Tuesday, February 23, 2010

What type of paint is best for painting wood furniture? Enamel, latex, oil base or what?

I paint furniture with oil enamel. It gives a finish which resembles porcelain





I start with a lot of sanding to make it all perfectly smooth, sanding with progressively finer grits of sand paper to take out the previous grits scratches, finishing off with 150 grit paper. Then I vacuum it thoroughly and spray on alkyd (oil) primer tinted to match the finish. Patch any imperfections with Bondo, wiping tight . It's better to have multiple coats then to have to do a lot of sanding. Bondo does not sand well, but it's very durable. Then sand the primer with 220 grit sandpaper, vacuum, wipe with a tack cloth, and spray on the alkyd enamel.





I have had the best luck with Diamond Vogel's alkyd enamel, however in a pinch I also use Sherwin Williams alkyd enamel.





Spraying gives a much smoother finish then brushing. The smoothest is with an airless paint sprayer, however they deliver so much material that they make it easier to get runs and sags in the finish. Many use HVLP (high volume low pressure) sprayers (a paint system originally created as an attachment for a vacuum cleaner) but I find that it leaves a bit too much orange peel on the surface. I would recommend using a conventional paint spray system using compressor and a cup paint sprayer.





If you have to use a brush, use a white china bristle brush. They're slightly softer then the black china bristle brushes.





Here's how I clean china bristle brushes. First I let them soak overnight, suspended in a bucket of old dirty thinner with the bristles fully submerged, but not touching the bottom of the bucket. Next (wearing solvent resistant rubber gloves) I rinse them with slightly cleaner old used thinner, using a wire brush to remove all the paint. Use a spinner to spin out the brush, and spin between each subsequent rinsing. Then I rinse with lacquer thinner, and squeeze it up into the heal of the brush to really get all the paint residue out. Paint in the heal of the brush can cause the bristles to spread and make the brush useless for fine finishes. For the final rinse I use a mixture of kerosene and mineral spirits, which puts a little bit of oil back into the bristles and keeps them softer. Then I give it one final spin, and use a brush comb and wrap the brush so that the bristles keep their shape, and suspend the brush with the bristles down to dry, so that any thinners left in the heal will be able to drain out





If you are going over an existing finish, sanding is necessary not only to make the surface smooth, but also to ensure adhesion. I often tell people ';no, you don't have to sand, but paint doesn't have to stick either.'; When you sand, you make tiny little scratches in the surface for the paint to grab hold of.





If you're painting over varnish, thin the primer with a little bit of liquid sandpaper to improve the bonding power of the alkyd primer.What type of paint is best for painting wood furniture? Enamel, latex, oil base or what?
That's the most detailed advice I found on the net, and I'm going to try it. what's the ratio for thinning when spraying with a compressor and gun with a cup?

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What type of paint is best for painting wood furniture? Enamel, latex, oil base or what?
Oil-based paint is more durable, but it takes longer to dry. It is better for taking more abuse over time.





Latex paint is easier to work with and dries more quickly, but it isn't as durable as oil-based paint.





Some paints also contain enamel which makes the dried surface harder and less porous.

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It depends on what the furniture is going to be used for. But not knowing that I would say a durable acrylic will do the job in most cases. But like molly r. said prime it first!
there are paints for craft project and outdoor furniture. Home Depot COLOR IN PLASTIC is a plastic enamel paint that works great for things like kitchen cabinets and would be great for furniture since it has a tough finish when cured... that would be the best bet for furniture...
Hi..... I think enamel is best, because it has a glossy easy-to-clean surface......Latex tends to shrink as it dries, and also absorbs too easily into unsealed wood.......you will want to use a primer/sealer before you apply any finish to the wood......oil based paints tend to sag and shrink as well, unless you use an airless sprayer.......if you are painting by brush, use at least two coats.......4 thin coats if you are spraying from a paint can......... :-)
There is no rule which says you must paint woodwork white, or strip it, or color it to merge with the walls. In a room whose walls, window frames and doors are in the same neutral color, you could paint the skirting board a clear contrasting color.





This will define the line between the floor and walls. Trim colors that contrast with walls and ceilings might suit your style in one room, while a more subtle color change might be right somewhere else in the house.





You can liven up plain, flat walls by adding moldings so as to create panels around the room. For best results, make sure you keep your working area within the proper temperature range recommended for the paint.





All interior woodwork that has been stripped, from baseboard to dining room tables, needs to be primed with either a standard acrylic wood primer. After that you can paint on it with oil-based flat eggshell, gloss, or acrylic paints.





Most interior woodwork looks best in an eggshell finish, as high-gloss paint can have a rather bleak, deadening effect. If your plan is to paint walls, ceiling, and trim, then it鈥檚 best to get the trim painted first, along with the room鈥檚 windows and doors. Paint woodwork in small sections. Keeping a wet edge to avoid lap marks.





A wide range of broken-color effects work well on woodwork, but ideally you should use oil-based paints as latex has little durability on wood. Stains add color to wood while allowing its natural grain pattern to show through.





Varnishes are clear finishes that form a tough coating over stain. They are available in a range of finish sheens from satin to high gloss. At the end of a project, combine all of the leftover paint of the same color into as few cans as possible.
According to my paint expert Danielle Hirsh, use a latex paint with glaze stain and then seal it with varnish.


Latex helps seal the wood and is less toxic than enamel paint.


There are many great paint options in this download check it out on HGTV.





http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/pac_ctnt_988/te鈥?/a>
Rustolium is the best paint to use on handrails, etc
Not an expert but I thought Enamel and Oil Based was same thing.





Enamel is the best for wood furniture, it can be sanded and recoated and only gets better looking. Latex paints tend to tear and peel and in my opinion don't cover as well as enamel.





If the wood is an open pore wood like Oak you may want to prime it or seal the grain first for a smoother finish.
Oil based paints are the best for wood as long as the wood is treated properly and primed (and filled if necessary).


The final USE of the furniture must also be considered, if you want to use the furniture outside you should use latex; if you want to wash it repeatedly, as in the kitchen, try melamine paints which are highly washable and durable.


Fine or fancy furniture is best stained and varnished, or sprayed with coloured enamels which are highly durable indoors.
no matter what paint you use you MUST prime it first.
prime it first - I've used melamine (oil based0, but I don't think it matters if you prime first
Oil based primer and paint seems best. It's got a glossy finish and it holds up to wear and tear. Do you watch hgtv ever? Seems like they're always painting something...
Ur thinking with too much class, go finger paints all the way buddy.

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