Replies

1. 
   peter28 | May 21, 2007 03:45pm | #1

   Tim,

   The first thing I'll tell you is to relax and I'm not talking down to you in any way. What you are experiencing is simply the learning curve and it can be daunting at times.

   There is no one "best" brush or technique. You mentioned you got large brush strokes in the finish. It sounds as if you worked it too much. Lay the paint off and let it level. Many primers are designed to dry quickly so less is more concerning brush strokes. Concerning the roller; if you are getting wavy marks, I have to suspect it's your technique. Without being able to see you work, it's just a guess, you may be heavy handed on the roller. You also may be going back over the surface in a crossing type pattern. Try straightening out your application.

   When there are serious brush strokes and or other imperfections sanding the surface will help correct the problem. You'll need some 220 grit paper for the more serious defects, 320 for the lesser. You can do it by hand or with a RO sander. If you do it by hand, use some type of sanding block to keep things flat. Be careful of your edges.There are other sanding implements such as 3M foam sanding blocks in various grits that some painters use.

   For brush info; look at Jeff Jewitts book "Great Wood Finishes" It has a good section on brush anatomy. You could probably find it at your local library. There are many books out there on finishing and all have sections on brushes. Take some time and read them.

   I am not a professional painter. You might consider going over to the Breaktime Forum and asking some of the people who do it for a living. Just be prepared for a variety of opinions. Heck, you even got some unsolicited opinions here.

   The rest of the learning curve is time on the tool. A mistake is how you learn what not to do. It's how the rest of us learned. Try doing some sample boards before you dive into your window seat. It will by far be the best time you spend on this project. One of the biggest mistakes you'll make (and hopefully not more than once) is to practice on the piece you are trying to finish.

   Take it easy and relax a little. It won't be as stressful for you.

   Peter

    

    

2. 
   m71 | May 21, 2007 08:23pm | #2

   Peter...

   Yes finishing can be extermely frustrating at times and I agree with the last post..relaxing helps. I usually find that if I'm doing a lot of work...i'm doing too much..better to let your finish products and tools do the work for you...that's what you pay for after all.

   As the past post says ...there is no one best finish..what works on one project does not look right on another.

   Four things right off the bat that you need to deal with is

   1) what material are you painting? I.e ply, wood, mdf, mdf veneer. Your choice of materials will reduce or enhance the number of choices you have to paint your project. Ply gives you a lot of options as you found out.

   2) what do you want the finished project to look like? Some people like a brushed look, other people like myself like it to be dead flat and smooth.  Do you want to see grain or not?Jeff Jewitt does an excellent job in serveral of his books on what materials to buy for each type of finish you would like.

   3) Size of your project. If you are working on something with small parts and lots of corners..using a roller may not be your best option...saying that if you are dealing with a desk or greater roller or a sprayer might be best.

   4) come up with a plan!!! which is sounds like you are doing..and then start it on scrap.

    

   As for your questions:

   With 3/4 ply you have alot of different options and for a seat I'm taking it that it is pretty boxy with not a lot of edging and inlayed patterns.

   " also tried Kilz premium latex primer:' I have used kliz in the past and it's a good primer. I have also used behr water based primer and it's great as well."

   If I want a dead flat with no grain showing I will usually do 2-3 primer coats..a bit over kill but i sand between coats to make it dead flat. If my ply is really grainy I might use a wood filler as well.

   I like yourself try and shy away from oil.

   'Could you also recommend a good paint brush for oil or water based paints?'

   For oil - a tapered horse hair  or a china brush is great

   For water - a syntheic nyol taper brush is great or a foam brush works.

   My best results in painting furniture with a good qaulity ply with a dead flat no grain showing  finish has been

   - Sand the ply around 200

   - Use a water based primer

   - First paint around crevices and inside corners with a foam brush..any foam brush will do. coming out just enough so that your roller can over lap the brush.

   - Use a fine roller...least bit of nap you can find.

   - Slap on your primer..let dry. You will the wavy marks you are talking about which is caused by the nap of the roller. Use less nap for a smoother finish. You can take care of the wavy marks with a fine sand paper.

   - Sand and reapply primer at least once more.

   After that you should have a really good base coat and you will find that finishing the rest of your project will come alot easier.

   I hope this helps

   M

    

    

1. 
   buildthis | May 23, 2007 03:50am | #3

   M & Peter,

   Thank you both for your replies.  I do need to relax... I tend to get overwhelmed at times when I take on a project, especially when it is for a paying customer.  I am a perfectionist which is both good and bad at times.

   I will post the fruits of my labor once completed.

    

   Thanks again!

1. 
   peter28 | May 24, 2007 03:23pm | #4

   buildthis,

   Being a perfectionist can be a liability.

   When I first got into business I went overboard with my time all the time. My wife finally grounded me one day with a simple statement;

   " You know, not everything you're working on is a masterpiece" But that's the way I was treating it. It had to please MY eye before I would let it go.

   I learned to accept 95% when getting that last 5% would not only be difficult, but eat up any profit I might have made.

   Let me be very clear. I am not advocating (in any way) cutting corners. I learned to get better results in a more timely fashion. You'll do the same. It's just the learning curve. Don't be afraid to ask questions.

   Good luck.

   Peter

1. 
   buildthis | May 25, 2007 01:48am | #5

   Peter thank you again for the words of wisdom. 

    

   Since then I have obtained a more than pleasable base "primer" coat that is almost good enough for a final finish.

   I ended up using the below  method.

   Sanded the birch ply to 220.  Then used a 1:1 ratio of SealCoat and alcohol.  Applied that mixture to seal and fill in any grain.  Then used some Zinsser Oil Based primer in the spray can.  Two coats of primer w/ sanding inbetween and topping it off with a final 320 sanding before my top finish coat.

   I have yet to apply the final latex top coat but.... I am hoping with a good base coat that the final top finish coat will going on well.