|
|
Chairmaker
Resources
~~~~~~~~~ |
|
Tools
& Supplies |
|
Resources
& Links |
|
Chairmaking
Tips |
|
Books |
|
|
|
 |
|
Windsor Chair Resources does not evaluate, endorse
or warrant products or
services listed on this site |
|
|
|
© Copyright
Windsor Chair Resources
All Rights Reserved |
|
|
|
|
|
______________________________________
Tip Index
______________________________________ |
| Straining Milk Paint: Straining
is an effect I use for final coats. I lay down base coats mixed pretty much
as advertised with a little bonding agent(white glue watered down to "sizing").
After scrubing base coats down I smooth with the appropriate pads, I like
to apply a top coat. IE: red base with a black top coat. It gives you a black
finish but it has a tortise-shell effect when you follow up with oil. I can
achieve similar results by adding more water but then the top coat is too
light,sometimes it remoistens the base coat. and it doesn't have the texture
I like. I can't take credits for originality on this, I picked this up from
another guy who's chairs were stunning. I'm still perfecting the technique.
All in good time. DO
3/2/04
|
| Glue as Bonding: In
the earlier response/discussion I mentioned that I use white glue to increace
the adhesion of the milk paint. The paint suppliers sell bonding agents for
roughly 10 dollars for a pint. When you smell it and play with it a bit I
think you'll find it very similar to white glue and some of its properties.
Alphatic glues make very good "sizing" solutions. I used it years ago outside
on brick prior to painting and applying a stucco material. Simply stated
it seals and increases the surface tack. With milk paint I have had some
surprises when applying it on top of anniline stains/dyes from time to time.
One of the finish effects I like is to create a see thru appearance without
cutting thru entire sections of the paint and going to the next layer outright.
In the process of rubbing layers of milk paint, I have gone down to the wood
(maple) on my legs and revealed a bright white spot. Personal taste: I don't
like the way that looks. So I have gone to a brown dye for the times I go
thru the paint. I think it looks like the wood is aged a bit.
Back to sizing: I have had good luck watering down white glue. At 12 dollars
a gallon, I use this stuff with reckless abandon. Give it a test. Put some
right in the 1:1 milk paint (base coats) cut back 5:1 water to glue and spread
your paint on. It will improve the adhesion and it also helps if you put
it on a surface theat is not bare wood. Get some scraps and give it a try.DO
3/5/04 |
| Sizing: Sizing. Yes I put
the watered down glue right in with the milk paint. When I use this, I reduce
a little of the water for the standard mix. Why do it on a clean piece of
wood? Most of the time I have my new chair covered with a medium brown anniline
dye. I rub my finish and sometimes I rub thru the milk paint on the sharp
edges of the leg features or the arms. This is nice, but, I don't like the
look of white maple peeking thru a black/red finish. So I have found the
dark water stain makes the wood look older when it shows thru. In that pursuit,
I have found the addition of a sealing/sizing agent works very well to bond
the paint to the chair when applied on top of the dye. I rarely get paint
chipping off and an added bonus is it really reduces the bleed thru from
pitch pockets and knots when using pine. This alone prompts me to use it
in my finish. If you have seen the tell-tale signs of latex filler under
milk paint, you might appreciate the addition of a sizing mixture.
DO
3/5/04
|
| Milk paint can be uneven.
I mix mine thoroughly and then strain through cheesecloth. Even on woods
which are somewhat harder than pine, like the basswood I use for my seats,
it shows blotchy after a couple of coats. If you don't mind darkening the
color a bit (sometimes a lot depending on the color), spray or brush on a
satin poly, that's what I do. If you don't want to do that, I'd try a spit
coat of shellac on the seat either before the first coat or before the last
coat. WKG 8/2/98 |
| Milk paint is often
blotchy after the first coat, seldom after the second and I can't imagine
it after the third. Milk paint should be mixed to the slightly creamy
consistency, brushed out well and sanded lightly with fine paper, steel wool
or scotchbrite pad before a second coat. I've never had to do a third coat.
I've also had great luck with boiled linseed oil instead of Watco, it's cheaper,
does a great job and doesn't have the all the noxious stuff in it Watco does.
