Furniture Finishing the Way that Mfg's Do Them (according to cannonpaint.com)

[The Grand Wazzoo]

Follow the directions below to simulate Thomasville's factory
finish.

Guide To The Original Factory Material Abbreviated System

The materials provided to you by Cannon Paint are designed for factory
high production situations and will require some degree of creativity
on your part to execute. This guide will basically describe the
process that the factory uses with these materials and will try to
pass along some tips to help you make the adaptations needed. The
"original factory material" abbreviated systems do not always
represent the entire factory process. There are simply some steps that
are not practical in the field. For example: often the first stain in
the operation (called a sap stain) penetrates the wood so deep that
washing off the piece does not remove all the color. Additional coats
of this color (although originally necessary) actually may do more
damage than good. We sometimes elect to omit these stains from the
system. Another good example is spatter stain. Most repair persons
prefer to use their own stains for this purpose in order to reduce
costs. The experienced finisher often has to make these kinds of
substitutions.

This brings us to another point. Factory materials are not touch-up
materials. A person with experience can make these materials work even
though they are not designed for touch-up and repair purposes. These
abbreviated systems leave a lot to be desired when sealers and
topcoats are omitted. Quite often touch-up aerosols contain not only
the desired color, but also have included a film former or sealer/
lacquer in the mix. These aerosols can do a good job when used
properly. If one has a light shading job to do, a touch up aerosol may
actually do a better job than our factory system.

Certain general guidelines must be followed when using the "original
factory material" abbreviated system. The most obvious is our use of
the spray gun. If you like to spray, then this system is right for
you. If you do not like to spray, or if you can't spray, most of these
materials have no value to you. Once you understand the layers of
color found in our systems, then you can quite often achieve a
compatible look through a substitute method. We spray for basically
two reasons. The first is to achieve a smooth, even coat with a fast
drying material. The second is speed. If speed is not a factor, then a
slow drying hand working stain (generally available in hardware
stores) may suite your needs. Our materials dry too fast for brushing.
Below is a typical finishing system:

1. Color Coats. It is here that the color penetrates the wood.
Consider this the first layer of color. In painted suites the enamel
or basecoat may be applied here. The factory sprays these materials at
pre-set pressures. As many as four applications in various
combinations may be needed. The abbreviated system spec sheet provided
by Cannon Paint will specify "Overall Coat", "Two Overall Coats",
etc…. Spray the stains or paint in the order listed and allow to dry
before the next step. Some stains are not overall stains. In this case
they may be described as "Spray light wood only" or "Spray dark wood."
Overall coats will be described as "overall" and variations to that
rule will have similar brief instructions included in the spec sheet.

2. Clear Coat. Often called a washcoat, this low solids sealer seals
off the stain and helps smooth the surface sanding properties. Solids
range from 7% to 18%. Spray overall and allow to dry. Sand the surface
with 320 paper.

3. Wiping Coat. This is an oily material that brings out grain and
creates contrast by the layering of color. Apply to the surface and
wipe in a circular motion. Wipe clean for less color and brush blend
with a soft bristle brush for a darker effect. Drying time (and
blending time) can be extended with the addition of mineral spirits.
If the schedule calls for a number with a 912 prefix, then do not try
to brush blend. Some wiping coats, as in this case of the 912 prefix,
are actually fillers designed to fill the pore but is not suitable for
brushing. These fillers are stiff and should be reduced with naptha
and mineral spirits to increase workability. Other wiping coats come
ready to use and may be applied with a rag. All wiping coats must be
dried thoroughly before sealing. Overnight dry is recommended.

4. Highlight . Use steelwool or sandpaper to strike through the color
in Step 3 allowing the colors in Step 1 to show through. Highlight
with the grain. The harder one bears down, the more contrast achieved.
Bear down too hard with sandpaper and the bare wood may show through.

5. Sealer. Spray uniform coat overall. Dry well and sand with 320
paper. Solids range from 18% to 23%.

6. Hand Work. Hand pad, spatter, dry brush and cowtail are some of the
types of hand work. They are explained in detail below in the section
"Handwork techniques".

7. Top Coats. We use nitrocellulose lacquer unless it is a painted or
an off white suite (or an exception to this rule) in which case we can
ship you a butyrate topcoat at your request. Unless specifically
requested, we anticipate that you will use your own topcoat. We will
make suggestions as to the lacquer sheen. The factory puts three coats
of nitrocellulose on most suites. When using butyrate, two coats are
recommended. Sheen levels can be the result of either hand rubbing or
the gloss readings of the topcoat when sprayed. High sheens do not
necessarily mean that more lacquer has been applied to the surface
just as gloss does not always mean that a suite has been rubbed. Low
sheens may have as much build as a high sheen.

