Rattle Can Primer

[ripper72]

First off, my bronco will never be a show vehicle. The body work is not perfect but it will do for me. Over the last few years of working on it, I have brought it down to bare metal and spray can primed the whole thing. I was informed today that the spray can primer will allow rust through. Does anyone have experience with this? I don't expect a perfect truck but I don't want it to start rusting in a year or two. I planned on bringing it to someone to paint on the cheap since all they would have to do it spray color and clear.

 

[Duke Nukem]

I'm not a paint expert, but my experience with rattle can primer is that it tends to chip and crack easier than more professional grade primers. I used spray can primer and paint on my rear bumper and roll cage and after five years there are a few spots that have flaked away with a little rust appearing here and there. Plus with a spray can it is difficult for the paint to go on evenly without running. It was definitely a low-quality paint job.

Recently I primered my front fenders, but this time I went with a high quality epoxy primer. I purchased a nice $150 spray gun that runs off my air compressor to do the job. Using the gun it went on really easy and the results were outstanding. It was so easy that now I'm thinking of actually painting my own truck, that is once I figure out how to do good bodywork. Now that I've learned to do it a better way I would never go back to a spray can. But you still have to be willing to shell out the $$.

 

[ugly74]

whether it is rattle can or HVLP or whatever...primer will eventually let moisture and air through to the metal.

 

[byson1]

Most spray can primers are not water resistant. They are just designed to be a platform for the topcoat which is water resistant. No spray can products are durable though as comapred to 2 part automotive finishes. Some automotive primers that you use in a spray gun are water resistant. Epoxy pimer is water proof and urethane primers are water reisitant.

 

[cobra70]

most all primers are just there for the base coat and will start to rust in time

 

[TN1776]

As others have said, primers don't necessarily seal very well. Rattle-can products are absolutely inferior to automotive-grade products and you don't have to spend a fortune for a good primer/sealer. I think as others have said, once you see your results from shooting primer out of a paint gun you'll be tempted to lay down some color and again, you don't have to spend a fortune (like I did)...

I saw a beautiful rig last weekend that was painted with the cheapest single-stage DuPont paint, and it looked very good, especially for an amateur job on a trail rig.

FYI it would be a good idea to strip off the rattle-can stuff and shoot an etch primer then a sealer.

 

[Chief Master Sergeant]

Oh brother. I did the same thing. After about 3 months of exposure to very limited weather, I started getting rust all over the top of the rattle can primer. I had to take the entire thing back down to metal and used an epoxy primer and a sandable primer to cover the metal. It's worth the money to use the right primer. I painted the entire thing, with three coats of primer and cheap paint for less than $150. Mine is NEVER going to be perfect, but I think it looks pretty good.

 

[rdv350]

Aren't you suppose to put a primer sealer over the rattle can primer. I believe that will prevent moisture from being absorbed into the primer.

 

[BYUBRONC]

Just Rattle Can The Whole Thing. In A Couple Years You Can Change It Up. Seriously If I Had Not Been In A Rent House In The Peoples Republic Of Cali, I Would Have Used A Real Gun. You Can Actually Save Money, If You Have A Compressor Already. Look Into The DuPont Paint Shop Series, No Mix Base/Clear, and Cheap. Alot Of IT Depends On The Time You Invest. Here's The Same Rig With Two Different Rattle Can Jobs.

 

[Heus33]

Hey Ripper - sounds like you'd be a perfect candidate for a Rustoleum paint job. Check it out on moparts.com or search for $50 paint job.

 

[JB Fab]

Most spray can primers are not water resistant. They are just designed to be a platform for the topcoat which is water resistant. No spray can products are durable though as comapred to 2 part automotive finishes. Some automotive primers that you use in a spray gun are water resistant. Epoxy pimer is water proof and urethane primers are water reisitant.

What he said.....

Plus, no body shop is going to paint over your rattle can primer, as it wil most likley lift.
If you have specific questions, I can ask the wife?

Jon

 

[Indybronco]

Hey Ripper - sounds like you'd be a perfect candidate for a Rustoleum paint job. Check it out on moparts.com or search for $50 paint job.

I tried this on a few extra panels that I had and it turned out pretty good. Here's the links that got it started: http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=2331682&page=0&fpart=1&vc=1 and http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=2655425&page=0&fpart=50&vc=1

 

[ripper72]

thanks guys, i may have to try a panel with the tremclade????

can't beat 50$

 

[ryan_289]

What about when I go to replace my rockers and such and need to prime untill I paint? Sometimes it may take me several weeks to get it all done and need to be covered in primer to keep from flash rusting. Is there not a good quality primer in a spray can? Or will I have to sand the cheap primer off?

 

[byson1]

What about when I go to replace my rockers and such and need to prime untill I paint? Sometimes it may take me several weeks to get it all done and need to be covered in primer to keep from flash rusting. Is there not a good quality primer in a spray can? Or will I have to sand the cheap primer off?

There is not a GOOD QUALITY primer in a spray can because (almost) all of them are ready-to-use 1k or 1 part products. They spay down and air dry and you just hope they get a decent bond to the surface. Quality automotive primers and top coats are 2k or 2 part. This means you mix a hardener or catalyst with the other solid material and they chemically bond together to form a much more durable and adhesive coating. That being said, the last time I was in an automotive paint shop they had a 2k epoxy primer in a spray can. The hardener was seperated from the epoxy in the can and when it came time to spray them you puncture a seal for them to combine. It's pricey but the only thing I know of in a can that will give you a good base. Nothing at the hardware store is going to hold up over time.