Do you need an etching primer?

[studedude]

Went out today trying to find somewhere local that sells etching primer.No luckI only found one place that even sold anything other than lacquer stuff and spray bombs.I was just wanting to know if etching primer is a must or can you just go with a regular metal primer and end up with the same results?I would like to buy something local.I do have some body work that I need to cover over I don't know if that matters or not.

 

[Snake-Man]

I always use etching primer when starting from bare metal, because that's how I was taught in auto-body school. You must live in a really small town in the middle of nowhere if you can't find etching primer. I live in a town of about 12,000; with 3 auto-parts stores (NAPA, O'Reilley, Auto-Value), all of which sell paint, so finding etching primer in my town is no problem.

But, yeah, I recommend it. It's designed to bite down into the bare steel to give the other primer and paint something to stick to. For some reason, the regular primers and paint won't adhere to the bare metal as well as the acid-based etching primer does.

 

[studedude]

I checked them all Napa,O'reilly's,Car Quest,Advance.None of them had any at all other than spray bombs.I even went to a few mom'n'pops and they didn't have it.Everybody just had qt. cans of "primer" or lacquer primer.I don't know what gives either.I gotta get something on it soon.Is there anything else that will work?I need something that can go over bondo too.Guy at the mom'n'pop said etching primer was too hot for bondo.I have no clue.All I've ever done was spray bombs.I'm still learning about paint.

 

[fatdog409]

there has to be a ppg deal around you some place. i use dp 90 on all my projects, etch is a must with bare metal!!!!! i like dp 90 but there are lots of other products out there that will work just fine for you..

 

[donsrods]

You're shopping in the wrong places. You need to go to the paint store where body shops buy their stuff. We have two in our town, one sells Dupont the other PPG. Hit the yellow pages.

My advice is, if you start with one brand, stick with their system all the way through. You avoid compatibility problems and it takes away the ability of them to say you didn't use our products 100% so we won't stand behind it.

Painting properly isn't cheap, but it is something you only want to do once in a blue moon.

Don

 

[hotrod preacher]

i agree with the above advice, too--you need a good primer for the foundation, and any paint store should be able to help you find the exact product you need.....

and IMO most parts stores that sell paint, just "sell.....paint" a true "paint store" will have tech sheets for the products, and someone who can give good solid advice on compatibility issues etc.
some use the term "epoxy" rather than "etch" - though different products both are acceptable for bare metal
ppg has a budget line epoxy-primer (good for bare metal) and i'm pretty sure dupont has a budget line as well that offers etch and epoxy primers


good luck and let us know how it all turns out!

 

[donsrods]

Yep, the Dupont budget line is Nasons. That is what I have been using for primers and paints on my last couple of cars. Seems fine for the driver quality cars I do.

Don

 

[RodGuyinCO]

Summit has etching primer...

Wait a minute, did you say they sell LACQUER, as in nitrocellulose paint?[dr Just where is this place? Has anyone called the EPA yet? Wait, don't call 'til I get mine...[ddd
But as far as your question, YES, use an etching primer on bare metal. You'll be sorry later if you don't, unless you like paint lift, bubbles, etc... I checked Summit Racing for ya', and they do have an etching primer. Example: Summit Racing SUM-SWSP200G - Summit Racing® Etching Primer.

 

[cornfield customs]

etch prime is a must as stated by everyone. even a good spray can self etching will do the trick. most paint lines sell an etch in spray can for small jobs. if you buy a sprayable ( you mix) buy a cheap gun just for the etch. it can be rough on a gun over time. i bought the cheapest one the paint shop had, harbor frieght sells some cheap ones too, not sure how well they work though

 

[Skip]

How does all this fit in with the new EPA rules about water based paints? I guess I need to get busy and do some research. Maybe it's just Oregon.

 

[sweetnomad]

How does all this fit in with the new EPA rules about water based paints? I guess I need to get busy and do some research. Maybe it's just Oregon.

Advanced auto parts sells etch primer. It is maketed under dupli-color (Sherwin Williams) or you can find someone who sells Transtar. Both companies sell it in a spraybomb. It will work just fine. You would be suprised how many body shops you this. It might be more economical to buy it by the quart,depending on how big an area you are trying to cover. It's purpose is to bite into new raw metal and provide a sound base for sealers,primers or it can even be topcoated if your not worried about imperfections. Etch primer has no filling properties and does not provide any protection from the elements. It's great for covering frame work or just after welding. Have fun and good luck !!!! It's not how well you weathered the storm, but how well you danced in the rain !!!
DO NOT ATTEMPT TO PUT ETCH PRIMER OVER BODY FILLER

 

[olcarguy]

I have been putting Nason brand etch primer over filler with out any problem. How else are you supposed to seal the bare metal that you always make beside the filler. Spray the bare metal, do the work you need to do, shot some more etch primer, and follow with a good primer/sealer.

 

[Krooser]

Wait a minute, did you say they sell LACQUER, as in nitrocellulose paint?[dr Just where is this place? Has anyone called the EPA yet? Wait, don't call 'til I get mine...[ddd
But as far as your question, YES, use an etching primer on bare metal. You'll be sorry later if you don't, unless you like paint lift, bubbles, etc... I checked Summit Racing for ya', and they do have an etching primer. Example: Summit Racing SUM-SWSP200G - Summit Racing® Etching Primer.

The lacquers commonly sold today are not nitrocellulose based. There ARE a few outfits that do still sell it but they are specialty paint joints not the average body shop supply joint.

The 'Paint Shop' line of DIY paints is a lacquer based product available almost everywhere.

 

[donsrods]

Just thought I would throw some new info into this discussion. My Son Dan is in the process right now of priming his Brookville rpu body and wanted to do it right, so he spoke to our local PPG dealer who suggested to first shoot on 1791/1792 etch primer, then start spraying the DP90LF from there. We did that on the main part of the cab, but the etch was kind of a pain to work with......it was shooting out of the gun stringy. It sprayed on ok up close, so we just did that to get through the job.

Today I called the PPG hotline in Ohio to find out how to get the etch to stop doing that, and they suggested using 10% 885 or 895 reducer in the mix. HOWEVER, he also said we really didn't need to use etch primer at all, as long as the body was DA'd with something like 80 grit (or even 180-220 grit) and wiped down before shooting the DP90LF directly onto the metal. He also said if we apply any filler we need on top of the DP90 as long as we do it within 2 days there is no need to scuff or sand that area to get the filler to adhere. Over 2 days and you need to sand.

So, we are going to eliminate the etch primer step. I don't know if this applies to other brands too, but you may want to call the mfr of those products to ask. We got totally different info when we called the factory vs what the local distributor told us.

Don