Educate me on why and when to use a self etching primer. Just spent the morning removing a guey mess off of my frame. I used a single stage self etching primer and topped it off with Eastwood chassis black . IT Don't Work !

 

The etching primer I have is a 2 part RM and is to be used on bare steel

 

etching primer should normally be used when priming aluminum, thats its best useage....i prefer and like to use epoxy primer instead. If priming areas tha that have ea mix of metals, Ide use etching primer.

use epoxy and stay way from single stage primers if possible

 

Exactly. A three component primer and topcoat is best. Solids, catalyst, and reducer when mixed together dry by chemical reaction. Air dry is old school like the acrylic lacquer days.

And staying with the same brand for all coats is best, as well as making sure the basecoats are compatible with the topcoats.

Did someone at Eastwood recommend what you were using that didn't work out?

 

two part primers use a chemical and mechanical bonding method. Single stage normally use just mechanical bonding.

What seems like may have happened is the top coat dissolved the primer coat.

I would probably have suggested either use a sealer between or let it sit until the solvents dissolved and it might have hardened up

 

The self-etching primers are to be used on bare metal parts prior to finish coating. But, as with any top coat paints, you should make certain that the primer you use is compatible with the top coat...before you use it. Call Eastwood and ask what kind of primer to use with their frame paint--if any. Some epoxy paints do not need any kind of primer for use on bare steel.

 

No , Nothing to do with Eastwood's . I was using up old leftover paint & primer. My fault !

 

I'm a HUGE advocate of self-etching primer. I've been using it since it became widely popular in the mid 80's. It does an amazing job inhibiting rust, even if the top coat of paint gets chipped. I was the biggest development in rust inhibiting products in the automotive aftermarket paint industry. I've painted things with self-etching primer that would sit outside for years and not a flake of rust. I paint all my brackets and anything I blast with self etching primer, then topcoat either with primer, or topcoat with paint.

I have been using Duplicolor self-etching primer out of a spray can for the last several years as it is a much more convenient way to have on the shelf and paint brackets and small parts. I use the light olive color product which dries pretty quick. Some of the other self-etching products take a long time to dry. To me, this stuff has the same properties as the 2-component product that Sherwin Williams (aka Martin Senour, Napa, Cross Fire) has (Sherwin is the parent co. of DupliColor) that I used for years. The spray can is the way to go unless you're doing a whole car. It seems to hold up as good as the 2-component product which costs MUCH MUCH more. Give it a try.

I have no reason why you experienced problems painting your frame. I've never had any problems with self-etching primer. It sprays mostly like lacquer primer and dries quickly. You don't spray this stuff over paint, it works with bare metal. However, I've sprayed plenty over existing paint and never have experienced any troubles. Must be a quirk.

Mark G