What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

Using Duplicolor Primer

I have been using the Sherwin Williams 988 primer, but unfortunatelly the sherwin williams store is too far for me to travel.

Besides being far, I think this stuff is expensive. I was lloking at the Dupli-Color BSP100. It is an acrylic type primer sold at advance auto part and it is ready mixed/ready to spray(using a spary gun).

Are there any issues with using this type of primer for my interior sheetmetal priming?

Are there different surface preparation requirements compared to self-etching primer?

Vans calls for a light coat as an insurance policy for extra protection.

Please advise.:rolleyes:
 
I've used the aerosol-can Duplicolor primer, thoroughly disgusted with it, threw away one empty and a nearly full can, swearing it off.

I use the AKZO 2-part mix for mass-spray priming and NAPA 7220 aerosol for small spots.
 
After trying most of the rattle can self etching stuff, this is the best I found for ease of spray and durability once dry even better the high dollar stuff.

primer_can4.jpg


Not sure why you would hate it....Maybe you got a bad can.
 
Ditto on the DupliColor Self Etch rattle can. I do however top coat it with rattle can Rustoleum. My process; MEK, Scotchbrite, MEK, DulpiColor(very light coat), then Rustoleum. I get my DupliColor at AutoZone.
Primer01.jpg
 
Thanks

I have seen many pics of RVs primed with this green stuff.

I recall reading a thread where it said how unnescessary it was to scuff the surface because you end up loosing the aclad protection. I have been shooting rattle can self-etching primer without any mechanical(scuffing) action and it is sticking very well.

Thanks for all your inputs.
 
Me three. Been using the Dupli-color Self-Etching green primer for over a year and a half. Love it. WAY better than the zinc oxide Tempo I was using before. I buy the Dupli-color at a local auto parts store for $4.95 a can ...that's another thing I like about it. :D
 
Not sure why you would hate it....Maybe you got a bad can.

It's possible I got two bad nozzles in a row - but my complaint was exceptionally poor aerosol action (super large droplets) resulting in a spattered, uneven blotchy coat.

Based on others good results, I'll give it one more can. My wing kit was delivered yesterday, so I've got sheet metal to play with again.
 
7220

I've been doing: scotchbrite scuff + acetone + NAPA 7220 self-etching (aerosol).

So far looks OK, after overnight cure can not scrape it off with vigorous thumbnail scratching, holds up reasonably well to scapes from sheetmetal.
 
Greg, be sure you get the self-etching primer instead of the regular primer. I know it's common sense, but I've found the self-etching type is a little harder to find than the regular type. FWIW.

It's possible I got two bad nozzles in a row - but my complaint was exceptionally poor aerosol action (super large droplets) resulting in a spattered, uneven blotchy coat.

Based on others good results, I'll give it one more can. My wing kit was delivered yesterday, so I've got sheet metal to play with again.
 
Too much Rust Oleum Light Machine Gray

This looks like a good place to add this. I used rattle can Light Machine Gray Rust Oleum paint on the interior of my canopy parts. I decided not to rattle can but rather use bulk paint and a gun to shoot the rest of the interior. Long story short, in order to get bulk Lt. Machine Gray non rattle can I had to order two gallons of the stuff, so now I have WAY too much paint. Anyone that would like a quart or so of Lt. Machine Gray can email me and we can work out the details of getting it to you. It will cost about $12.00 per quart less shipping.
 
I read somewhere that the NAPA 7220 is the exact same primer as the Sherwin Williams 988. I have used both and they look and behave exactly the same.
I tried the Duplicolor early on, and found that it was not as durable for me.

YMMV





Covered in fiberglass dust!
 
Ive been using SEM, but at $15 a can I'm up for alternatives... I picked up a can of the duplicolor self etch today to have ready when I run out of the SEM... I have been scuffing everything except the inside skins, and spraying everything. The SEM sticks very well, not as well on the inside skins since I dont scuff them but something is better than nothing. I plan to use the AKZO on the wings only because they have the fuel tanks in them and the spray can primer is not solvent/fuel resistant... So if a tank ever leaks, it will eat away all the rattle can primer!
 
Another fan of dupli-color

Tonight i finally gave up on the cans of Zinc Oxide from AS and gave the dupli-color self etching primer a shot ( from a spray can ).
Applying it was a world easier than the zinc oxide, it goes on easy and smoothly.
I had cleaned the surface with metal prep and alodined it prior as well, so i am not sure what the overall effect of applying self-etch primer over alodine will be.
Now, does any one have an RV on which they applied this primer 20+ years ago to see how well it holds up ?
 
Last edited:
I use the duplicolor rattle cans as well. I've had a few cans with bad habits as well, but it works for me and I don't reall want to end up with a technicolor paint scheme. :) (even if nobody will see most of it) Besides, its easy and cheap for me to get locally.
 
be really carefull about shipping liquid paint anywhere.....it is a liability and a big one....I worked for a paint manufacturer for 7 years. I wouldn't ship it no where. pick up only
for what its worth


Rich
 
Duplicolor

I worked for BASF Chemicals for years. Diamont, Limco, and Glasurit paints. and I use Duplicolor self etching primer........Don't tell my x-boss he will stop calling and trying to get me to come back to work
 
I've been using the NAPA 7220 self etch. Hard to beat, except in my locale it is 10 bucks a can and never on sale. The stuff sprays beautifully IMO.
 
