I was under the impression that self-etching primers use a catalyst in much the same way as epoxy primers like Dupont DP90. Can someone verify this? I have never seen a true self-etching or epoxy primer available in a spray can - it would go bad in short order because the catalyst does not need the presence of oxygen to "set up" - it will simply "set up" in the can.

Someone correct me if I am wrong...

Gear cases with a spray can? Someone needs to upgrade to at least a good detail gun.

All the etching primers that I've used are catalized. And I do agree about the detail gun. Harbor Freight and Northern Hydraulics both have foreign ones that are really cheap.

napa has it , a self etching primer , bare metal only. use it all the time.

correct budman , all the "self-etch" spray bombs are worthless. you can wipe it off with laq. thinner. cant be catalized.

BTW i believe dupont makes a self etch called dp-90 or dp-40 that is black and not that aweful green, so scratches are less noticable.

PPG is dp-40, green...dp-90, black, not a Dupont product. It's a 2 part epoxy, not a true acid etcher. Very good adhesion qualities and works just as well. There are 2 diff cats dp401, slow...dp402, fast.

I agree with the Zoom man. I use the same stuff on almost everthing I paint. Adhesion is excellent, even on aluminum. Just follow the directions. They don`t print them on the can anymore so you will have to get a product sheet from the dealer. Roger1

Zoomn, Saber28, Roger,

You guys nailed it. In fact, I used DP90 on my Bravo after I stripped it down to bare aluminum. I then topcoated it with black Imron. The result: A super-deep, gloss black finish that is impervious to solvents and very scratch & nick resistant. In fact, this finish survived a 45 MPH hit against a submerged stump with nary a scratch! Wish I could say the same for the rest of the boat!

What do they use?