# Suggested primer for knotty pine



## davidanbess (Apr 2, 2007)

Hi, what would be your choice of primer for knotty pine, I'm thinking it would have to be an oil based.

Regards David


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## Sampietro (Apr 14, 2011)

I am not a 100% but I think a shellac primer is the best if I remember right.


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## gideond (May 17, 2007)

Yep Shellac will seal the knots up the best to prevent bleed through. Zinsser BIN (not BIN 2) is best for this but there are comparable store brands out there like Duron and P&L that work just as well.


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## Sampietro (Apr 14, 2011)

I forgot to mention make sure to wear a respirator maybe a full face mask if you don't like the feeling of your retinas burning out...laughing


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

Any shellac product. I use just regular shellac thinned quite a bit (add 50% lacquer thinner) to avoid brush marks, and 2 coat it. It dries fast so 2 coats don't take much time. If you only have a little to do, the spray BIN works well, and I 2 coat just the knots. .


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## Pete'sfeets (Mar 20, 2011)

Laquer thinner ? what the heck would you wanna use that! just daft, it's called methyl hydrate or denatured alcohol. What is this Bin 2 , I have never heard of it.. Sounds confusing.. I noticed that there are two Bulls eye , a bulls eye 123 and a weaker one not acceptable for exterior use, I am not sure of the logic , cheaper but not as effective, with so many choices out there why add more


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

Pete'sfeets said:


> Laquer thinner ? what the heck would you wanna use that! just daft, it's called methyl hydrate or denatured alcohol.


Simple, with lacquer thinner I can thin lacquer or shellac. BTW, denatured alcohol is ethanol, not methanol. Ethanol works OK. If that's what you have, use it.


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## boman47k (Oct 13, 2006)

Oops, I just use Coverstain.


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## Jaws (Dec 20, 2010)

Sherwin Williams Easy Sand works well, bonding the holes.


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## gideond (May 17, 2007)

BIN 2 is a newer product that is suppose to do everything BIN does at a lower price. It doesn't. BIN 2 thins with paint thinner so it's evidently in an alkyd vehicle. It uses a synthetic shellac resin instead of the tried and true bug droppings. The Lac Beetles were evidently not doing well the past year or two and that shot the shellac prices through the roof. BIN2 seems more like an extremely heavy bodied Coverstain to me. Most people I know who have used it say it does cover the smoke damage just like BIN but it's adhesion is not as good.


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## JHC (Jun 4, 2010)

Seal Lock by inslx is a great primer and replacement that performs close to shellac for sealing knots. Also about $30 a gallon cheaper than shellac. You can get it through your local Benjamin Moore dealer. 

http://www.insl-x.com/viewProd.asp?prodID=168

I would probably do a heavy oil coat and spot the knots that bleed through with seal lock. Shellac is just to brittle imo, and the risk of cracking is really high when using it as the initial primer coat.


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## Pete'sfeets (Mar 20, 2011)

I can't imagine why I'd want to use laquer thinner,is it not smelly enough? At least the methyl is odorless , not that I have alot of olfactory sence left.


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## davidanbess (Apr 2, 2007)

thanks one and all


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## PowerWash (Mar 25, 2011)

I am sure that it is not up to a professional painters standards, but, I have had great results from glidden gripper primer on knotty pine.


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## Jaws (Dec 20, 2010)

boman47k said:


> Oops, I just use Coverstain.


Coverstain is actually what we use. I asked my brother, I don't paint. Covers the knots better.


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## Pete'sfeets (Mar 20, 2011)

but cover stain smells so nice. Aw whatever's handy will do, that's how I picked the wifey., but I don't think there's anything guaranteed, a spray of laquer helps too all depends on the freshness,. For the shellac I just keep the brush right in the can, the handle sticks out through the lid ,,till summer arrives anyhow.


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## Pete'sfeets (Mar 20, 2011)

Nasty !! I thought the shellac price was bad when it went from 40 all the way to 50 bucks at HD, yesterday I find it is selling for yet another hike of 9 bucks, sixty bucks near. I don't know if the increase is due to more shortage of shellac resin or they are buffering it up next to the increase of other high end products , inflation?, As usual it makes fast work prime to finish but cost is the deciding factor.Need a portable calculator to put in the tool bag.


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## zorikos (Aug 31, 2011)

I picked up some BIN shellac primer for $26+tax per gallon from my dealer. Home Depot is way more expensive!


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## katoman (Apr 26, 2009)

You can buy your own shellac flakes and make your own. My painter makes his own 4 lb.cut. Which is twice as "strong" as the stuff you buy.

Lee Valley sells it.


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

katoman said:


> You can buy your own shellac flakes and make your own. My painter makes his own 4 lb.cut. Which is twice as "strong" as the stuff you buy.
> 
> Lee Valley sells it.


I haven't tried using 4lb for knots. Does it allow 1 coat sealing, instead of 2?


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