Woodworking Painting Tips

The most common finishing on woodworking projects is paint, which can range in color from the classic black, brown and white to the contemporary red, yellows and greens. The effect of paint on wood is as beautiful as stains, shellac and varnish but it can be tricky to achieve a silky smooth finish with paint.

With the following painting tips, fortunately, achieving a flawless finish is possible.

Preparation Is the Key

Paint will adhere to the wood surface when the latter has been prepared for effective adhesion. This is, of course, true for all woodworking projects involving other types of finishes like stains and varnishes.

• Wash the surface with either a TSP solution or a SP substitute, which will remove grime and grease. Scrub with a clean sponge or rag and then rinse well with clear water until the residues are removed.

• Using a stiff and clean putty knife, remove all the cracked and loose paint from the wood. Be sure to work in various directions to remove all the underlying paint, thus, preserving the integrity of the paint to be applied later on.

• Fill in the small holes, scratches and gouges in the wood surface. Use two-part polyester resin, spackling compound, or auto body filler; use flexible putty knives for the job.

• Lightly sand all areas that have not been prepped by scraping and spot-priming. Use either a fine sanding sponge or a 180-grit sanding paper for the job followed by wiping down with a damp cloth for dust removal purposes.

These woodworking tasks are relatively easy to do but their importance as effective painting tips should not be undermined.

Caulking Comes Next

Caulking the long gaps and cracks in the wood surface comes next. This is an essential step in painting wood because the cracks and gaps are also flaws that can adversely affect the silky smooth finish of the coats of paint applied on the surface. The best material for caulking wood is acrylic latex caulk, which will adhere well to the wood.

Choosing a Brush and Paint

Why sabotage all your efforts in getting the wood surface ready for painting by choosing cheap brushes? Keep in mind that the best woodworking projects are the result of choosing and using the right tools including paint brushes.

Expert woodworkers recommend using two types of brushes, namely:

• A straight brush

• An angle brush, which is suitable for cutting in and for detail work

Experiment with these brushes to get a feel of which one suits your painting needs the best. For example, if you are using latex paint, the best choice is a synthetic bristle brush with so-called exploded tips for easy applications.

Again, why sabotage your preparation efforts by using cheap paint? Choose the highest-quality paint within the budget so as to enjoy the best results.

Brushing On the Paint

The following painting tips are strongly recommended:

• Pour a quart of paint into a 5-quart pail, add the recommended amount of additive, and mix well. This is a better decision that dipping directly from the can.

• Quickly coat the surface with several brush loads of paint. Follow with the tipping technique where the first coat of paint are blended and smoothed by lightly running an unloaded brush tip over it. Avoid letting the paint sit for more than a minute before applying the tipping technique.

The paint should flow smoothly with little to no effort. Indeed, of all the woodworking tasks, painting the wood is arguably the most enjoyable because of it.