I'm going to be doing some painting soon. Will be using a urethane, and I don't know which primer to use either urethane or epoxy. whats the advantage/disadvantage of the two?

 

Figure out what you're going to paint with first. Then get the primer to go with it from same brand line.

 

I'm leaning on eastwood paint, and those are the two types they offer.

 

Epoxy primer will get a better bite on the metal than the urethane. I start with sanding with 80 grit and applying two full wet coats of epoxy. Within the recoat window, I then apply two coats of urethane surfacer and start block sanding from there. I try to have my metalwork really close before applying the epoxy primer. Epoxy primer gives more corrosion protection than urethane prime and it eliminates the old timey use of etching primer for bare metal.

 

I second that.

 

hmm sounds like a good idea, rust is always a problem here in salt land, sheesh!

 

Excellent recommendations cyclopsblown34! Epoxy first then urethane surfacer. That always works great. I came across another option I use at my shop on every project now. I strongly recommend the House of Kolor KD3000 primer. It can over nearly anything, it is a DTS (Direct To Substrate) primer. It is a "hybrid" of epoxy and acrylic polymers. It is made to go over bare metal, paint, body filler, most all plastics, fiberglass, pretty much anything you will encounter. It can also be mixed as a high build, medium build or sealer! I have used this at my restoration shop since HOK came out with it. It is amazing. It lays out extremely nice and flat (much like a straight epoxy). It builds yet doesn't dry with extensive orange peel. It sands excellent and I have never had any issue with bleed through, swelling or die back. Another advantage is it is the only primer you will need for your entire project! No need for an epoxy then high build then sealer! Not to mention, you can buy it tinted to provide an excellent base for your topcoat. It is more expensive then some other primers out there, but when you consider you only need to buy one product instead of 2 or 3, I think it pays for itself. I know I may sound like I must be a HOK rep, I am not. I just firmly believe in this product. I have used so many other primers over the last 25 years, this is by far the best! Anyway, that is just my 2 cents!

 

I haven't used any HOK products in ten years or more. They were an excellent product but my supplier of them quit keeping them in stock and I went back to DuPont except for my clear, I use Southern Polyurethanes Clear. It sprays like a champ and sands very easy

 

I couldn't agree more with you on the Southern Polyurethanes Universal Clear! It sprays amazing. And sanding! Holy cow that sands soooo easy, almost too easy! I was using their MS Clear. They are stopping production on it so I switched to the Universal. I should have switched long ago. I also spray the new HOK USC01 Show Klear. It sprays real nice like the SPI Universal. But, it is more pricey then SPI and it does not sand quite as easy. HOK's new Shimrin 2 line performs great. SPI or HOK, you can't go wrong with either imho.

 

I painted a 70 Mustang convertible last Spring with Universal and didn't even cut and rub it. He has already got a best paint trophy for it. SPI is the bomb. Are you on SPI or Hotrodders forums?

 

70 Mustang convertible, very nice! I would like to see some pics! It is incredible how nice that clear lays. No cutting and rubbing! That says a lot about the quality of the clear and the painter! I do a lot of custom airbrushing along with spraying a lot of true candies, ice pearls, flakes and such. Unlike many, I like to carry my candies, flakes and pearls with Universal Clear, not with intercoat clears. I like the way the effects sit in clear much better then the intercoats. The only thing that I have used that comes close to carrying the same way is HOK Shimrin 2 S2-00 Trans Nebulae. It carries very nice. But with SPI, I never worry about film build.

I am not on the other forums much, I have been just browsing around them. There seems to be a lot of good information on them also.

 

Sorry Phinxter, I guess I am going a little off topic. But, there is some good advice about primers and clears!

 

SPI has an awesome forum too, it's full of knowledgeable guys with good, quality information. Oh, and don't forget their excellent customer service and free shipping. I'm using their products on my truck build too. I can't wait for their new Single Stage Black to come out, as I'm going to use it to paint my truck back to it's original color.

 

Thats ok, since we are off topic what do you guys use to clean your guns? I'm new to HVLP guns, back around 1989 when I was learning auto body repair those guns were new and in fact urethane paints were too, so my knowledge is frozen in time sort of, all we had was enamels and laquers. I chose not to pursue a career in that field.

 

I use ordinary lacquer thinner to clean my gun after use. Easily removes epoxy primer and the urethane I use right after spraying. Before the paints get to the dust won't stick stage the paint rubs right off but the only thing I rub off is the gun. Internally it is flushed with lacquer thinner and small brushes.