I’ve been welding for 46 years, and while I know a lot of welders who are far more talented than I am, at several points in my life I welded every day for my living. Over that time I’ve tried out a ton of different products that are meant to help make welding easier, cleaner, or more effective. I’m talking everything from machines, to fabrication tools, to sprays, and everything else in between. Out of all of them, one that often made me shake my head and wonder was weld thru primer. Was it really working? Would regular spray paint be just as good? Those are just a couple of the questions most folks have when it comes to welding through or over spray paint.
In the video below, Ian at Big Tire Garage is going to do some testing because a ton of you have been asking about welding over spray paints, and which ones actually live in these conditions. I can tell you that there are a lot that won’t survive, and others that perform surprisingly well!
Video Description:
Are you really supposed to weld over paint? Or is it just a shortcut that ruins your welds? In this eye-opening video, we tackle one of the most controversial topics in the welding and DIY automotive world — Can you weld over spray paint?
Whether you’re a fabricator, welder, hot rod builder, or garage DIYer, this test is for YOU! We put 9 popular aerosol paints to the test using both TIG and MIG welding to uncover how each one holds up.
From common rust-preventative primers to high-heat enamels, we find out what paint types interfere with penetration, cause porosity, or straight-up ruin your welds — and which paints might actually be okay to use when repairs are needed down the line.
What You’ll Learn in This Video:
✅ Which spray paints can be welded over
✅ How MIG vs TIG welding reacts to painted surfaces
✅ Does Weld Through Primer actually Work
✅ What aerosol paint handles repairs best
✅ Tips for restoring or modifying painted projects
✅ The BEST paint for future weld repairsW
hether you’re building a custom car, working on a welding project, or doing metal fabrication, this video delivers real-world results and no B.S. so you can decide once and for all what works — and what doesn’t.