The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Primer question...

OK..it's not like I am going to start over on my D.I.Y. paint job...but can anyone tell me..

I used the gray primer, same brand as the paint, but it is so *#&* bright. The paint is usually a little darker..is it the gray primer?

IF I had used the maroon looking primer under my Internation Harvester red paint job, would the top coat have come out looking a lot darker?

probably- I'm not a pro, but i have seen this explained on "american hot rod" where they will use a certain color primer/sealer to really bring out the color of the topcoat. However, I'm pretty sure paint looks darker in the can than it does after it's sprayed, if that makes any difference to you.

red is photo reactive depending on what light its shot under it can be two defferent colors i painted two cars same paint the one that was painted out doors turned dark red the one indoors under lights turned brite orange this was from one gallon of paint

I was taught that if you put a proper paint film down, you could have zebra stripe primer and it wouldn't show.

How well did you stir the paint? Heavier pigments settle first - is all the maroon at the bottom of the can?

Chuck, you are right...sort of. There is a certain transparency to some colors and that primer color IS going to make a difference even with the "proper" amount of paint. Heck, some colors are so bad that you could put six or ten coats on and it wouldn't cover up black and white checkerboard spray out card used to check coverage.

Red needs lead for good coverage. If this is a lead free paint it may be a little hard covering to HORRIBLE depending brand.

To use a primer color that helps makes sense.

Now, the question I have for 46 in progress is it sounds like you are talking about lacquer primer, if that is the case it is a very bad choice. If you MUST use the lacquer primer, you really need to seal the truck prior to paint. I mean prior as right before, you spray the paint without sanding the primer. So it isn't added work, only a coat or so around the truck prior to paint.

Realistically, unless you have a uniform substrate of cured finish like an acrylic enamal paint that is sanded down to be painted over, or COMPLETELY 2K primed panels you really need a sealer to give you that uniform substrate for your paint. If you have primed the whole thing in lacquer, it will soak up solvents from your paint and you will get a little die back. If you use a good sealer and let it flash off good prior to paint you won't have this problem.

If you are shooting a good old "Geterdone" paint job it is the standard of the industry, enamel sealer and enamel paint over it.

Brian

Brian,

Reading the can, it is an enamel...Alkyd Enamel?

That standard stuff available at the farm and barn to spray on tractors and other equipment...I had to add hardender and it had to be sprayed out of a gun. Not the oil based Rust-o-leum brush on type stuff.

I know you "get what you pay for"...I was just curious.

The coverage was OK for what I was expecting.

In a couple of years, I hope to get the cab, fenders and box walls done up right. But for now, the cheap way will Git-R-Done.

Thanks for the info.