Different between sanding sealer and primer sealer ?

Question

Well i need to paint a guitar. I will use acrylic lacquer for color and clear coats. So i went paint shop for sanding sealer but instead he showed me primer sealer. Which he said is for same purpose as of sanding sealer. It that true. Because i can't trust him. He also fooled me once. When i needed an paint stripper for polyurethane but he showed ordinary one. Which i was for it not work.

Please don't suggest any website product.

Answer 1

Sanding sealer is lacquer with extra solids in it which builds quickly as you're laying on the coats and it sands easily so that you can get that perfectly smooth and level finish for your color and clear coats.

Personally, I do not like using sanding sealers and finally gave them up after many years of using them. I found that too heavy a sanding sealer coat would dent and crumble beneath the outer clear coats. So, nowadays I used lacquer only and apply more coats and it takes longer to sand, but I feel it's a better finish.

Ask your paint shop if they can get you nitrocellulose lacquer. That is the real stuff. Is this for an electric guitar? You can be a little more flexible about what finish to choose. If it is an acoustic guitar you don't want to apply too heavy a finish as it will deaden the sound of your guitar. Nitrocellulose lacquer is still the best choice for an acoustic guitar finish.

Answer 2

the means of coloring that you want is okay.   Next use a wipe on poly, waterbased or solvent.  There will be no sanding sealer needed.  This wipe on poly will give you the smoothest finish compared to anything else.  No need for a primer sealer either.  Check my credentials.

Answer 3

Just go by the names....

Not all primers are suitable as sanding sealers & are basically a base coat for paint.

Sanding primer is / can be  used to show high spots & small imperfections when  lightly sanded.

An auto primer which can be wet/ dry sanded is perfect for a solid body guitar.

Basically ,forget it is a guitar & treat it as auto body work.

Can also use auto spotting putty for small dings.

When all is smooth a final prime coat ,several thin color coats ( which can also be wet dry sanded in between, then... final color coat,& clearcoats.

The final clearcoat can be buffed w/ a very fine polishing compound or plain soft cloths & a good auto wax.

W/ patience you can get an original "wet look" finish.

Best regards

Answer 4

First off, why acrylic lacquer?  It is softer and less durable than true lacquers.  But that's beside the point...

Sanding sealer will provide a harder base coat that is easy to sand smooth.  It helps to toughen the wood fibers so the sand off easily.  And it provides an excellent adhesion for you following lacquer coats, using less material in the process.

Primer/sealer, in paint form, will not sand the way you want it to.  It is not meant to go under lacquer finishes and will not give you the glass like finish that you want.