8. Rubbing. This is the process that is used to smooth the surface
after it has been finished and has dried thoroughly. It removes trash,
reduces the appearance of grain and is one method to give the
furniture an expensive look. Here beauty is "in the eye of the
beholder". Low to medium sheen rubbing procedures leave a scratch
pattern where high buffed sheens eliminate this pattern but often
leave buffer swirls. Rubbing can be done with find sandpaper,
scotchbrite or steel wool. A lubricant is used on the surface to help
in adjustments and control the scratch pattern. Rubbing is best left
to the experienced furniture repair person for the factory process
does not translate well in the field.



Hand Work Techniques

Hand Pad. There are basically three types of hand pad techniques:

Grain pad uses a rag that has been rolled up until it resembles the
shape of an index finger. The idea here is to dip the end of the rag
into the material - squeeze out the excess and apply the material
along the grain pattern of the wood. It is actually possible to
complete a grain pattern by this technique. All hand pads will attack
the lacquer; thus it becomes necessary to keep the rag in constant
motion. If the hand pad looks dark it is possible to remove it with
ethyl alcohol. All these materials attack the surface.

Smudge pad involves burnishing around the edges of a piece and often
involves the adding of color with a soft cloth out in the larger
surface areas. Whereas the grain pad rag had a more distinct shape,
the smudge pad rag is more random. Softly fold the rag into something
that resembles a ball. Dampen with the hand pad material and lightly
darken around drawer edges, back splats on chairs, etc…work from light
to dark and remove the excess with ethyl alcohol on a rag.

Spray pad might prove to be difficult to duplicate in the field. In
this case, the material is sprayed on the piece evenly and lightly. A
folded rag is then dipped into the ethyl alcohol and the excess
removed. Allow the ethyl alcohol to evaporate until the correct
dampness is achieved and then stipple the surface that was previously
sprayed. Different effects can be achieved by this method. If you lack
experience in working with spray pad then we suggest that you work
from light to dark. It usually pays to try to reach your final color
by sandwiching this material between coats of lacquer. The idea is to
spray, stipple, and lacquer the surface, leaving the overall color on
the light side. Then repeat the process until the final color is
achieved. It is tricky to judge color in this operation.

Spatter. Several methods may be used here. An air spray gun can be
turned upside down (without the cup) and the air and fluid adjusted to
a low setting. Pour the material down the siphon tube and slowly
adjust the air and fluid. It doesn't take much pressure to make the
gun produce droplets. Another method is to apply the spatter with a
brush. Dip the brush into the material and allow it to drain until it
no longer drips. In other words, it won't ruin your piece when you
hold it over the surface. Holding the brush 8 - 10 inches from the
surface, gently pull back the bristles and release - allowing the
material to travel through the air in droplet form.

Dry Brush. Dip a soft bristle brush into the material and brush out
onto a cloth. The brush should have a dry feel. The material may then
be applied to the surface with light strokes until the desired look is
achieved. If you make a mistake up with this material, it may be
removed with naptha or mineral spirits. If your brush is too wet the
material can be softened with a rag even after it has been applied.
Dry brush must be sealed with two coats of topcoat. Otherwise, it will
one day end up on someone's shirt sleeve, bedspread, etc…sometimes a
touch-up pen can be used to simulate dry brush.

Cowtail. The application device (simulated cowtail) is made by using
strings or, more commonly, strands from a mop. Approximately 15-20
strands are cut and fastened onto a handle. A simple tape wrap can
replace the handle. One end of the device remains loose and is
repeatedly dipped in sealer and allowed to dry. The strands are then
spread back into a shape that resembles (so I'm told) a cow's tail.
The cowtail is then dipped into the material and blotted onto a rag to
adjust the amount of color needed for the application. The cowtail may
then be either dragged or hit on the surface to create the distressing
pattern. This material, when applied on a good coat of sealer or
lacquer, may be removed with a dry rag or with a damp rag containing
naptha or mineral spirits. A good substitute for small applications is
a distressing crayon. This material must be coated with two coats of
topcoat.

Distressing Crayon. This item can be found in touch-up supplier
catalogues and is a great substitute for cowtailing once you develop
the technique. Crayons must be topcoated. A touch-up marker can be
substituted for the distressing crayon in certain situations.