Eastwood/352/13523ZP/10002/-1

[hugger6933]

OK the epoxy has NO fill properties NONE WHATSOEVER. So yes spray the whole truck with the high build primer and then when you have to redo the body filled places you can spot prime them in just the areas that had the work done on it[body spots] Now on the rock chips sometimes when you spray the recommended amount of primer on [2 to 3 coats] it takes care of most of them. Now also instead of mixing body filler to work on the spots or to help finish them up, I would recommend some [evercoat] 2 part putty. It mixes like body filler but sticks better to surfaces that is not so sticky to body filler. It also mixes quicker and sands like butter, it makes the end work on the body spots a little more enjoyable.
Now as far as the recoat goes your window has closed so at the very least get a rough scotchbrite pad[red or green, grey at the very least]and scuff the entire truck before spraying.Good luck and happy sanding.

[1968aj]

Originally Posted by hugger6933

OK the epoxy has NO fill properties NONE WHATSOEVER. So yes spray the whole truck with the high build primer and then when you have to redo the body filled places you can spot prime them in just the areas that had the work done on it[body spots] Now on the rock chips sometimes when you spray the recommended amount of primer on [2 to 3 coats] it takes care of most of them. Now also instead of mixing body filler to work on the spots or to help finish them up, I would recommend some [evercoat] 2 part putty. It mixes like body filler but sticks better to surfaces that is not so sticky to body filler. It also mixes quicker and sands like butter, it makes the end work on the body spots a little more enjoyable.
Now as far as the recoat goes your window has closed so at the very least get a rough scotchbrite pad[red or green, grey at the very least]and scuff the entire truck before spraying.Good luck and happy sanding.

should I spray entire truck and them do 2nd coat or do sections?

[hugger6933]

Well since it is broken down spray the front half first then spray the bed. Then go back and do another coat starting and ending in the same places. Also start spraying from the bottom and work your way to the top, not the other way around. the natural position is to start at the top and work down and around make yourself do the opposite.
The reason to spray the truck then do it again the way i described is to help in the drying[flash] time. If you go to a fender spray it then spray it again and again to get the 3 coats[if 2 doesn't cover well]your stacking wet primer on top of wet primer trapping solvents[witch leads to failed paint from solvent pop],and it also leads to runs in the primer that is more work for you.
Spray the truck in an order like I said before ad stick to that direction that way it will help you in knowing where you are with the primer and paint as well. Jim