Talk:Wood Primer

I was geeking out on Shellac a while back. From what one woodworking YouTube channel said at least, most of the pre-mixes are quite bad. There are some better ones, but best option is to get some Shellac Flakes or whatever the term was, and some solvent (I think some alcohol like Ethanol / Methanol is the go-to, but i'll look into if something more exotic is good)

Then you can have better ingredients, and also control how diluted it is, from honey like goo, to thin lacquer, to even polishing existing shellac with straight up solvent (Similar to Acetone Smoothing of ABS etc, but not only for surface finish in construction, but also self healing/repair later)

The Main Unknown i Have Would Be Paint Adhesion and/or Long Term Viability in a non-HVAC Controlled Environment etc

I'll see if i made pages on this, if not i can just post the YouTube Playlist i made

--Eric (talk) 04:02, 4 June 2023 (UTC)

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Did some reading up / watching granted it is 1:22 in the morning local time oof, so need to be quick here but:

Videos:

• A Video by the YouTube Channel "Home RenoVision DIY" Titled "Buy The RIGHT Primer" ( ~12 Minute Watch Time ) (granted it also covers tools and Airless Paint Sprayer towards the end (5:22+ ) , as well as various Wall Painting Techniques / Drywall Finishing tips
  • Mentions:
    • Drywall Primer (says it's all PVA if i heard him correctly, also said cheap is fine in this case as long as it isn't ultra cheap that ends up being more water than solids (stated ~15 Canadian Dollars?) (in his opinion/experience etc))
    • " There is no such thing as a water based stain blocking primer " (1:52 in the video)
    • Transition Primer (So for paint-primer-paint rather than drywall-paint applications) (only needed if sealing in something / working with old painted things etc) (most often marketed as just "(Flat) Oil Based Primers" supposedly)
    • Zinsser Cover Stain (Says it can basically cover anything, MAJOR fumes though so an Organic Vapor Respirator Cartridge is a must) ( "You Need Week to Dry this sucker out, it's only 60 bucks, but if you're working outside and have knots in your wood this is a great affordable option" 4:15 in the video)
    • 4 Reasons for Primer:
      • 1.) Brand New Drywall
      • 2.) Changing from a Dark Color to a Light Color Paint
      • 3.) Transitioning from Old to New Paint/Finish ( Transition Primer )
      • 4.) Don't Want Bleed Through (Seems to be the case for you Marcin?)
• A Video by the YouTube Channel "The Funny Carpenter" Titled "The Secret To Painting Raw Wood and MDF!" ( ~5 Minute Watch Time )
  • Mentions "Zinsser B-I-N Primer-Sealer"
  • Also says "The reason why this primer works so well for raw wood applications is that it is not water based" ( 0:38-0:45 ) (thus confirming what the other video said)
• A Video by the YouTube Channel "Mike Quist" Titled "The Best Primer to hide Imperfections and Fill Wood grain | Mike Quist" (~6 Minute Watch )
  • Mentions Sherwin-Williams' "High Build Primer"

Articles/Blogposts:

• A Fine WoodWorking Forum Post Titled "Shellac as a paint primer" (From 2008, Good tips all around, and people who have or have not done so)
  • Good Answer:
    • "boilerbay | Mar 12, 2008 05:32pm | #5

Work well? maybe, generally - Yes. I generally use a primer 1st UNLESS I have a concern of bleed through. I've had knots start to reappear after a few years EVEN under a primer. I always cover knots, ply glues etc.with dewaxed shellac 1st. Zinzer seal coat is fine or just as simple, make your own. Then prime over shellac. Shellac is a hard sealer but it's very smoothness reduces the tooth for painting. Of course you could sand it all for "tooth" which then reopens your bleed through factor. Primers act as a binder to the shellac and offer a grabby surface to the finished paint. My experience is that shellac alone as a primer under latex may lead to long term latex adhesion failure. Just my experience. I just do it (shellac) on trouble spots. It might be overkill to totally shellac many cabinets and then prime and then paint 2 -3 times with sanding in between. One cabinet- Ok

I hate paint.

John"

Comments by Me Post-All That: The other aspect in a DIY blend would be Opacifiers if needed, but yeah

Also i haven't looked into using pure Polyurethane / Acrylic (or that mixed with an Opacifier )

ANYWHO It is getting way to late for me to go down some rabbit hole on paint so i'll stop here, but hopefully that's some useful information at least lol

--Eric (talk) 05:55, 4 June 2023 (UTC)