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07-25-2016, 08:37 PM
(This post was last modified: 07-25-2016, 08:39 PM by JokerRN.)
Building a farmhouse table and bench with painted bases. I have painted the bases and distressed them. Do I need to put a topcoat over the paint? If so, any suggestions? Thanks.
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Just my humble opinion, but it would seem to me that applying a top coat over the paint kinda defeats the purpose of the distressing. If you want the piece to look old and worn, then putting a clear coat over it would negate some of that effort. I don't know how you feel about wax, but it might offer a little bit if sheen, without taking away from the authentic look you are going for.
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If you want it to continue to age then leave it be, as Bill said. Just recognize that the areas where you scuffed off the paint will age, stain, etc. over time, depending upon what the table is subjected to. On the other hand, if you want to lock in the way it looks now then putting a clear coat over it would be the thing to do. What you would put over it depends to some degree upon what kind of paint you used.
John
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What about adding a little bit of tint a seal coat, or a glaze, on the legs so the exposed wood doesn't look so "new". Then a topcoat with a bit of amber color over all.
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What type of paint did you use?
John
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Oh man. Had it sitting in my garage forever...seems like it is just a Behr latex interior paint.
I like the idea of doing something with a little tint to make the scuffed areas look less new. Thanks for the advice so far, guys.
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07-26-2016, 10:47 AM
(This post was last modified: 07-26-2016, 10:49 AM by Rob Young.)
(07-26-2016, 10:32 AM)JokerRN Wrote: Oh man. Had it sitting in my garage forever...seems like it is just a Behr latex interior paint.
I like the idea of doing something with a little tint to make the scuffed areas look less new. Thanks for the advice so far, guys.
How long has the latex been allowed to cure? I should think it is important to allow it to FULLY cure (like 3 weeks for a latex) before topcoating or even hitting with some shellac/glaze/toner, otherwise it could stay a bit soft for a VERY LONG TIME.
I'm curious to know how this turns out as I've got a neighbor who wants to do something similar on a cheap 2nd hand nightstand-ish table thingie garage sale prize.
p.s. quick google of Behr latex cure time and the recommendation of 30 days pops up several places in Behr literature.
Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things. -- G. Carlin
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If you mean latex wall paint, oh boy, that's never going to cure very hard. If, however, it was acrylic trim paint, then it will. As Howard always says, putting a hard finish over a soft one is never a good idea.
You could wipe a gel stain on/off the distressed areas to add a bit of color. GF's OB gel stains have varnish in them and will help protect the underlying wood. Or I guess you could add a few drops of Transtint to some Sealcoat shellac and spray that on. If you wipe it on I'd do it quickly and gently so as not to dissolve the paint. I don't know if it would but I'd worry about it. Or you could put some Transtint or WB dye in GF's HP Poly or some other WB topcoat and spray or brush that on.
John