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Debating whether to prime bare metal with epoxy or just shoot it with self-etching primer first
I tried skipping epoxy primer on a 2012 Silverado door last month to save time, and now I'm seeing rust spots through the paint 6 weeks later. Has anyone else had good luck with just self-etching primer on exposed steel, or am I the only one who learned this lesson the hard way?
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patkelly1mo ago
Ever tried hitting the bare metal with a phosphoric acid treatment before the self-etching primer? I did that on an old Ford fender and it held up way better than just primer alone, but I still sealed it with a quick coat of epoxy after that.
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harris.uma1mo ago
Patkelly's got the right idea. I did that exact same thing - treated a rusty hood with phosphoric acid first, then self-etching primer, and it worked way better than just sanding and priming, no doubt. But I still added a layer of epoxy on top after that, and it's been two years with zero issues. The acid cleans the metal deep down, but the epoxy is what keeps moisture out for the long haul, you know? What kind of panel are you working on?
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charles_price17d ago
@harris.uma you might be onto something, I used to skip the epoxy but now I'm rethinking that.
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