What paint for furniture

[Bill Gill]

I got a nice little desk from the Salvation Army for $69 (US). But it is white. Now I need to figure what kind of paint I need to change the color. I need something pretty tough, because I will be using it as a desk and a part time workbench for assembling small items. The top has some mars, I will need to clean and seal it. On one edge it is damaged a bit. Probably from being pushed up against a wall.

I understand that the procedure for the painting is:

1 Clean it good with some sort of general purpose cleaner. 2 Sand it with fine grit sandpaper. 3 Clean it with a tack cloth. 4 Prime it 5 Sand 6 Tack Cloth 7 Paint 2 coats. 8 let dry thoroughly

Any suggestions?

Thanks Bill

[hubops]

Maybe a few coats of polyurethane - over the paint - on the top for durability ? .. making the toughness of the paint less of a factor. Be sure to let the paint cure for a week or so. John T.

[J. Clarke]

Waterborne polyurethane is probably the safe bet. Something solvent-based is risky unless you know what's already on it.

[Ed Pawlowski]

Is it possible that the wood under the paint is something really nice? If so, I'd strip it and polyurethane it. If you want paint, a good enamel should do.

Going back 30 years or more, it was common for people to "antique" furniture by painting it with a kit. Some nice wood got hidden for the sake of some trendy style.

[DerbyDad03]

Check out Benjamin Moore Advance.

[Bill Gill]

This desk was built in Vietnam for Pottery Barn Kids. I doubt if it is all that wonderful. My first thought was High Density Fiberboard, although the drawers look kind of like wood.

Bill

[Leon]

so that objects will not stick to the surface I would advise to avoid latex type paints. I would go with an Alkaid Oil based paint.

[DerbyDad03]

The Benjamin Moore Advance paint may fit the need without the oil paint clean up.

"A premium quality, waterborne alkyd enamel that delivers the desired flow and leveling characteristics of conventional alkyd paint. It provides a tough, satin finish that stands up to repeated washing. It is easy to apply, resists spattering and cleans up with soap and water."

I used it on the cabinet/bookcase I built for the kitchen.

"Ideal for interior doors, trim, cabinets, walls, and ceilings. For primed or previously painted wallboard, plaster, masonry, wood and metal."**

However...

"Depending on weather and drying conditions, it could take up to 30 days to reach optimum hardness and final sheen."

Because of other things I was doing in the kitchen and then a 2 week vacation, I was actually able to let my project cure for the full 30 days before use.

**I'm not sure about that "Ideal for...walls and ceilings" claim. Even my Benjamin Moore dealer was hesitant. When I went to buy the paint for the kitchen walls, she suggested the Aura line instead of the Advance. She said it can be very hard to prevent sags with the Advance line. It is kind of thick.

The Aura is very quick drying. Under the proper conditions you can recoat i n

1 hour. I actually enjoyed painting with it. Did the whole kitchen in one d ay.

[Bill Gill]

I found a review of the Aura paint. The reviewer apparently had some of the same problems. He suggested General Finishes paint. It is available here in Tulsa at Woodcraft.

Bill

[Just Wondering]

It's a $69 Salvation Army desk that you're going to be using as a workbench. Paint it however you want. Use spray paint if you want to avoid brush or roller marks. If you mess up the surface during use, give the top a quick prep and paint it again.

[DerbyDad03]

I'm not sure what you are talking about.

I posted nothing related to "problems" with the Aura paint.

In fact, my exact words were: "I actually enjoyed painting with it."

[Bill Gill]

My bad. I meant the Advance.

Bill

[Bill Gill]

Thanks for the input. Now I just have to choose my paint and get to work.

Bill

[Leon]

And why I suggested an oil based paint. They typically are good to go in 24 hours.

As far as clean up goes. I would much rather clean up with thinner than soap and water. Thinner cuts oil based paint almost instantly. Soap and water on water based paint takes quite a while at the faucet. I throw rollers away for both paints.

[DerbyDad03]

Ah, but a question still remains:

Which ends up harder after it's own published curing time? I don't know the answer, I just ask the questions. ;-)

In other words, does the Advance paint end up harder and more durable after it's 30 day complete cure than the oil paint does after it's 24 hour comple te cure? Let's not quibble over cure times. Let's wait 6 months and then test both paints. I'm pretty sure that they would both be 100% cured by then.

If the Advance paint is harder than the oil 6 months down the road, then it's the better paint for a "desk/part time workbench". Again, I'm not sayi ng that it will be, I'm simply saying that it's not about cure time, it's abou t ultimate hardness/durability.

[krw]

A little dish soap, a bucket of water, and an hour or three soaking, make latex paint pretty much disappear from brushes or rollers. A quick rinse and an overnight dry an they're good to go again.

I agree, though, this isn't a good application for latex paint. Gotta be careful to use a non-blocking paint, in any case.

[Leon]

I use Sherwin Williams Oil based Alkyd paint on all of my wife's quilting studio furniture, 7 separate pieces. Nothing sticks to it and the surface is hard. She regularly swaps out sewing machines from her

8' sewing table with no stick spots or marks left in the paint surface. If there is a harder drying surface, she/we don't need it. And seriously who wants to wait 30 days or 6 months to use the surface? We actually wait 3~4 days to place the sewing machines and fabrics on the surfaces but we can easily handle the painted surfaces 24 hours after application.

[Leon]

Understood and that is what I typically do but 10 or so years ago I was helping a friend paint the interiors to homes, about 25 or so over a 10 year period. We did not have the time to let the brushes soak and dry. We were putting in 8 hour days, really did not want to spend time cleaning brushes at the end of the day and needed the brushes to be ready to go the next day. With oil based and thinner/mineral spirits we had clean brushes in less than 5 minutes with a double rinse in two different containers of the cleaners

[-MIKE-]

Weren't you the guy who swore by conversion varnish for painting stuff that needs a hard, non-tacky finish. I was researching some cabinet door/drawer providers and they seem to all use a conversion varnish as a top coat.

[Leon]

Not me. Although I have used a gel varnish on top of flat paints.