Primer colors?
 

Whats everyones opinion on the proper color primer to use underneath your finish coat?

I've seen guys tint white primer to color match the finish color but I would think you want the contrast of of an offsetting color for your primer to make sure you have proper coverage?

Reason I'm curious is that the local paint supplier was out of grey epoxy primer so he wanted me to take the white to use underneath my while finish coat. Unless I painted in direct sunlight I'd be worried I would have had some spots I wouldn't have liked when seen in the sun.

I would never shoot anything without first sealing it in a similar tinted base. I use tons of DP48 for this reason. Not sure why you would ever want to lay coat after coat on trying to cover grey when you can hit the ground running with a white sealer. It really does not have the affect you are concerned about, quite the opposite actually.

Are you shooting single stage or base/clear?

Thanks for the reply Dave!

Shooting single stage Awlgrip on a 30" Scarab. Using their 545 epoxy over repairs and thin sections of gelcote, which is most of the boat, so will probably spray a thin coat of 545 over the entire boat.
Would you still recommend a sealer over the 545?

Guess I should try the white 545 under the white finish coat as I already did the console with white over grey and when I thought I was done I did need one more coat, under sunlight, to get full coverage.

I'm just worried that I'll have some thin spots that I don't notice while spraying that will show up later. Already did the console - will try to post pictures.

pics of paint so far.

Nice work, what boat is this?

Your far less likely to have those thin spots if you seal in a like color (white), if 545 is available in white by all means use it. I will say this though, a high quality single stage, like what you are using, covers very well and with the recommended coats plus one you should be fine. I know when i use PPG Concept in white it starts coverage on the first pass and has never been a problem.


I actually understand your line of thinking. I started painting in the late eighties and use to swear by grey under black and i dont really even know why lol. I came to find though that when you are chasing coverage with dissimilar colors you end up just just covering by a coat or two and possibly to much film thickness (which is bad on FG), When spraying over like colored undercoats you are able to get a much more consistent topcoat with no coverage issues. The biggest coverage issues are usually around reds, yellows, earls, fine metallics, etc. Believe it or not the proper base for red is white, covers instantly and builds well. Metallics are simple use a grey that hase the same grey-scale value. Actually most colors you can get away with a solid on the same grey-scale order.

hey dave. i'm using concept on my pantera project. i have dplf48 primer in white. the boat will be two tone, black and white. do i need to use a grey primer under the black? do they make a black dplf48?

thanks, rob.

White primer it is then.

By the way thanks GlassDave for all the information I've learned over the years from lerking on this forum!

rchevelle71

Its a Scarab Sport center console. Just got thru making a new plexiglass windshield - I enjoyed the challange and it wasnt too tough. This year was the last one they did the teak side rails so I molded up some new ones out of fiberglass and glassed them into place. No more teak left on this baby. And by the way painting tubing like this leaning post was a *****!

I would probably stick with the DP48 white under all of it, black is generally a pretty strong pigment and covers fast over anything. DP comes in green, white, black, red, and grey. Both Concept white and black cover very fast.


Thanks man, I actually enjoy the Q&A tech stuff. One day it will all be in print. I'm up to twenty chapters :D