self etching primer

[Jeff Lewis]

On the 41 chev truck I am working on,I sandblasted the door jams when I was doing some of the original bodywork then cleaned them and coated with epoxy primer surfacer. These jams were taken to bare metal. Should I recoat with a self etching primer, remove the primer surfacer then use the self etch, or scuff the epoxy primer and shoot the primer sealer? I am a little in the dark on this, my understanding was that primer surfacer would not adhere to bare metal very well. Also, if self etching primer is used should it be scuffed b4 shooting sealer and topcoat?

[Lost in NJ]

First off read your technical sheets.

The etching primers main job is to create tooth in a smooth metal surface so the next coat has something to hold on to.

Any surface that has been mechanically etched (sandpaper, sandblasting) does not need an etching primer.

Any Direct to Metal (DTM) primer will work on etched metal though it is perferred to start with an epoxy prime as the epoxy has a tight bond and seals out moisture. So if the primer says it can go DTM (read your tech sheets) than you can spray it to bare metal, provided the metal has some tooth.

There are many thoughts on what is the best way to go. The above is just the basic facts for you to chew on. If you follow the directions in the tech sheets you cant go too far wrong.

[Len]

On the 41 chev truck I am working on,I sandblasted the door jams when I was doing some of the original bodywork then cleaned them and coated with epoxy primer surfacer. These jams were taken to bare metal. Should I recoat with a self etching primer, remove the primer surfacer then use the self etch, or scuff the epoxy primer and shoot the primer sealer? I am a little in the dark on this, my understanding was that primer surfacer would not adhere to bare metal very well. Also, if self etching primer is used should it be scuffed b4 shooting sealer and topcoat?

The ability of a primer to do a job can vary from product to product so you want to be sure that you're using the products that you have in a proper manor. Like Mooch said get and read the technical data sheets for the products you're using.

Some primer surfacers can be applied direct to metal while others cannot. Etch primer works well but usually has more variables than epoxy primer and this is why I usually recommend that most novices use epoxy primer, there are less chance that you can screw it up.

The choice and application of primer is very important in maximizing the life of your paint job so choose good product and apply them properly or you could find the top coats quickly failing.