Primer as a paint?

[RyFitz13]

Before I go too much further and risk bad results: I'm working on some shop fixtures right now, with more in the pipeline. I'm looking to paint them all simply a stark white to help enhance lighting in my basement shop.

So - considering they're shop fixtures (drawer bottoms from a steel work bench, an assembly table, and very soon some cabinetry), is there anything wrong with just painting them with a couple coats of Killz 2 primer? The stuff's got a white pigment to it and so far looks pretty good. Are there any problems I'd run into down the road leaving this as my topcoat?

Sounds like a dumb question to me, honestly. But I've kicked myself in the past for not asking the "dumb" questions...

[jhart]

I think you'd find that it fades pretty quickly if you don't use regular paint top coat. My understanding is that it doesn't have as much pigment and hardners as regular paint. I would put at least one topcoat on.

[herb fellows]

Exactly right. It will discolor, amongst other things. It is also not a very 'strong' coating, will scrape easily, especially in any hot/humid situation.

[Carlos]

I've got a lot of things that I've painted with only Kilz 2, and they are doing fine. One is my motorcycle trailer which has a plywood top with three coats of Kilz 2, and sits outside in the sun at all times. Four years later, good as new.

[cabinetman]

Both Kilz original (oil base), and Kilz 2 (waterbase) suggest that they can be topcoated, but don't say it's mandatory. I've never used either as a topcoat, but I would guess that the oil base might work better as a topcoat. Since both are pigmented either should work.
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[dbhost]

Depends on the primer. Kilz, and Kilz2 both can be used as a top coat. HOWEVER... I think your results would be better if you top coated them. The white of Kilz / Kilz2 isn't a true bright white... You would want something akin to "Ceiling white" paint.