Zissner fast dry oil based primer problems!
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I sanded down an old dresser to bare wood and picked up zissner oil based fast dry primer due to it being recommended. It went on so thick and the brush stroked were so bad I had to sand it so much that parts of it are back down to wood. Can I buy a different primer and put it on top of it? Do I have to to sand it all the way down or can I layer it? Can I put latex primer over it even though it is oil based? Any recommendations are appreciated! I need something that levels out well. This photo is after only one coat!!
Should have use a foam paint roller or water based primer. If the surface is smooth just prime over it.
The rule of thumb is that, given proper surface preparation, for exterior use you can apply quality latex paints over oil-based, but not the reverse. However, if you have many layers of oil based paint, stick to using oil on oil. For interior use, generally you can use one over the other. Since you have only one layer of oil based primer you should be fine to use water based primer and paint.
Water based/Latex primer can be put over oil based primer. Zinser primer is good. But, the oil must dry. If you have good weather in Burbank, set it outside during the day and let the oil dry thoroughly. Sand lightly with 220 grit and wipe down with tack rag, Then and only then, use water based primer. Let it dry completely. This is not a one day project. May take a week to complete. Prep work is 90% of a good paint job. Use a foam roller and watch for bubbles. When latex is dry, like 3 days, then paint. Be sure to sand lightly between coats. If paint sticks to sandpaper, STOP right there. It is not dry yet. Wait a couple more days. If you get dust from sanding, it is ok to proceed.
If you bought off the shelf primer it may have been old. Even sealed oil base paints thicken over time. When you paint with oil bases and the brush drags and the paint doesn't level out it needs to be thinned. Take it back to the store and get it thinned and remixed if you are not confident about doing it yourself. Requires quite a bit of mixing to get right and a paint store can do that easily. You can cover oil base with latex but the finish doesn't stand up to heavy wear as well and to me doesn't look as good. If I want a quick more hassle free project I use latex to start with. Oil requires time and skill.