It's not easy being green (progress)

Re: It's not easy being green (progress)

David Churnega

>Did you make the milk paint or buy it. I have seen very simple recipes for the stuff and know where to buy pigment.

Also if you how much was used in producing what you did? I plan on making Shaker clocks and would like to know.

Re: It's not easy being green (progress)

Jerome Bias

>I bought this batch from the "Real Milk Paint Co.", nice folks. I like their product a little better than others. I have experimented with making it from scratch. That was a lot of fun. I used a quart to put about 3 thin coats on this chest.

Jerome

Mebane, NC

Looking good Jerome...

John in New Mexico

>I really like milk paint, though it is a bit of work. Do you steel wool between coats?

John

Re: Looking good Jerome...

Jerome Bias

>I have been sanding, but I was thinking of using steel wool on the last coat. I am afraid that it will turn it black, where it burnishes the paint. Have you tried it? If so what were your results?

Thanks,

Jerome

Pretty good results....

John in New Mexico

>Definitely less agressive than sandpaper, so works well last few coats if you've been sanding. I'm not sure how well it would work on early coats though, may need the sanding to get rid of the early grit. I haven't had any trouble with discoloration, and some of that was painting white too. We did have a cheap brush bristle that was embedded in an early coat get burried in a finger though, wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it.

John

Coming right along!

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond CA

>Looking real good so far Jerome. Keep us posted!

Do you strain your milk paint before applying it?

Re: Coming right along!

Todd O. Cronkhite Maine Native, Presently Away

>Really looking good Jerome, very nice job so far. Do you plan on giving it an "aged/distressed finish, or just let that happen naturally?

T.O.

Re: Coming right along!

Jerome Bias

>word to the wise. If you choose to strain mil paint use a loose weave cheese cloth otherwise it will never pass through the strainer. Now I know. I have to mix up one last batch for the last coat. I'll skip the paint strainer and use bandage gauze.

Jerome

ala natural

Jerome Bias

>

skip the straining

Adam Cherubini

>If you are looking for a period looking finish, skip the straining. I only rub out the second or last coats, and at that, I don't do a good job. Depending on the pigments, a scotch brite pad will burnish/darken the paint. The oil will darken the paint considerably and take away the chalkiness.

They didn't use milk paint. They used lead based paints. But I'm not convinced the final product (with oil on it) looks much different. What you want is that movement in color and coarseness of the pigment. I purposely mix up different subtle variations in my recipes to get that movement (this can look awful if you are not careful).

Adam

question

Bill Tindal, E.TN

>A handsome chest indeed. Is the side a frame and panel? What joinery joins the side to the front (vertical joint)

I hate milk paint. I use Country Colors by General Finishes. It looks like milk paint to me, doesn't settle, doesn't rot and goes on much more even.

experimenting with tenons

Jerome Bias

>yes the back and the sides are raised panels. I joined the sides to the front using a draw bored mortise and tennon.

I read an article in woodworking magazine on tenon width (top-Bottom)so I experimented on this one. I haven't found a good rule of thumb that feels good yet. I did discover that I will be sticking to my old method of cutting my tenons first. I tried switching, boy did I make a mess.

Re: skip the straining

Jerome Bias

>thanks for the suggestion. It cut in much better and I was able to keep more of the solids.

By the way how do you finish off, just a coat or two of tung oil? I am planning on applying a coat or two of tung oil to darken and to add depth, then a coat of watco to keep it from drying out and getting ashy looking later.

jerome

Ack!! Cracks

Jerome Bias

>I got a reminder of how frame and panel furniture work today.

I came home from church to find cracks on different parts of my chest today. Apparently the panels became stuck to the stiles when I painted them. The temp went up to 80 something today and the wood moved. All of my joints show up and one of my stiles cracked. I'm not sure how I will clean this all up.

And I thought that I was actually getting done.

Jerome

Mebane, NC

Re: skip the straining

Adam Cherubini

>I finish with linseed oil and wax. Works fine. Tung oil will probably work just as well.

I usually use...

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond CA

>Cheese cloth as a strainer. Next time I'll try Adams aproach and see what happens.

Bummer...

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond CA

>I hope you can find a good fix for it. Please let us know what happens.