Hi Guys, which primer are you peeps using to cover your newly completed repairs. My project is going to be quite a long one and and although covered over it will be outside. So Im looking at the best way to protect the repairs as I go before final paint.
I used Bonda Primer because it is easy to apply and not porous, unlike most primers. My rationale was that I needed to get paint on bare metal as soon as possible so this was just brushed on, once it went for paint all these areas were taken back to bare metal.
Another vote for Bonda Primer. Supplies seem to dry up a year or so ago as the company was sold, but now is freely available again.
I’ve used novol/spectral under 395 epoxy primer on all bare metal on my bus. It’s pricey but amazing stuff to work with- dries in seconds and the finish is bullet-proof once hardened.
The real question to ask is .. Does this primer burn like crazy inside an enclosed space if you manage to set light to it while welding. Thats depressing.
Tricky outside. When I did one on the drive I opted to fill, prime and rattle can topcoat as I went round.
Yeh that’s one of the options I was considering, I’m starting on the roof so I can get that done during the summer then that gives me the option to build some kind of temporary shelter aroun her for winter work.
I just tried to keep the bit I was working on sheltered and didn't take out windows or remove doors unless I had to, them put them straight back after painting. There wasn't really a way I could do otherwise. I hope you have good neighbours because all that grinding is going to really annoy. Mine were quite a way off, nearest house about 150ft and I was surrounded by walls, garage and fences. I was still quite surprised nobody complained though. One thing I notice when I look back through the pictures is how often I was working in the dark! I had the idea that if I didn't do something every day I might stop and give up. lol I could only access this much of one side at any time. Tight driveway. Quite annoying really, I had a 2 car car port further up the drive but there wasn't room to swing a cat there.
Its always better to put on enough topcoat to stop rust as you go, primer is meant to be fairly rough, and sometimes porous by design, so rattle can paint seals it, 2 or 3 coats seems to stop rust. Theres nothing so sad as seeing a bus with welding done, in primer "because I am going to have it resprayed in the end" .. and three years later the still primered parts are now so rusty they almost need repair again.. A bad paint job and no rust beats rusty metal.. Its not like patina where you emphasise originality by having 50 year old eroded paint.. Welded metal rusts.
