The 6 Best High Build primers on Bare Metal (2023 reviews)

The raptor high build primer on bare metal's high-end materials makes sure that it ages well with use. Phosphoric acid ester formula promotes paint adhesion to difficult substrates, like galvanized steel and aluminum. It can be used on bare metal to prep for bed liner. It offers a large fan pattern and excellent coverage. It is ideal for rub through the primer prior to application of color and new bare metal panels.

The primer is great to hit bare spots of metal, drys smooth and is a definite purchase along with the raptor liner kit. It is used for non painted surfaces. It can be used after electroplating as long as the item is kept clean from grease, dirt or any other environmental damage.

Why We Like This:

Highly recommended for any bare-metal application
Keep away from heat, hot surfaces, sparks, open flames and other ignition sources
Good brand reputation

Best For Bare Metal: SEM Best Primer

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Next on the list, we've got yet another primer that manages to win our hearts. It's the sem best primer and it's widely considered as one of the best convenient primer you can buy. The SEM 42013 High Build Primer Surfacer provides superior adhesion, film build and flexibility when priming automotive metal, aluminum, urethane, plastic and other similar substrates. It holds solid and is perfect almost on any surface including covering rust after a few coats before sealing and painting over. It will work on bare metal, paint or filler, so if you accidentally sand through to bare metal while blocking it saves having to mix up a batch of 2k primer just for a spot repair.

The high build primer is used under the top coat, to fill any scratches or minor imperfections while finish sanding, and self-etching is used only on bare metal, under any body filler, or other primer. It laid down perfectly smooth and looks great. It's not as high build as a spray gun but it will do smaller jobs well. This stuff is good to use before you put your color coat on.

Why We Like This:

Works on flexible or rigid substrates
Works like a champ for filling scratches and creating transitions
Will not peel/crack or react to any paint like other rattle can primers

Best For OEM manufacturers: Custom shop High Build Primer on Bare Metal

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The custom shop high build primer on bare metal is suitable and reliable and fits well with your daily purpose. The Premium self-etching acid etch primer is a ready-to-spray, self-etching primer with tremendous adhesion and flexibility properties. It provides excellent adhesion to the following properly prepared substrates. It is ideal for use on properly prepared truck beds before the application of truck bed liner coatings.

This primer works excellent under all major brands of truck bed liner coatings like custom coat, upol raptor, and gator guard. It improves color holdout, gloss retention and has excellent inter-coat adhesion. It is fast drying and is sandable after 60 minutes. It is perfect for use over bare metals such as aluminum and steel.

Why We Like This:

Good brand reputation
Good investment for long term

Best For plastic bumper: SEM High Build Primer on Bare Metal

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It’s great for 3D printed parts, so much better than auto parts store brands. The High-build primer surfacer is an elastomeric acrylic coating for priming automotive metal, aluminum, urethane, and plastics. This primer is covered in 2k spray can be used in marine applications. It isn't necessarily a filler but the finish on it after sanding is great.

This primer does very well and can be covered in 2 part base and clear with no neg reaction but it is the primer. It's a very close match to 2K primer without the fuss of a spray rig to apply. The primer builds enough thickness to nicely fill in minor scratches / chips. It is a very close match to 2K primer without the fuss of a spray rig to apply. If your looking for a build primer that's white-this is as good as it gets.

Why We Like This:

Dries fast and hard and sands great
Great high build, easily sanded primer
Fast drying and sands out nice

Best For Fiberglass: Eastwood High Build Primer on Bare Metal

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Eastwood line of primer come in a pretty wide variety of styles, so you can definitely find one that suits your individual preferences and needs. This stuff works very well at sealing and filling MDF for high gloss polyester finishes that need to be mirror flat. It comes with an in-house product design, development and testing and a strong track record of high-quality, innovative products. It is used to make molds and plugs for fiberglass. It is not waterproof and should not be wet sanded.

It is easy to sand with no shrinkage. It's primary use is for repairing damaged fiberglass body work and is a base for gel coating. It provides a lifetime tech support.

Why We Like This:

Excellent adhesion to metals, fiberglass, and body fillers
Fills great, direct to metal saves time and money
Use in a well ventilated area away from open flame

Best value For money: Custom shop mix ratio High performance Primer

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If you often find yourself scrambling for high-value and low-price primer, custom shop mix ratio high performance primer should be your first option for buying. It offers superior adhesion to bare metal, steel, bare aluminum, fiberglass, gelcoat, body fillers and many properly prepared rigid plastics and sanded oem finishes. It offers superior sanding characteristics and excellent topcoat gloss holdout. It is available in primer gray with 1-1/4 quart and 1-1/4 gallon kits available. It is compatible with and can be top coated with most automotive paint brands like custom shop, restoration shop, ppg, house of kolor, valspar, etc.

The formulation contains a rich blend of anti-corrosive additives to achieve maximum defense against rust and corrosion while adding the benefit of outstanding adhesion. It is easy to use with a 1.4 -1.5 tip with a splash of reducer this is very good.

Why We Like This: