Milk Paint Questions
ommadawn
Also, as a topcoat, is it boiled or unboiled linseed oil to even out the
finish?
Nuno Souto
>Will milkpaint adhere over latex?
Not that I'm aware of.
>Should I use it over primed or raw wood?
Raw.
>Also, as a topcoat, is it boiled or unboiled linseed oil to even out the
>finish?
I suspect it doesn't matter. One will dry faster than the other,
that's all. However, the milk paint I get comes with raw linseed oil.
Cheers
Nuno Souto
nso...@optushome.com.au.nospam
Andy Dingley
>Will milkpaint adhere over latex?
Depends on whether you mean "Can I refinish an old cabinet" or "Should
I use another paint as a primer"
Milk paint has poor adhesion, so needs to be applied over a surface
with a good mechanical key. It should also only be applied in a small
number (2) of thin coats, and don't expect to build up a layer with it
that's thick enough to hide blemishes. If it has poor adhesion, then
it has even worse strength bonding to itself. If you do build up a
thick layer, it's likely to chip.
Plain wood is the best surface to apply it to. It should be sanded,
then just left that way. Some harder woods shouldn't even be sanded
too finely. Some workers (in hot climates) reckon that painting should
happen soon after sanding.
Old paint should be rubbed down to be smooth and have a good surface,
then painted. If you rub down right through the paint, expect to get
some visible streaking afterwards, as there is a visible difference
between the surface over wood and the surface over previous paint.
A lot of milk paint's curing is by water soaking into the wood. This
can't happen over a previously painted surface, so allow extra drying
time in this case. IMHO, this is why so many people reckon that milk
paint can't be applied over other paints.
If you're applying it to highly absorbent surfaces, such as fresh
plaster, then I'd suggest a primer of cheap water-based emulsion first
(not good quality - you're looking for one with a low pigment
content). If you apply milk paint onto thirsty plaster directly then
it can absorb the water so quickly that you end up over-coating it to
get a solid covering. When it dries, this can then be permanently
dusty whenever you lean on it !
>Also, as a topcoat, is it boiled or unboiled linseed oil to even out the
>finish?
Either, but they're different.
Unboiled linseed oil doesn't cure (worth mentionng), so make sure you
apply it sparingly. Most of it is absorbed rapidly by the paint layer,
and the rest may sit on the surface as oily streaks, if you applied
too much.
Boiled linseed may cure before it can be absorbed, leaving an oily
sheen behind. I'd thin it a little (5:1) with white spirit, then
apply it quickly and evenly.
Both oil finishes don't like being applied in too-hot weather.
If it goes pear-shaped, try some thinned unboiled oil, rubbed gently
with a soft cloth to even it out. If it persists in being streaky,
then leave it for a couple of warm weeks to let the oil cure, then wax
it.
Milk paint takes a bit of getting used to. It doesn't brush out like
normal paint, and oiling technique can vary the finished sheen
considerably. Experiment on similar wood, before using it for real.
Some depends on your milk paint, and how much inorganic filler or
pigment it contains.
Milk paint is most often used as part of a "character" finish, so a
lot of the texts you read over-emphasise all manner of mucking about
with it. It also works perfectly well just left alone (and IMHO, much
nicer) although it does tend to a "rustic" style.
Try to find Fine Woodworking, #136. There's a good article in there.
--
Smert' Spamionam