Was dead set against using filler primer for months. Finally caved and tried it.

I work at a small shop in Tulsa and I've been doing body work for about 8 years now. Always thought filler primer was a crutch for guys who couldn't lay down a good first coat of paint without it. Then last month I had a 2010 F-150 with some deep rocker panel chips that just wouldn't smooth out right after sanding. My coworker Jeff handed me a can of his 2K filler primer and told me to try it or shut up. I was pissed but I did one light coat, let it flash, then hit it with 320 grit. Honestly the finish came out way better than anything I'd done before with just regular primer. No weird sand scratches showing through and it filled those tiny pin holes perfectly. Now I'm wondering what else I've been stupid about. Anyone else have a product or technique they swore off for years and then finally tried and it worked?

2 comments

2 Comments

martin.margaret13d ago

Yeah, "crutch for guys who couldn't lay down a good first coat." That was me too. Used to think filler primer was cheating. Then I did a dark metallic blue over some light sand scratches. Looked like crap. Tried filler primer next job. Night and day difference.

the_jake12d ago

...but here's the thing though, doesn't using filler primer just let you skip learning how to properly prep and sand? I mean, if you're laying down a coat of primer that's thick enough to hide scratches, you're basically just painting over your mistakes instead of fixing them. And what happens when you chip that paint down the line, you're gonna see those scratches again anyway. It might look good now but I bet that paint doesn't last as long as one that went over a truly smooth surface. Not saying it's cheating, just saying it's a shortcut that probably bites you later.