>>what I can tell is that the surface prep is extremely important so 
that the primer can soak into the wood to be able to 'grab' hold for the 
top coats. Is that right?<<

That is correct. The old saying is that a good paint job is 80% prep and 
20% application. The new saying is an excellent paint job is 95% prep 
and 5% application. We call it "extreme prep" and it gives us paint jobs 
that last decades instead of years with ordinary prep.

John
by brush and hand

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