You can also add to the finish by rubbing it out with 0000 steel wool and
furniture paste wax. JT 8/10/98 |
Using Shellac over Milk
Paint
Question: I have a sack back I've just
made. Milk paint with a 5 to 1 linseed oil and paint thinner sealer. I've
heard about putting shellac over milk paint for a finish coat. Can I use
shellac over the oil finish with good results? If so.....what sort of shellac
are the chairmakers using...in the flake, or from a can? Thank-you. MT 1/24/00
Reply: I would never use shellac from
a can. I always use the flakes. Shellac is dissolved in alcohol. After a
few months, it is dissolved so completely that it changes its chemical
composition and won't dry. Its impossible to know how long ago the shellac
has been mixed when you buy it in the can. I buy the super blonde flakes
(the super blonde is de-waxed so it will adhere to just about anything) and
mix it up in small batches. It takes about 24 hours to dissolve the flakes.
If the oil on your chair is completely dry the shellac will probably stick
to the chair. Personally, I wouldn't use shellac as the final coat on a chair
for 2 reasons: It will gloss up the appearance of the chair, and since it
is dissolved in alcohol, it will re-dissolve in alcohol. So if someone spills
a drink on the chair, the finish is dissolved. I do use a thin cut of shellac
as a first wash coat on the seat. I wipe it on with a rag. It helps seal
the wood and even out the absorption of paint. WKG 1/28/00 |
Antique Wear-through
Finish
QUESTION:
I am attempting an antique see throught finish using wax over walnut
stain. I've applied the wax to the wear spots, then applied the first color
of milk paint. At first I wasn't sure if I had to rub out the wax prior to
the paint so my next layer went a little different. I'm unsure of this rub
out step in between layers or if the wax needs to be reapplied between each
coat. Possibly some people simply apply the initial wax then do 3 coats?
Any ideas that can be shared? Thanks, JDG 2/19/03
REPLY: This is an area
where there is no right or wrong. Try it both ways on a some test pieces
and see what you like. It's easy, fun and rewarding to come up with your
own methods. JT 2/19/03
REPLY: I don't use the
wax method to achieve an antique look. I, as you stain the whole chair. After
it's dry I go ahead and apply two coats of milk paint to the whole chair,
usually giving it a light buffing between coats to smooth the paint.
After the last coat dries a bit, around an hour or so, I take a Scotch Brite
pad and rub down the areas I want to show through. If you're having trouble
cutting through the paint coats, dip the pad in water and its easier to achieve
the desired affect. Be careful if you have used a water based stain, its
easy to remove it exposing bare wood. Generally, I coat the chair after a
day or so with boiled lindseed oil and turpentine mixed about 4 to 1. Let
sit an hour, wipe off the excess with a rag, let dry a day or so and wax
and polish with sucessive coats until you're satisfied or decide to start
another chair. Careful with the lindseed oil soaked rags, they can self ignite
if left in a pile. BG2
REPLY: This is the method I
use to cover the milk paints and stain. Difference: I use naptha or japan
dryer with the warmed linseed oil. It will accelerate the drying time and
leave out the lingering turpentine smell. DO 2/20/03
QUESTION:
Right now my formula is: wet the piece, sand it; stain with a waterbase
stain (which I still haven't found a color I really like), light sanding
again then a few light coats of shellac,sand again then the 3 coats
(green,red,black) of milk paint-rubbing out inbetween with Scotch Brightpads
to cause the "antique" wear I want to show then a few coats of Robsons Tried
and True danish oil.I have also tried putting wax on the anticipated wear
areas then painting,or use a torch to crinkle the paint (didn't have much
sucess with the antique crackle finish from the milk paint company).When
it's all done it looks good but not GREAT- what more can I do? KT 3/7/03
REPLY: Before the danish oil
and wax, try dying the entire piece with a walnut colored water base dye,
wiping it off immediately as you go along. That will give the bare wood areas,
as well as the entire piece, a nice patina. Then I'd skip the danish oil
and go straight to wax. BG 3/7/03 |
| QUESTION: What kind
of stain would take if wood is first coated with linseed oil. That is to
say would a dye show the grain better than if you would use pigments. I
experimented with a piece of maple ie gave it one brush coat of linseed and
allowed it to dry several days. The analine dye doesnt seem to take to the
wood like when the wood is bare. It appears ok but can easily be scraped
off or rubbed off. I should then probably use a sealer? LF 7/2/04
REPLY: Why wouldn't you put
the stain on first? Any kind of oil will act as a blocker. If you want color,
first apply the dye (I prefer analine dye) then put the oil on top of it.
Just on FYI...when the dye dries it will look HORRIBLE! It will all come
together when you add the oil. Prepare for the smiles! Then you can use
additional coats of oil as a protective layer and/or shellac on the top.
