wood primer

[Marty Olsen]

Wood primer or no primer? I working on my 26th boat model and I've never used a primer. What are the pros and cons?
Thanks,
Marty

 

[Jimsky]

Hi Mary,

The reason you cannot skip bare wood priming is that wood is porous and has a grainy surface. Because primer contains high solids, it helps fill grains in the new wood, and yes, it's generally recommended to use primer when painting bare wood:
Adhesion
Wood is porous and has a grainy surface, making it difficult for paint to adhere. Primer helps create a uniform surface for the paint to stick to.
Protection
Primer protects wood from moisture and UV damage, which can cause warping, cracking, and peeling.
Color
Primer helps wood colors appear more vibrant because the natural oils in wood can dull paint.
Application
Primer is also recommended when painting over previously stained surfaces or wallpaper paste.
When choosing a primer, consider the type of material you're working with, as there are different types of primers for different surfaces and paints. The three main types of primer are latex, shellac, and oil.

 

[Bob Cleek]

Old School Luddite here, but I've been sealing all wood in models with a single coat of white (clear) shellac for going on 50 years. I use Zinsser "Bullseye" premixed clear shellac, which is, if memory serves, something like a two-pound cut. (That's two pounds of flake per gallon of clear denatured alcohol.) It soaks in and dries very quickly, as it only requires the alcohol's evaporation. It can be sanded thereafter to a very fine grit without creating "fuzz" and, in the event a water-based coating is applied to it, the grain will not be raised by the water, given the relative impermeability of the dried shellac. Oil-based coatings work well over it also. Shellac is easy to clean up with alcohol. It is also very handy for sealing rigging knots... just a tiny drop will wick into the line and hold it well. If a knot needs to be undone, a drop of alcohol on the dried shellac will liquify it. Repeated alcohol applications, absorbed with paper toweling, will remove most of the shellac, as well. Shellac can also be applied to rigging lines and, as it dries, can be formed to create stiff catenaries and hold coils in natural-appearing shapes or keep bitter ends on decks flat on the deck and stay where you want them. Clear shellac dries flat and invisibly but will build in layers of coats and have a glossy finish if several coats are applied on top of each other, if that finish is desired. See YouTube videos on the subject of shellac and "French polishing" for more details. Try it, you'll like it. It can be purchased in most any hardware of paint store and is relatively cheap. Letting the alcohol evaporate in a container will yield a thicker "cut" which can be used as an adhesive, as well. Shellac highly archival. The stuff the ancient Egyptians used is still looking good.