I have been a big fan of variprime and chromate based self-etching primers. Now that chromate is being phased out, and since variprime is around $190 a gallon, I'm looking for some good alternatives. I've tried the chrome-free dupont chroma-premier etching primer, don't like it much at all. I'm looking for feedback and experiences on more modern epoxy based primers, anyone have any suggestions or anything they would like to share?

Thanks,
Jamie

Based on a presentation by Seashore, WRM selected Awlgrip 545, a 2-part epoxy primer. http://www.awlgrip.com/products/search/ ... rimer.aspx

It's for boats. It's made for metal, wood or fibreglass. Spray or brush.

You are comparing to Variprime, which I note is metal-only and spray-only. I see Awlgrip's product line documentation talks about a second product, Awlgrip 30-Y-94, which apparently is a mil-spec strontium chromate primer, metal-only, spray-only. Its price is higher than 545 but still less than Variprime. You can't really go by retail prices, It helps to have a wholesale account with an Awlgrip distributor.

Anyway, Awlgrip 545... Because it can be brushed, it's pretty much the default primer around the shop. Switchstand targets? Ends of drying boards? Brush it on. There's often leftover 545 in the shop refrigerator, whose main purpose is stretching the pot life of 2-part coatings. 545 lasts over a week in the fridge.

It's mixed half base half converter. For spraying, the mix is reduced up to 25% with T0006 spray reducer. For brush, it doesn't need to be reduced. But in my experience the solvents tend to flash off in the pot, so I'll add a dab of T0031 brush reducer every half hour or so to keep it smooth. I've also brushed leftover 545 that had been reduced for spray, it needed a lot more thinning as I worked.

Awlgrip says on bare wood, reduce the first coat as high as 33-40% for better penetration... that trick really seems to work. Interestingly, Awlgrip specifies that on wood, you start with 545 on bare wood, then all your fairing and smoothing, then a final coat of 545 before topcoat. Barring that, they want 2 coats, but on small parts we've been known to cut that to 1 coat if there are no holidays.

Overcoating - Awlgrip naturally prefers you topcoat with their products, however my understanding is that 2-part epoxies can be overcoated with darn near anything. We've gone over 545 with Dulux, Centari, Fine Paints of Europe, and even Glidden Spred Satin.

I've been reading about Awlgrip on here for a while now. I see it is for metal also. Thier web site seams to cater to the marine crowd. My question is how good is the finish? It sounds great for inside the locomotive but we have been using PPG concept for the outside finish coat. we get automotive quality results. i.e. reading you name tag from 4 feet away. can you get the same finish with this product?

The original question was about a primer... as to Awlgrip Topcoat, it's made for those gleaming "eat off the deck" megabuck yachts. A visit to a boatyard might give you some examples of finished Awlgrip work. Or...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TikjeLdp ... re=related
http://www.triton381.com/projects/resto ... lpaint.htm

We aren't after that uncanny shine. We just never want to paint it again :)

I will second that Awlgrip 545 is great stuff. We have used it on our restored 1945 wood logging caboose as well as NP single sheathed wood boxcar. Brushes on real nice and soaks into the wood where it grips like crazy. It also bonds real well to steel.

Richard Wilkens
Northwest Railway Museum