# Painting a tool chest - Anyone tried milk paint?



## Duncumb.fc (9 Jun 2013)

Hi there,

I've ventured briefly out of hand patted oil varnish and instrument making to refinish an apprentice tool chest that I picked up yesterday on the cheap!
It was painted a fairly horrible matt black and had a worn leather top with aluminium binding, so I'm going to do a full refit!
I scraped the paint off on the front, and it's all pine, with a mahogany ply bottom and top. The dovetails look fairly nice too!
My original thinking was to stain the whole box into a nice rich brown, but I think I actually want to go for a gloss deep red paint. Then I'll put a new leather top on and change all the fittings to brass. Then I want to paint my name on the front in white enamel.
My question is, as it's a bit dinked, I want to fill the dinks, sand it back and then get a nice glossy finish on it.
I happen to have a discount with Dulux products, and they do a gloss wood and metal finish. But I'm not sure what to do regarding primer and filler.
I'll be brushing the finish btw.

Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Fraser

p.s. I have no pictures yet, but I will take some tomorrow and upload.


----------



## Jacob (9 Jun 2013)

Linseed oil paint sticks like poo to a banklet and needs no primer. Fill with linseed oil putty.
There's a thread here http://www.woodworkuk.co.uk/forum/viewt ... f=7&t=1968 (but I can't see it as I'm banned) which I keep meaning to resurrect over here.

I've been at it for some time and am fairly sure I won't be using any other variety of paint, for the duration. Would be nice to see some other brands though.

PS Dulux and all modern paints are crappe


----------



## marcros (9 Jun 2013)

Jacob":krs47j8h said:


> Linseed oil paint sticks like poo to a banklet and needs no primer. Fill with linseed oil putty.
> There's a thread here http://www.woodworkuk.co.uk/forum/viewt ... f=7&t=1968 (but I can't see it as I'm banned) which I keep meaning to resurrect over here.
> 
> I've been at it for some time and am fairly sure I won't be using any other variety of paint, for the duration. Would be nice to see some other brands though.
> ...



i see some colours have up to 50% off at the moment, and 100ml sample pots are 4.95 including postage. Might have to give some a try.


----------



## Duncumb.fc (9 Jun 2013)

Ooh! I like your thinking!
My work is based around traditional methods and materials, but I know nothing of paints!
I'll have a look at Linseed oil paints and see what I can muster up!

Fraser


----------



## Duncumb.fc (9 Jun 2013)

Actually, I have all the stuff to mix up my own paint... :twisted: 

Fraser


----------



## Duncumb.fc (10 Jun 2013)

Here are pictures!
Unfortunately I didn't take any before I started work. I have all the gubbins, but I've taken off the front handle and the lock for now...
You might also notice that I tried a discreet bit of paint scraping on the front...


----------



## Duncumb.fc (11 Jun 2013)

G S Haydon very kindly pointed me in the direction of milk paints. For the look that I want, I think they seem perfect!
I always like to make, mix, create things myself, so I would rather curdle my own milk and mix it that whey :mrgreen: (Sorry, couldn't resist)
My question is this.
Will the paint bind to the already painted (matt) surfaces once they're sanded back? and am I likely to need two coats?

Fraser


----------



## G S Haydon (11 Jun 2013)

Hello Fraser,

In my limited experience two coats would of been fine however I didn't get my mix quite right. Depends also on the colour of your substrate, my pine tool chest was quite light so it made the paint look a bit pinky so i added a dash of black to the red.
If you have a potential bonding issue this could be worth a try http://www.juniperandroses.com/#/shop/4 ... ml/3167998. Or you could omit and allow a distressed look to quickly evolve, whatever float your boat. If anyone want to see how I got on it starts here http://gshaydon.co.uk/blog/milk-paint-the-first-coat/ . BTW I'm not claiming to be an expert, this was my first time with Milk Paint. 
For what its worth I like having some dents in the box, makes it feel real.
Regarding Jacobs pointer, I have used linseed oil paints once and it was great on softwood. However it would not set on the Iroko cills. Perhaps Jacob has some tips on that (probrably don't put it on Iroko  ).

Regards

Graham


----------



## G S Haydon (11 Jun 2013)

By the way Jacob, why did you get banned from woodwork UK?


----------



## Duncumb.fc (12 Jun 2013)

G S Haydon":12eyk6ih said:


> Hello Fraser,
> 
> In my limited experience two coats would of been fine however I didn't get my mix quite right. Depends also on the colour of your substrate, my pine tool chest was quite light so it made the paint look a bit pinky so i added a dash of black to the red.
> If you have a potential bonding issue this could be worth a try http://www.juniperandroses.com/#/shop/4 ... ml/3167998. Or you could omit and allow a distressed look to quickly evolve, whatever float your boat. If anyone want to see how I got on it starts here http://gshaydon.co.uk/blog/milk-paint-the-first-coat/ . BTW I'm not claiming to be an expert, this was my first time with Milk Paint.
> ...



Thanks Graham,

Perhaps I should strip the whole box then (I'm trying to be lazy!)
Can you give me an estimate of drying time? I think 2 coats would be safest

Fraser


----------



## Jacob (12 Jun 2013)

G S Haydon":3dp94s8i said:


> ........
> Regarding Jacobs pointer, I have used linseed oil paints once and it was great on softwood. However it would not set on the Iroko cills. Perhaps Jacob has some tips on that (probrably don't put it on Iroko  ).
> 
> Regards
> ...


Too thick and/or perhaps too many coats too soon. I found this out the hard way too. You need a thinly brushed on primer coat of linseed oil with several days to cure, followed by well brushed out thin coats of paint ditto. It is definitely very different from modern paints.
If it's too thick it doesn't go off under the surface but you can wire wool the shiny patches back and that'll fix it. Once it's on it sticks brilliantly and will never peel. Instead of coming off in flakes, it erodes back from the surface, going a bit chalky. It can be revived very easily with more oil and/or paint.


----------



## Dodge (12 Jun 2013)

G S Haydon":bqlolomt said:


> By the way Jacob, why did you get banned from woodwork UK?



Unlike you Jacob not to having anything to say!


----------



## G S Haydon (12 Jun 2013)

Hi Jacob,

Will bear that in mind, one thing for sure was that it adhered perfectly to the softwood but no matter what combination we tried we could not get it to take to the cills.


----------



## Jacob (12 Jun 2013)

G S Haydon":12czcvmz said:


> Hi Jacob,
> 
> Will bear that in mind, one thing for sure was that it adhered perfectly to the softwood but no matter what combination we tried we could not get it to take to the cills.


I've never actually tried the paint on iroko but I would certainly expect it to stick as iroko takes linseed oil very well. 
The other solution is god's own primer, namely shellac, which sticks to almost anything and is indestructible. On ancient joinery sometimes the only bits still in good condition are under the ancient knotting.


----------



## rafezetter (23 Jun 2013)

something I saw a while back re milk paint: http://stiltskinstudios.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/milk-paint-101.html


----------



## Sawyer (23 Jun 2013)

Jacob":3ousl3dc said:


> PS Dulux and all modern paints are crappe


 
You wouldn't like the paints here in France then, Jacob! Eyewateringly expensive _and _rubbish. :x 
Come back Dulux, all is forgiven. It's superb by comparison.


----------



## Duncumb.fc (26 Jun 2013)

I'm sorry guys,

My girlfriend convinced me to get spray enamel paint... So much for traditional! 
So far it's cost me about £40 just to paint it 

Fraser


----------



## Duncumb.fc (27 Jun 2013)

Well... The spray was a failure, now onto a brushed Dulux Gloss paint. Safe and easy.

Fraser


----------

