I finally tried milk paint.
And fell in love with it.
I remembered the sage words of wisdom of people like Chris Schwarz and others as I applied it.
True, it is a bit more expensive, difficult to work, and more finicky than other finishes. But there is nothing quite like it. The result is truly incredible.
Thanks to all of you who have written about it for years. Now if you will excuse me, while you finish reading, I’m off to make something to paint.
Here is what I did for this project:
- Raised the grain with water and finish sanded to 150 grit
- Mixed up the milk paint powder according to the directions
- Applied the paint with a foam brush
- Worked down the first coat with steel wool
- Applied another coat (I didn’t need the directions this time)
- Worked down the second coat
- Applied two coats of Tried and True Danish oil finish
- Said WOW!
Luke
Wow is right. Did the danish oil soak in alright without pooling?
Tried and True danish oil is quite a bit different that the danish oil you get off the shelf at your local hardware store. It doesn’t have the metal driers or solvents. To make it dry in a reasonable time, it is partly polymerized similar to sunbaked linseed/flaxseed oil (Stephen Shepherd did a piece on that maybe two or three years ago on his blog).
The old refrain “A little dab ‘ll do ya” definitely applies here. Use as little as possible, rub it out well and wait about five to fifteen minutes and rub off any excess (there shouldn’t be much if you applied it properly). A can of the stuff can go a long way. It might be helpful to think of putting it on more like furniture polish than paint.
Two more things. It takes about 24 hours to dry enough to recoat. Also, the temperature of the danish oil, the wood, and the room need to be over 70 degrees for the entire 24hrs to get it to dry. Warmer is better. I’m not sure how long it takes to harden/cure completely, but at room temperature, I’m guessing a month or so.
A lot of people apply wax over it. I prefer not to in order to make it easier for anyone to modify the finish later. Besides, wax isn’t really that durable in and of itself. It looks great though.
Luke
Tried and True will leave a very nice sheen. Revisiting a body of work in a customer’s home after four years I was struck by the appealing patina. It does take time, elbow grease, and restraint. Very thin coats or you’ll be sorry!
Nice looking stool, by the way. A milking stool?
Tico,
I don’t have a cow, goat or sheep (not yet anyway), but yes, a milking stool.
Luke