Primer questions

Terry NJ

Terry NJ

Well-known member
Went to a paint supply store today (in Levittown, Pa) and I was looking for a good primer. What I got floored me! A "high build" primer that also etches, for about $140 a gal. This elixir of the spray gun is not made by any company that I recognise but has the numbers 5424 & 5425 and goes by "Xtreme High build 2K Primer/ Filler/ sealer 3 in 1 VOC2.1. Any good? Are there better, cheaper things around? What's the story?
Terry
 
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I used this type of primer on a tractor I restored a couple of years ago and on the frame of my model a that I am currently retoring. It throws on a very heavy coat. It is great if you have large amounts of pitting and small dents and dings to fill. If you are going to use it where you have very close tolerances you will have to watch very closely that you don't build it up too much. With my limited knowledge of paint I felt that it did a great job! It cured very very hard! I had to use aircraft stripper to remove it from a piece I accidentally painted. The box store strippers had very little effect on it.
 
I've been using it for a few years now.As a 2K primer,it IS the cheap stuff.Read the sheet on it,you can use it thick or thin,depending on what you want to do.There are different ratios of mix for high build,normal,or use as a sealer.I like it.I sandblasted a piece of equipment,primed it with Extreme,reduced to normal build,then parked it outside.It is on it's fifth year now with the only spots showing rust are the places I missed.The rest appears tight,and is harder than chinese arithmetic.
 
There are lots of choices. I use Kirker epoxy and I block it. But its not as high of a build as what you got. But for me, it works very well, sands great. When I need more build, I use polyester primer. Poly is super high build, about $80-$90 a gallon. The Kirker is about $100, but you get 2 sprayable gallons.
 
Two things I forgot to mention. It is a Urethane compound and I have to get new spray equipment, what I have will not handle it.
Terry
 
Well Terry, you didn't need to mention that to be because all high build primers today ( when referred to them in that way ) are urethane :) 2K, high build . . all urethane. Now Kirker epoxy has decent build for an epoxy. And it dries and sands well unlike most epoxies. The poly primer I speak of is very easy to use, but messy. Terry, to spray the 2K primer, you can use a gun with a tip size from 1.4-1.8 with no problem. It is best to use a HVLP gun. You will have very little overspray compared to a conventional gun. For what you need to spray primer, go to Harbor Freight and get their purple HVLP gun. It's about $20 and will spray that primer just fine. I use an ols SATA copy with a 1.7 tip. I use that for epoxy and if I were to spray some 2K, I would use it for that as well. I have a 2.5 tip gun that I use only for polyester primer . . all are HVLP.
 
Terry,

Not trying to tell you how to conduct your business, but this is something I haven't seen mentioned yet regarding the use of modern urethane paints/primers. While the gun you use is important, a good respirator is every bit as important. The manufacturers are NOT kidding when they tell you that breathing the fumes will cause nervous system problems and brain damage. It is not stuff to play around with, so do yourself a huge favor and don't skimp on the respirator. The days of spraying red oxide lacquer primer the way we once did are long gone.... :(

Having said that, modern 2K primers are a miracle of technology compared to what we had 25 years ago. They (at least the different brands I've used) spray well, fill well, don't shrink and hide sand scratches exceptionally well. It's great stuff provided that you use it the manufacturers intended.


Deron
 
The days of spraying red oxide lacquer primer the way we once did are long gone.... :(


Deron[/QUOTE]

Well not everywhere. I love the ease of using lacquer for the home hobbyist. I DO know technology has passed me by while I was working on Model A's in the basement.

It has already been posted that the new paints will take you out pretty quick if you do not use the proper safety equipment. DON"T even think about using them in the basement.
 
The compressor concern is valid. If it runs too much it'll make water from the temp difference of the compressed air to the atmosphere. Some jobbers sell those little water traps for the hose end of the gun. They work for about 2 completes. Most every 2K is compatible for bare metal, but if it states it has an etching chemical then HEED THE RESPIRATOR ADVICE SERIOUSLY. That etching **** will cause a deep iritation that you won't shake for weeks. IT'S ACID. Just be careful and logical, don't fear it. The rest will happen easier than you think.
 
I guess I could have worded that better because I didn't mean to imply that one can't use red oxide lacquer anymore, just that much greater care must be taken when using the modern stuff. It's certainly a different beast.


Deron
 
Deron, we are in total 100% agreement. I was trying to restate your point (same as you) that the new paints are very dangerous for the home hobbyist when not properly used or used by untrained hobbyists as compared to the old technology lacquer. I am probably one of the last persons still using lacquer and enamel paints.
 
Thanks to you all! Pete, What's HVLP stand for? Dshady, I've got a good respirator when I remember to use it! Ray, I don't know what the capacity of the compressor is, However, it is a 2 cyl. 1 1/2 hp with a 80 gal upright tank. Made by American Compressor Co The date on the tank is 1947. I do know it's big enough to keep up with my sandblaster though, so it's got to be over 10 CFM. Thanks again to everyone!, Oh one more thing, No body mentioned anything about the price. Is it good, bad, average? It sounds expensive as hell to me. Should I try elsewhere? As I've said in the past, I know nothing about paint and painting! I'll have a jillion questions as I go along.
Terry
 
I have posted all over the web the advantages of using a fresh air breathing system. Just google PetesPonies and fresh air. Anytime I'm spraying isos, I use it. Unless its something small that I can hold my breath and not breathe during the spraying.

HVLP is High Volume Low Pressure. I gave you prices for the primers I use. Going to a jobber, that is about what you would expect to pay. I buy my primers online. I get my paint from my local jobber, but not primers because I like using what I use. They don't sell it.
 
700rpm,

What model Graco gun do you have? I collect mostly Binks Equipment, but I do have quite a bit of Graco stuff also, Most Harbor Freight spray guns that I have seen in the past, been a long time, appear to be very poor copies of Binks model spray guns.

Darryl in Fairbanks
 
The HF gun I speak of is a copy of a SATA gun. They are fine guns for doing some things and primer is definitely one of them. Binks really isn't a player any longer in the spray gun business. They have become an unimportant member of the producers of spray guns. They used to be a big deal.
 
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