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Tip
#46
Finishing
Touches
Part 6 of 6 - Paints and Stains
(continued)
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Paints
 Stains
will change the color of wood, but paints will cover it completely.
There are many different paints to chose from, but the most
common are oil-based, latex, enamel and milk paints.
Oil-based
paint is an opaque, colored pigment suspended in oil with
thinner and drier. It's available in an enormous variety of
colors, both flat and glossy.
Latex
is water soluble, dries quicker and covers better than oil-base,
but gloss finish versions are not always available in all
colors.
Enamel
is simply an opaque, colored varnish. It's slower to dry than
latex, but can be sanded and rubbed like a varnish to produce
an extremely smooth finish with either a flat, satin or glossy
appearance.
Milk paints
are typically used to match the colored finishes on antique
pieces or reproductions. They are usually water-based, produce
a flat finish and can be purchased in dry powder form or pre-mixed
for the woodworker's convenience.
When using
paints, prepare the surface of your project by first filling
the pores, dents and scratches, then sanding smooth with progressively
finer abrasives. After removing all dust with a tack cloth,
paint the entire project with the appropriate “undercoat”
or primer. If you're using enamel, thinned latex makes a good
undercoat.. These undercoats help seal the wood and provide
a good, hard “grab” for successive coats of paint.
If you
wish, you can sand down the undercoat to make the project
perfectly smooth. With a brush, coat the entire project in
sections and keep each section horizontal (if possible) until
it dries thoroughly to prevent drips and runs. If you're working
with enamel, use the same procedure you would for varnish
-- wipe it across the grain, then with the grain, then “tip”
the wet surface to remove brush marks. Be sure to allow the
recommended drying time between coats and lightly sand each
coat, if desired.
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