Im a duplicolor fan too. Buy mine at walmart. I was skeptical at first... went through 2 or 3 bad cans from autozone. Got the one from walmart, and been hooked ever since. Guess Autozone just had a bad case or something.
 
I have used Duplicolor, Nappa 7220, and PPG Epoxy primer. My experience is that the rattle cans are much easier, but harder to determine thickness and seem to go on heavier.. Probably adding more weight in the long run? I do think the rattle cans actually adhear better than the PPG Epoxy stuff which seems to scratch pretty easily. So I am probably going to use a mixture of methods.. PPG for the big parts like skins/ribs etc.. Then Rattle can for other less significant parts.

Either way I will be scotchbrighting and using solvent to clean. With the PPG I will use alumiprep to make sure and get a good etching on the aluminum first.
 
Duplicolor Self Etching Primer

Anybody have a suggestion as to where to purchase this in bulk (cases) at a reasonable price? Either by store name or by internet? I live near Long Beach CA. Think that I'll give it a try on my RV-12.
 
Anybody have a suggestion as to where to purchase this in bulk (cases) at a reasonable price? Either by store name or by internet? I live near Long Beach CA. Think that I'll give it a try on my RV-12.

The Walmarts in my area (East Dallas) stopped stocking the duplicolor paints all together. The auto parts store still have it though. In your area, Kragen should have it (there is a store on Western and one on 9th street). Autozone out here has also dropped it in favor of rustoleum.

By the way, I used to live near 25th and Western; Two Harbors, Catalina before that. When I was younger, I worked at both the Kragen stores in San Pedro that I mentioned.
 
Napa

I bought the duplicolor self etching primer at Napa, other auto parts stores might carry it as well. I asked if I could get a discount if I bought a case of 6 and they took a buck a can off the price. I primed the whole interior of my fuse (8A) with this stuff, as well as my tail kit. Anything that was going to be riveted and never seen again got primed, as well as the cockpit, otherwise I would prime where aluminum got riveted together and left the big spaces of alcalad unprimed. I am pretty happy with the hybrid method. I also started out scotchbrighting parts before I primed, then leaned toward cleaning and priming without the scotchbrighting. The primer stuck very well and I couldn't see the sense in taking off one corrosion protectant and replacing it with another. If you are thinking of priming the whole plane like this you will need a lot of it. See if you can get a bigger discount and buy 20 cans.

Good luck
Randy
 
Where to purchase Duplicolor

Colin & Randy - thanks very much for the information. Truly appreciate the feedback. Colin, I was one of your customers back then - glad that you are doing well - Best regards and thank you to you both, E. D. Eliot
 
I've been doing the same thing as Randy. Nothing fancy and I am trying to keep the weight low while still having primer for protection in critical areas.
 
Trying to understand....

Please forgive my newbie question but are we talking about using Duplicolor for priming the exterior of the skins for the final color? I want to consider painting my plane myself so I'd like to know what my options are. I'm a long way from that of course.

Thanks.

Cheers,
 
I wouldn't recommend using any kind of rattle can paint on the exterior. We are just talking about interior structure and the inside of the skin.
 
PPG DP48LF

I am planning on using the PPG DP48LF....anyone have any experience with this primer?

Ray
 
Found it at Advanced Auto Parts

A couple of weeks ago, we decided it was time to unwrap and prime all of the steel parts for the RV-3. I thought this was a good time to investigate advancements in rattle can primer since I finished the -8 four years ago (since my case of self-etching primer I got at Boat US back then was gone), and after yet another futile and abortive attempt at using the expensive Zinc Chromate from ACS (miserable stuff...), I decided to try the Duplicolor. Checked WalMart, Ace hardware, Home Depot, Lowe's, Autozone - and finally found it at the brand new Advanced Auto parts about three blocks from our house.

So far, I am favorably impressed! It goes on smooth, good spray characteristics, wets out nicely, and dries fairly fast. best of all, it seems very durable. We've used it on steel and aluminum angle parts so far, and will probably do all our interior priming with it. I top-coated a part with Krylon over the Duplicolor yesterday, and it dried to a very hard, scratch-free coating. I can't tell you if it will last 30 years or not....check with us in 30 years! ;)

Paul
 
I have used the self-etching duplicolor primer on everything so far. Back at my airline days I used a ton of zinc chromate and I don't care what anyone says, I think zinc chromate sucks by comparison. The self-etching duplicolor goes on very well and seems to have at least as good adhesion as anything else I have used. The best part, it's cheap, the next best part, just shake, rattle and spray! Rustoleum now has a self-etching primer. I have used a can or two of it and it seems to be equally good.

The professional line of Rustoleum enamel seems to go on really well. I have used it as a top coat for interior, visible parts. I doubt it would hold on the exterior.
 
A Duplicolor primer fan and a tip

I tried my first can of Duplicolor rattle can self etching primer last night on the internal structure of my -12 rudder. At first it wasn't atomizing as well as I thought it should so I put it in the garage sink full of hot water at 120 degrees.
It makes a huge difference in the quality of the spray and atomization. Great stuff....the price is right, can be found locally and is the right color :)
I use the rattle can primer for the internal stuff and right before riveting I prime the exterior skin with variprime with a heavier coat down the rivet line.
priming before riventing allows the top coat to bridge the rivet to skin junction easier.
Hope this helps someone.
Rick
 
Back
Top