Painting built-in bookshelves, question about paint vs. primer

Submitted by dmporte2006 t3_10p1yu5 in DIY

This is the third set of built-in bookshelves I’ve installed. So this isn’t a total newbie question as much as hoping there’s a simple answer that might save me some trouble this time around.

The first time I used latex and found out the hard way about raised grain, which required me to do light sanding on the entire inside and outside between each of the three coats that were ultimately required.

The second set was painted by a professional; the demands of my day job had the building phase taking so much time, my wife wasn’t prepared to wait for me to complete the finishing over a series of weekends.

Will priming eliminate the need for sanding after that initial coat? Will it reduce the total number of coats required? If so, is there a community-preferred brand / type?

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frijolescon_ t1_j6ibviq wrote

I typically use BIN primer and a urethane alkyd paint. Light sand in between coats.

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dmporte2006 OP t1_j6ik6pi wrote

Water-based or shellac? I have experience with BIN shellac in a bathroom that needed lots of drywall refinishing after I removed some old beadboard.

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Garrettfosmark t1_j6kdo4f wrote

BIN shellac is alcohol based, requiring you to clean up with either denatured alcohol or 1:1 ratio of ammonia and water. It’s also rough to breathe without a charcoal grade filter mask. I would advise against that option if you’re concerned about smell and dry time of the alkyd top coat. Some alkyd hybrids perform great! The above commenter is offering a solid option just has some disclaimers with it.

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NoBack0 t1_j6i1h3o wrote

Combination primer/paint is very good these days. As such, using a separate primer generally is not needed. If you have bad grain raising issues, a light coad of shellac could help. Very fast drying and easy to do a light sanding if needed. If it is a larger piece, you probably could sand right after coating it without waiting.

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Amazing-Voice-122 t1_j6i3pzv wrote

When using analine dyes to color wood it's a good idea to first wet the surface with a wet rag, let it dry to raise the grain, lightly sand with the next higher grit then apply the dye. This process would probably work in your situation.

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Garrettfosmark t1_j6kdab6 wrote

10 year painter and 7 year paint store manager here, it really depends on a lot of factors but for a reliable straight forward system I would say depending on how rough the wood is you may want to use a high build primer like XIM UMA (black and yellow label) because it’s also great for hard to stick surfaces if that ends up being an issue for any number of reasons. But a simple option could be to just use Zinsser’s 123 or your local paint store equivalent. Sand after primer maybe 180 or 220 grit. Nothing crazy, then 2 coats of paint. Beyond that the professional outcome relies first heavily on good prep work followed by good technique in the finish coat application. Hope this info helps

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dmporte2006 OP t1_j6ke6mt wrote

I’m a pretty good painter. Have painted the interior of three houses. Not too worried about that. Wood is 3/4 birch plywood, and really smooth, no knots or rough spots. Like I said my biggest concern is the issue I had first time around a few years ago with the grain raising up. Good advice from someone with experience. Thank you.

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Garrettfosmark t1_j6kh7om wrote

Essentially it’s the same thing with new drywall and paint soaking in. Primer fills in the porous gaps better and it’s cheaper than paint. Otherwise you waste time and money having to paint upwards of 3 coats of paint and then it still be rough. A primer coat and a sand prevents that issue most of the time

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New_Entertainment590 t1_j6inlpx wrote

One primer coat lightly sanded then one finish coat.. I use just flat latex ceiling white and use Sherwin Williams Pro Classic have done lots and never had any problems.Primer is just a extra cost and overrated sometimes I think. Another coat of finish would be nice and it really doesn’t take that long it just seems like it.

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