Sealer?

[GFX2043mtu]

I like sealers, and they are a big help when shooting fine metallics as it makes a good medium for the base coat to adhere to and it reduces the likely hood of sanding marks showing up as streaks. You can shoot right over 500-600 sanded 2k primer if you sealed the car before the primer and you didn’t have major break throughs or filler work after the sealer. Personally I would reduce the sealer a little bit and shoot it over a 500-600 sanded 2k and go straight to base coat in the same booth session. Some may do it differently but this has always given great results for all the cars I’ve done.

[j.miller]

So Jacob, Everyone is on the same page here....No you don't "need" a sealer if you have no body filler showing through on final sanding. Without sealer....500 gr for solid (non metallic) base coat, 600 for metallics. That being said If you are not a pro (I'm talking sanding and painting) I would recommend sealer for matallics, big time for silver. Sealer has another use....COVERAGE ! Shooting a "Gray Tone" sealer or a "tinted sealer" in the color range you are shooting can save you material and heartache. The correct sealer in the "range" will get your base covered in three coats (so 3 qts color) will work. You are going to want a qt of color for stripe (should use 2/3rds of that) ….feel free to chat me up 951-676-0191 iffin need be . Da Bat

[Taz Rules]

So Jacob, Everyone is on the same page here....No you don't "need" a sealer if you have no body filler showing through on final sanding. Without sealer....500 gr for solid (non metallic) base coat, 600 for metallics. That being said If you are not a pro (I'm talking sanding and painting) I would recommend sealer for matallics, big time for silver. Sealer has another use....COVERAGE ! Shooting a "Gray Tone" sealer or a "tinted sealer" in the color range you are shooting can save you material and heartache. The correct sealer in the "range" will get your base covered in three coats (so 3 qts color) will work. You are going to want a qt of color for stripe (should use 2/3rds of that) ….feel free to chat me up 951-676-0191 iffin need be . Da Bat

I agree fully with this above. If you have any "bust throughs" on your primer, it can show through your color coat, and sealer will prevent that. If you have no bust throughs, then sealer is not technically necessary, but J.Miller is right... if you are shooting a metallic (silver is particularly unforgiving) or even a pearl, the flakes will find your sanding scratch and "track".. that is the flakes will orient themselves in line with the scratch instead of at random angles.. and this will highlight every little imperfection in your sanding. Sealer will fill (or at least soften the edges of) these scratches, giving a more true surface for your paint to flow over without tracking the flakes.

Under no circumstances would I shoot paint, even with a sealer, over 180 grit sanded primer. 500 at the minimum, 600 is better. Sealer should still have enough tooth for that.

He also made a good point about tinted sealer. I usually use tinted primer, and the same theory applies.