SS 7/2/04
REPLY: You're off on the wrong
foot. Ultimate finish your trying to achieve is unclear.Are you to use Milk
paint? Common knowledge here is Water base Aniline dye on new wood,(dark
walnut)... seal with Shellac if you like.2 coats of Milk paint, and a finisher
of shellac or what-ever,lindseed oil, urethane. I no longer use lindseed
oil at all in the finish, at any point....it just doesn't have a protection
factor what-so-ever.And really doesn't have any "reproduction value".I am
a particular fan of setting a piece on fire though. MWT 7/3/04.
REPLY: I have spent at
least a decade on learning how to dye, stain and finish, and I'm still learning.
You need to inform at to what you're intending to finish. Is it a chair?
or something else. By the way, even though I am a fan of shellac, I quit
using shellac before milk paint. It seems that the milk paint needs raw wood
to really attach well and and stay that way. BG-WKG 7/3/04
REPLY: On your sample piece
of maple, you might want to try a Transtint die, available from Highland
Hardware. It mixes with oil, alcohol, or water. There are just a few Transtint
colors but they can be mixed to offer a wide range of color. You might want
to try the die with linseed oil and turpentine - 50/50 - or even more turpentine
than oil, if you want the color to penetrate. It will also work with shellac
(I'd use superblond dewaxed so you have continuing finish options). I also
like it with lacquer and lacquer thinner - sprayed on. Haven't used it with
water, but it should be fine, but not over linseed oil. Oil and water don't
mix unless you use water first, and then oil. Linseed oil is not a strong
protective finish over the long term, but it is oil and it will prevent water
and probably alcohol from penetrating the wood surface. BG_WKG 7/6/04
Rather than sanding try this technique. Apply the first color and let dry
as you normally would (over night?) then apply a good wood wax in the areas
where you would want to show wear. Apply the second color as you would normally
do to the whole chair. Let dry. Go over the chair lightly with a scotch Brite
pad; this will knock off the second layer of paint giving a worn appearance.
If you want to have bare wood show through put some wax on before the first
layer of paint. If you want bare wood to show through it is recommended to
stain the whole chair first with a dark stain (walnut) so the exposed would
looks old. |
Waterspot/Varnish
REPLY: When one of my
chairs gets waterspotted, I just use more linseed oil with some fine steel
wool or scotchbrite pad. There is no reason that you can't varnish over
milkpaint. Ive done that and shellaced over to also. i still prefer the oil
in general it doesn't hide the subtle varitations in the milkpaint like varnish
or other ropcoats do. JT 10/3/02
REPLY: I recommend a brushing
lacquer made by Deft. You can brush or spray it on. It comes in satin,
semi-gloss,and gloss. Satin provides a very good protective coat but is still
soft to the touch and does not look "plastic" like polyurethane. Alternatively,
I'd use a good past wax, like Goddards, over the linseed oil after I made
sure the oil was dry. It is my experience that it takes a long time for oil
to dry over milkpaint, likely because the paint doesn't allow the oil to
penetrate into the wood pores. If the oil isn't dry, the wax will just float
over the oil. If you use the steel wool like JT says that will help, but
I only use oil over raw wood. Shellac is another option but it is dissolved
by alcohol, so if somebody spills a drink on your chair you've got to refinish.
BG10/4/02 |
Paint Not Adhering
QUESTION: After finishing
a pair sackback chairs, one appeared to have some patches where the milk
paint did not absorb into the wood ( perhaps glue residue ). The problem
is, I didn't notice these until after applying linseed oil and later paste
wax. Is there a way to fix, short of sanding down the entire chair and starting
over? Thanks JW
REPLY: The wax and the oil
have to come off to repair the areas that are bad.I would, only in the areas
of concern,scrape away to bare wood....and repaint there. Milk paint in my
experience feathers back in pretty well. Scrape the areas out a little larger
that just where it has failed. I've experienced all kinds of finish problems
in the past, as I'm always experimenting (on chairs I keep), and never have
refinished a whole chair. MWT. 12/23/04
REPLY: Wipe the sanded (or
scraped) area of bare wood with alcohol (just the sanded bare area) to make
sure whatever is there, which caused the milk paint not to adhere, is removed
or it may well happen the second time. Don't get the alcohol on the waxed
area beyond the bare wood because it could make the wax real gummy. (Incidently,
wiping down an unpainted chair with alcohol right before painting will help
the wood absorb the milk paint and also remove hand and tool oils which you
may not see but which will interfere with a good bonding of the paint - my
guess is that's your culprit.) BG-WKG 12/23/04 |
|
© Copyright Windsor Chair Resources, All Rights
Reserved |
