Whats the best primer for me?

[DanMcG]

I want to start the bodywork/rust repair on my 85 k10, but it's going to take all summer if not longer. (not that its that bad, but don't have a lot of time to devote to it).
So what would be my best choice in a primer to protect sanded and blasted areas until I get around to painting it.. I should also add that it will be out in the weather and a rattle can would be best.
Thanks, Dan

[Irish_Alley]

i would use ace hardware's brand primer. its all we use at the shop (unless its a big job)

[DanMcG]

Ace hardware, Really?
I was thinking an etching primer or DTM,   and I noticed they make a two part epoxy in a rattle can.
But you're saying,  just use a cheap enamel and remove it when the time comes to paint?

[Irish_Alley]

this is the stuff we use
http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=38059556

seams like no mater what you do or what the temp is like it lays pretty flat. dont get me wrong you can still get runs but on our welding jobs that need to be painted we use this then paint over in dry time is pretty fast also which is good when you have to push something out the door.

we pride our selfs on our jobs and the work quality. we fired one guy for making one job look like crap cause he didnt want to listen, well he pretty much quit when i told him how to do something. we where drilling some holes in concrete and it was easy to brake it. i found a way not to and stopped him to tell him how to do it he handed me the drill and walked away.

[Irish_Alley]

pretty sure the gray primers the same but we use the red

[bake74]

     Are you going to rattle can the paint also ?  If not I would not use rattle can primer.  If you are, then try to match the primer color as close to what you think the color of the paint will be.
     There are charts to tell what color primer works best with what color paints.

[DanMcG]

No Rattle can paint job, It's just that there's numerous small rust spots and paint blisters that need weather protection until I get it painted, which might not be till next summer.  Maybe I should think about a small paint gun and some epoxy prime.
Thanks for the help

[bake74]

No Rattle can paint job, It's just that there's numerous small rust spots and paint blisters that need weather protection until I get it painted, which might not be till next summer.  Maybe I should think about a small paint gun and some epoxy prime.
Thanks for the help

     If you are only doing spot repair with the rattle can, then that would be fine.  What I was talking about was rattle canning the primer on the whole truck and then spraying the paint later.  The 2 do not mix very well and it will show, unless you redo the primer before paint.
     Spot fixes are ok, since you will be sanding down the whole truck before paint anyway.

[Irish_Alley]

yeah i would touch and go now and redo it all when your ready

[DanMcG]

There will be a couple areas (like the hinge side of the tailgate post) that I'd like to clean up, prime and then just paint over when I get around to painting it. Is there a paint that I can just scuff up and paint over down the road that's better then the rest?

[Engineer]

Rustoleam makes a primer/sealer that is available in a rattle can. It is wet sandable so it should be what you need.

Most primers are porous and allow moisture to permeate to the metal thus restarting the rust.

Primer/sealers aren't porous so this should be what you are after. Or you could put epoxy primer on it. If properly applied epoxy will seal out salt water.

[jaredts]

I did the temporary rattle can primer thing to fix my truck a piece at a time.  Most primers are porous and break down when exposed to the elements.  Honestly I had better luck when I switched to just using paint (I used rustoleum).  It's not porous, looks a little better than primer, and holds up better overall as a temporary protective coat IMHO.

[DanMcG]

thanks guys!