David G.
This was posted by Jim Steele many years ago.
1.) If you use Rustoleum primer, you almost guarantee a crappy paint job. Rustoleum primers
have mineral oils in them that are only compatible with Rustoleum paints, with very few exceptions. Some guys get away with it, but most don't. Rustoleum primers also create adhesion problems, so yer paint may chip or flake off later. If you are concerned about rust or have some rusty areas, go to Wally World and get a small bottle or spray can (preferred) of rust converter in the auto touchup paint section. Use according to directions. I prime over it, then, tho they say it can be painted over without that.
2.) Spray can primers are crap. They do not contain enough solids content to fill and cover
imperfections in the surface. That means that metal you roughened a bit with sand will still be
rough when you topocat and that will show in a duller looking finish with imperfections. Go get
a gallon of a cheap brand of lacquer primer-surfacer and 2 gallons of lacquer thinner from yer auto paint supplier. Check around on price. I get it for $22/gallon off-brand, but PPG brand is like $65 a gallon. It's all the same, formula is 150 years old. Mix it up pretty runny.
Then spray a good wet but not heavy coat, come back over that with a lighter "fog" coat, then spray a heavy coat. If it goes on grainy looking it is too thick. Wet sand with 600 to 1000 grit wet or dry paper. If it does not sand smooth in spots, you can reshoot the P-S to build just those spots and sand it down there smooth. Very forgiving stuff, you can sand out all yer priming
mistakes, and it will be a SMOOTH surface afterward.
3.) The CC brand paint is a true acrylic enamel. Be sure you have the correct reducer for it. Test a small bit of paint by mixing it with the reducer. If it seems like it won't mix or is curdled looking, yer reducer is wrong. If you don't think you need to do this, see Dave Schmidt, who was sold the wrong stuff. Most acrylics can use up to 8:1 reducer/enamel ratio, or 8:1:1 reducer/enamel/hardener. I mix mine in a glass Pryex 2 quart container like is used for baking, etc. Easy to clean afterward, marked in ounces. I like to use 5 or 6:1 for my first coat, cuz I get better coverage. Then come back with 8:1 final. Shoot primer and topcoats at 30-40 psi, depending on paint thickness. When you get to 40 psi and above, you are usually starting to waste a lot in overspray.
4.) Use 12 eyedropper drops of fisheye preventative in each mixed quart if you want to be sure you do not get these nasty little bubbles in your paint. They are usually caused by grease or oils on the primer surface. Even oils from yer hands can do it. They don't always appear, but you will make up new cuss words if they do cuz yer sunk then.
