Replies

1. 
   SteveSchoene | May 09, 2007 11:26am | #1

   Not latex.  Latex paint can "block", meaning that objects can "stick" to the surface when left there for a period of time, even when the paint has dried for months. 

   This doesn't rule out all waterborne finishes. Quality acyrlic finishes have reduced the blocking.  I don't personally know which ones are in this category. Others should chime in with these alternatives. 

   Oil based finishes deal with the blocking effectively, though over time may yellow a bit.   

    White is a tough color.

1. 
   galenajoe | May 09, 2007 02:40pm | #3

   Thanks for that info. I wasn't aware of blocking. Anything I made for myself I always finished in oil base or was not used where blocking would be an issue.

   Joe.

2. 
   byhammerandhand | May 10, 2007 04:54am | #7

   10-4 on the latex blocking. I just finished a job where custom modular bookcases were painted with latex paint. Each unit was a square, T, or L. They were blocking so bad, that after a few weeks set up, I had to pry the blocks apart with a pry bar and it delaminated some of the plywood.

2. 
   a_Furnitologist | May 09, 2007 11:58am | #2

   Is white lacquer an option for you????

   Put down a good white base coat clear coat over.

    

   My video blog.........Episode 6 - Vacuum Veneering - Part 1 and 2

   http://furnitology.blogspot.com/index.html]

1. 
   galenajoe | May 09, 2007 02:44pm | #4

   Lacquer is not an option anymore. I have the equiptment and have sprayed lacquer on many jobs. But I retired a few years ago and when I moved I lost the space I would need to spray lacquer. Thanks for the thought.

   Joe

3. 
   blewcrowe | May 09, 2007 04:53pm | #5

   I never do anything in white without laying down a wash of shellac or kilz first. And as a whole, oil base will probably serve you better.

4. 
   achome | May 09, 2007 07:47pm | #6

   I have successfully finished a poplar medicine cabinet with an initial coat of Zinsser B.I.N. pigmented shellac followed by Target white waterbased lacquer.  Might call Target to see if it can be brushed.

   Johnny

5. 
   forestgirl | May 10, 2007 07:14am | #8

   Even when blocking isn't a threat, I'd stay away from latex.  I made the mistake of using it for my last project (didn't ask here first.  duh!).  Expensive stuff, not some cheap store-brand; awful finish.  Wisdom here was "You should have used oil-base."

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 
   
6. 
   nikkiwood | May 10, 2007 04:09pm | #9

   There are others, but the alkyd paint I can highly recommend (because I have used it for so many years) is Benjamin Moore's Satin Impervo.

   Even with an alkyd paint, surfaces subject to wear (such as bookcase shelves) are suseptible to scuffing, so I brush on a single coat of any satin finish water-based poly -- only on the wear surfaces -- after sanding very lightly with 220 grit.

   ********************************************************
   "It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."

   John Wooden 1910-

7. 
   xmike | May 11, 2007 03:01am | #10

   On my last bathroom cabinets I built them using poplar, and then painted them with Sherwin-Williams Pro Classic oil based alkyd primer and enamel.

   I have no equipment or room to spray so I finished them with a brush.

   It took about 4 trials to teach myself how to get the finish that I wanted. Lessons learned include:

   THIN the stuff AND add a flow-out improver.

   Use the best brushes you can find - Homestead has some nice brushes and they surely do make a difference.

   Paint on the flat where-ever possible - arrange things so that this is possible nearly everywhere.

   For the first couple of coats, let things harden to the point where light sanding yields a light powder, and eliminate the inevitable early flaws.

   Did I mention thin the stuff?

   Spraying would have been a lot easier and faster, but the end result looks very professional.

   Mike D

8. 
   Bruce B. | May 11, 2007 01:57pm | #11

   Good morning Joe,

   I have had excellent results using Muralo's Ultra waterborne paint. I add a bit of Floods latex paint conditioner depending on humidity levels. It goes on smoothly, levels out ( as always, thin coats are best ) and dries hard. It does not yellow and is very chip resistant. I have used it on many built in projects with shelving (no books or objects sticking to it)as well as all the trim in my house. I have been using it for over 10 years and will never go back to oil paint. There are now several other paint manufacterers making this type of paint.

   Tip: On larger areas use a 1/4" or foam roller, then brush out with a high quality brush.

   Cheers,

   Bruce

9. 
   TomT226 | May 13, 2007 03:38am | #12

   Never had a problem with Sherwin Williams ProClassic 100% Acrylic paint and primer.  Two coats of primer, two coats of finish with a HVLP gun.  Watch the film thickness.  Never had a blocking problem come back.  Needs to dry for a week.

    

1. 
   xmike | May 14, 2007 01:28pm | #13

   I second that part about needing to dry for about a week after the last coat. Until then, you can easily mar it. Afterwards, it's pretty durable, and in our bathroom at least, it's held up nicely to my and my grandchild's abuse.
   Mike D

1. 
   TomT226 | May 14, 2007 02:09pm | #14

   IMHO, a lot of inexperienced people tend to brush or shoot too much material at one coat, without allowing decent drying times.  Solvent based material generally dries faster than WB, especially in high humidities.  Latex and acrylic are thicker bodied coatings, and tend to lay thicker.  I always thin SW 20% with water when I shoot. On a 90 degree day, 50% RH, a minumum of 4 hours between coats.  Higher humidity? Shoot one coat a day for horizontal surfaces.  I usually close up a finished piece in a hot store-room for a couple of weeks also.