Bare Metal Primer?

[76_Scottsdale]

I removed my bed today on my '76 today and I am soda blasting it completely this saturday. I plan on using POR 15 to completley coat the underside and inside of the bed afterwards so that rust will not be an issue, but I am stumped on which primer to use on the bare metal of the rest of the bed. I have heard that you must use a self-etching primer on bare metal. Is this true? I am simply laying down a protective primer coat so that no surface rust will form, but this will also be the bottom layer of primer that I will be working with when I have the funds to finish painting it.

Thanks in advance.

PS Since the bed rest directly on the frame, has anyone ever experimented with putting rubber or something in between them to eliminated squeeking/paint removal?

[Blazin]

You need a self etching primer. I have used in the past but it is expensive, Dupont Variprime. I have also used SEM brand for a long time and had good luck with it. The SEM is a ready to spray right from the can. I recently had the opportunity to use Martin Senior products. Just so you know ahead of time 99% of them gave unsatisfactory results. I did how ever like their etch primer. They call it etching filler primer. It looks almost the same as Variprime it smells just like Variprime. It is a two part 1 to 1 ratio mix just like Variprime. If you plan on leaving this to the weather with only primer on it you will need to top coat it with an epoxy primer. Haven't tried Martin Seniors. I have used Nason a secondary Dupont line, it seems to work good. I have used Duponts but again very expensive. I  am not a big PPG fan but I do like their epoxy primers DP40 if I remember correctly. All epoxy primers are 2 part systems. If you plan on any body work you will need to grind the primer down to bare metal in the area to be repaired then reprime with the same primers over the repair, plus a high build urethane primer as well. Hope this helps.

[76_Scottsdale]

what exactly do you mean by 99% of the time you have had bad results? Do you mean all self etching primers? I"d like to find the most cost effective and easiest to use. Ready to spray right from the can would be nice. I'm not setup for spraying at my current location but does any self etching primer come in rattle cans? Also I've seen others on here saying that they sprayed expoxy primer directly on after media blasting? Will this not stick to blasted metal?

[Blazin]

I didn't say 99% of the time. I said 99% of the Martin Senior products gave unsatisfactory results. I do however like their self etching primer.
 Rattle can self etching primer is great I use SEM barand, but only on small repairs. If you are doing a whole panel or whole bed in your case I use a gun. As far as primer is concerned you can get away with a medium compressor as you are looking for coverage more than finish. You can wait after each panel for the compressor to build up unlike with paint where the finish will change with the air pressure and if you wait between panels you will get over spray on the previously painted panels. Epoxy primer is a coating, self etching primer actually bites into the metal. Allot like oil or latex paints cover wood vs. stain soaking into wood.

[76_Scottsdale]

Right on I'll look into Martin Senior self etching primer and a two part epoxy primer/sealer. I have a medium compressor here and I can setup my paint gun for this quick paint. Thanks again for all your help.