My secret time-saver weapon...

...is none other than my Kilz spray primer.  It's pricey - like 5 x the price of the stuff in the gallon, but for me it's totally worth it.  I've actually gone through 8 cans within the last week.  This spray primer can be sanded within 30 minutes of applying and then quickly painted over.  If I roll on the other non-aerosol type, I have to wait until the next day to sand and paint.  It dries to the touch within 30 minutes, but clumps like crazy if you try to sand it within 12 hours.  If any of you have applied oil-based primer, you also know that it's difficult to work with and requires quite a bit of elbow grease to sand smooth.  Not my spray Kilz - it sprays smooth and only needs a light sand with a 220 grit paper.

Because of its hefty price tag {$5-$6 a can}, I try to skimp where and I can and only prime the tops of low usage furniture, such as these end tables; the body does fine with a light sand.  If I'm working with wood that has a tendency to bleed, then the entire piece has to be primed to prevent the tannin from coming through the paint.  Your regular old water-based primer won't block tannin bleed... and neither will re-applying your paint over and over - believe me, I've tried.

I roll on 2 coats of primer if I'm working with a grainy wood like oak and I want to fill in some of the wood grain.  It doesn't get rid of it, but it definitely reduces it.

It worked like a charm on my oak dining room table.

Try it on your next project - you'll never go back to rolling primer again...I promise.

Here's a sneak of tomorrow's post.