Peter, I have built an Armoire which has been painted with a Benjamin Moore Interior Acrylic Latex Pearl Enamel, in Black. It looks great. Is it worthwhile putting on a protective finish? If so am I correct in reading your article that a water based Polycrylic is “OK” for a painted surface? Thanks.
Best Regards
Ken
Replies
Ken,
Your second sentence said it all! "It looks great"
Concerning Polycrylic, and this is just my opinion, I don't like the product. I don't always have the final say on the products tested. However, you could put this over the painted surface after it was properly prepared. I.E scuffed with a scotch pad.
Back to the top though, if it looks great..............................?
Peter
Peter, thanks for your opinion. My main thought was added protection ie: tougher finish, or is the enamel adequate for normal indoor use?
Regards
Ken
Ken,
A top coat will add a tough shell if required. I would check out some of the various products if that is your intent. I would suggest you paint a piece of plywood for a sample and try it on that first.
The paint will be fine under normal conditions and even more importantly, will be simple to repair if needed.
I was finishing a large mahogany entrance door for a builder once. I had a nice, full coating and it looked great. I thought just one more coat and it would be stunning. I sanded it back, applied another coat of varnish and was done for the day. Next morning (Saturday) I came in to find a beautiful surface so I opened the back doors to my shop to let it air out. I left the door close to the opening because good air flow will help with curing. Did I mention those doors face south? I came back in mid afternoon to admire the finish and to my horror,the bottom rail which was bathed in the sun was entirely full of bubbles. The sun baked the uncured varnish in a very nasty way.
I learned two things. Open the front doors next time and know when to stop.
Peter
Peter,
Thanks for the advice.
Can I ask one more? I am using a smooth roller to apply the paint and although the nape of the roller is fairly tight or fine, the surface, after painting has a slight textured look and feel. It doesn't look bad, really. However, if a very smooth surface was preferred would it be OK to thin the paint, in this case with water, to see if it would flatten(?) out while drying?
Regards
Ken
Ken,
When using a roller I always have a soft brush at hand. As I lay the paint on with with the roller I will follow it up with the brush. It's called "tipping out" It's the same technique you would use when brushing out a varnish.
After you roll a section , come back and lightly brush the surface once or twice. Keep the bristles almost perpendicular to the surface. Make sure your brush is broken in . If it is new clean it WELL before use. Also dampen it slightly before you use it. Not wet mind you , just slightly damp. This way it won't drag.
To get your paint to flow better add a small amount of Floetrol to it. It will help with leveling.
If the surface has brush marks in it, sand it with 220 paper until reasonably level. Be careful of edges and corners when doing this. Follow this with a good rubbing with a grey scotch pad. Clean all the dust off, then wipe it down with a rag dampened with a mixture(5050) of alcohol. (Rubbing alcohol is fine) Do it in sections and dry as you go.
Sounds like a lot of work doesn't it? The smoother you make the surface the better the final coat will flow. Believe me it's worth the trouble. It will look like it was sprayed.
A good environment for painting is also recommended. A fairly warm room will help things progress nicely.
Concerning questions, ask as many as you need to. I have one for you; if you're a fan, who do you root for, the Oilers or Flames
Peter
Peter,
I'll give it a try. Thanks again -------"Go Oilers Go"
Regards
Ken
I am in the process of finishing up a cherry wall unit. However ,I am limited when it comes to finishing. I have been told that shellac is the way to go. Please recommend some brand names of materials I should use, and how to apply them.
Thank you for your attention regarding this matter.
Amox
amox,
You didn't give me much info to work with.
Shellac is a great finish and there are a number of ways to apply it. However, it also has it's drawbacks.
Shellac can be purchased in quarts and gallons. It comes in clear, amber and blonde. The blonde is called Seal Coat and like clear and amber is sold by Zinseer. You can also buy flakes and mix your own if you'd like.
On the hardness and water resistance scale, fresh mixed flakes are a bit harder than premixed. ( That's right from the folks at Zinseer) Blonde is harder than the clear. The clear goes through a strong bleaching process which robs it of some of it's hardness. Shellac can be damaged by ammonia so if you have doors with glass you'd have to be very careful when cleaning.
You could also consider a varnish. Waterlox is as easy as it gets. For a finish that has more surface film consider one of the brushing varnishes.
If you want to use shellac, practice a bit before you tackle your piece. I'm assuming you don't spray, so you can brush or pad it on. Ask 10 people how to do this and you'll get 10 different answers. Do yourself two favors. Go to the library, pull a couple of books on finishing and read them. Next try a couple of application techniques. You'll find a touch that is comfortable and works for you. This may take you a little time, so don't be impatient. You can combine both techniques, brushing and padding. Try brushing the initial coating and then refining it through padding.
When I was learning to finish I would ask people questions. Someone would tell me the "BEST" way to do a particular step and I would try it. Sometimes I didn't like what I saw so I would ask someone else and be met with " You can't do it like that, THIS IS THE (ONLY) WAY TO DO IT" I can still hear the rhetorical fist pounding. Do you get my drift?
Peter
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