Generally I’ve used BIN shellac primer on most everything painted I’ve built such as built ins and a couple bathroom vanities.
I got “corrected” by a pro painter re:the BIN, basically he told me to throw it away and use a better primer, a Lenmar product or even one made by Benjamin Moore.
What are your opinions?
I am planning to paint them (kitchen cabs) with Target Coating EM6500 pigmented lacquer with the cross linker additive. According to their website BIN is compatible as well as one of the 3 they recommend.
Replies
Yes! Get something good. Shellac is fine for somethings but I think its the most overrated and misused finish. Especially if you want a durable finish for a kitchen.
The Lenmar would work or any of the solvent based primers. Quite frankly if it doesn't stink of VOCs its probably not going to really work. Get a good cartridge respirator, gloves and throwaway clothes.
I know everyone is trying to find safer more friendly products and they do exist. Those kinds of products that work are just not really available for consumer grade quantities or application methods.
Shellac is underused. BIN exists as a primer because it solves issues where other primers fail.
And "stinkier is better" is not a scientific basis for comparison.
Could you please clarify what you mean by saying that if the primer doesn't stink of VOCs, it's "probably not going to really work"?
Shellac makes for a good undercoat. It's compatible with just about anything.
Mikaol
Compatible and durable are not the same thing. Shellac is not durable.
Agreed. But it wouldn't be protecting anything. It's just as a primer/sealer.
This is in a kitchen.
3 coats of shellac and 2 of poly.
shellac sticks to anything... anything sticks to shellac.
Just make sure to use dewaxed.
BIN shellac primer is an excellent product that’s been around for many years and has proven its value. That said, it may or may not be the best choice for priming a given surface, depending on how associated factors are prioritized.
Primers have one primary purpose to fulfill—to aid in preparing the surface to receive and hold onto paint. This being the case, a useful primer must be able to stick well to the base surface, without pull-off occurring later. In addition, the primer generally provides a slightly rougher surface to which later paint can adhere well, and a substance to which the paint will readily stick as well.
Another duty thrust upon primers is stain-blocking. Stain-blocking is not merely a matter of covering the stained area with a layer of something; that something (the primer in this case) must not allow the substance that is causing the stain to seep or wick through into the overlaying surface. The notion of chemical blocking and non-reactivity comes into play here—one wants the primer to block the stain, keep it where it is, and not allow it to wick, flow, or move—or react with—the primer and the paint to come.
Shellac is a wonderful substance for adding a layer of protection, blocking, and “grab”. Shellac-containing primers, like the BIN, have done very well both at providing excellent substrate surfaces for final painting and blocking most every kind of stain one is likely to encounter. The BIN shellac primer is also compatible with most every kind of paint one might reasonably expect to be putting atop it—water-based or oil-based, they’ll stick, and stick well, to the shellac-based primer.
Durability of primers is a relatively unimportant criterion—at least in the context of paint durability, where we’re usually talking about standing up to what the world throws at ‘em; they are not exposed to wear and tear in the final environment, instead doing their job by remaining a deep part of the chemical sandwich allowing for a firmly affixed layer over a uniform surface.
Now, all this dodges a certain question—how important is it to use the “best” primer? The answer, happily, is, “Not very.”
What is important is using an appropriate primer, in accordance with labeling, including protective measures required, that will provide for excellent adherence of the paint to be overlaid. In choosing a primer, one should look for information regarding compatibility with two substances—the surface to be primed, and the overcoat to be applied. The primer must work with both; thankfully, with many primers, finding a suitable choice is not difficult.
This all having been said, the use of low-VOC materials, ease of cleaning, ventilation of the work space, and more must all be considered as well.
BIN shellac primer is suitable for a broad range of applications. It doesn’t always provide the most/best “tooth” for subsequent paint application, but it generally improves that characteristic relative to the surface primed. It does very well with stain-blocking, in general, and is compatible with darn near everything one might wish to apply over it. Might other primers be superior in one way or another for a particular job? Sure. Does it really, truly matter? That might well be simply a matter of opinion, much like which saw blade is best, the size of a hammer, and a gazillion other things.
Perfection—whether real or alleged—too often gets in the way of a job otherwise well done. As to the choices for things like this, I’d much rather have a superb craftsperson using merely good tools and materials than a simply good craftsperson using “the very best” tool and materials.
I spoke to a rep at Target Coatings today - extremely helpful and informative, BTW.
He said BIN shellac is compatible with their paints, but does not recommend it on raw wood or MDF.
I'm going with their high build primer product.
Another thing BIN has going for it is that it's super sandable. If you have to brush on your finish as I did in my kitchen, having a primed substrate that is 100% free of brush marks is a pretty good head start on a nice end result. I wet-sanded mine and it makes the top coat go on really smoothly. And the BIN is easy to tint toward the color of your topcoat. I too was told by a pro (at a paint shop in my case) that BIN was not the best product for the job, but I have no regrets.
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