Proper paint for book cases

[Kevin]

Hello all, I'm building some book cases that wil be painted and would like to know the proper paint for them. Latex tends to remain "sticky" or soft for a long time. That is the paint is dry but books and papers tend to stick to it if left on it for a while. Eventually the surface will cure to the point were it no longer sticky but it takes a long time. I have built some built in cabinets for the living room that I painted with latex and it took forever for the paint to cure to the point were the entertainment stuff stopped sticking. The paint is all new in the can so age is not the problem.

What I would like advice on what is a better paint to use that will cure harder faster and not tend to have books and such stick to it.

[Jack-of-all-trades - JOAT]

Sun, Sep 21, 2003, 7:49am [e-mail] (Kevin) claims: I painted with latex and it took forever for the paint to cure to the point were the entertainment stuff stopped sticking.

I use latex fairly frequently, without problems.

How long is forever?

And, what did you use, indoor, indoor/outdoor, or outdoor, latex?

How thick a coat did you put on?

Use a primer coat?

Did you call the 1-800 # on the can, and tell the manufacturer of the problem?

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[Wood Butcher]

I've experienced the same problem on my shelving projects. This has happened both in Arizona and Oregon so humidity doesn't seem to be a factor. My solution is to use a gloss alkyd base paint. It takes a few days, depending on ambient temperature, to completely dry and I've had no problems with anything sticking to it.

Art

[Kevin]

Thanks Art, That sounds like a good solution. I?ll get a quart and try it out. I?m painting these in a semi gloss white so all I have to do is match the paint code with what I?ve used (or just scuff and paint over what I've done). I was pretty sure humidity had little to do with it since both my house and shop are air-conditioned.

Kevin

Wood Butcher wrote:

[Kim Whitmyre]

Alkyd enamels and undercoats are the preferred choice for furniture and built-ins. They are thinned with mineral spirits. They cure to a hard finish. They also lay on much better than any water-based latex. . .Meaning you get a much better finish with no tool marks. Personally, I would never use anything else for furniture or built-ins. IMHO.

Kim

[Phisherman]

I used an enamel paint, priming first. I left the bookcases empty for

2-3 m>In article , [e-mail] says... >> Hello all,

[Kevin]

[Kevin]

2-3 months is not an option.

Kev> I used an enamel paint, priming first. I left the bookcases empty for

[Tim Douglass]

My experience is that alkyd enamels are the best product for bookshelves, but they require a fairly good period of curing to prevent sticking. I usually allow at least 2-3 weeks before putting any books on the shelves and have never had a problem.

Re. latex enamel, I have never had a problem with latex remaining sticky unless the paint was very old. Fresh latex should be dry enough to put books on inside a couple of days. If it takes longer something is wrong.

Tim Douglass

[DLGlos]

Yep, it is doable, but not recommended. There is a xylene thinned primer called XIM that will work. Pretty nasty stuff, and expensive too, but it will properly stick to and seal off the latex, providing a bonding interface for the alkyd finish coat.

That said, latex paints, by their very nature tend to be quite flexible, while alkyd paints dry somewhat inflexible, and continue to dry out even further over their lifetime. Twenty+ year old alkyd is almost glass brittle. For a bookcase, or trim subjected to wear, alkyd is a far better choice than latex.

If you are starting with bare wood (absolutely NOT over latex), and have some spray equipment, lacquer would be my first choice.

DLG

[Todd Stock]

[Kevin]

Thanks for all the advice. I'll be painting next week will enjoy finally getting this project done.

Todd Stock wrote: