Fresh on the heels of the question in November’s Poll, “Does plywood belong in fine furniture?” I was faced with the question of whether paint is appropriate thereon.
I was listening to Wood Talk, Episode 451 “We’ve Changed After Ten Years.” Here’s how Shannon Rogers handles painting in his shop: Rag on paint, sand with 220 after the first coat, apply a sealer coat of shellac, which binds each coat of paint to each other, levels out the surface and traps any powder created from the sanding. The next coat of paint will be “super smooth” whether brushed or rolled. Topcoat with lacquer, which adds depth and reflection. “Turns that nice paint job into a professional paint job.”
Paint is on my mind these days, as I paint the front door of our home. Now, no one is going to look at this door closely enough to necessitate a fine-furniture finish, paint or otherwise, but I’ll be trying out Shannon’s technique on the next project I paint.
There was nothing to do but take this door down to the wood before applying primer and then white paint. The Festool RO90, with its 3″ round, and Delta pads, was indispensable in minimizing the amount of hand sanding required.
I would have used Shannon’s steps on the storage project for our youngest granddaughter. I made this project from poplar, and it painted up nicely.
Next time I see Audrey I’ll have to ask her if she thinks this painted chest qualifies as fine furniture. She seems to like it.
Jim Randolph is a veterinarian in Long Beach, Mississippi. His earlier careers as lawn mower, dairy farmer, automobile mechanic, microwave communications electronics instructor and journeyman carpenter all influence his approach to woodworking. His favorite projects are furniture built for his wife, Brenda, and for their children and grandchildren. His and Brenda’s home, nicknamed Sticks-In-The-Mud, is built on pilings (sticks) near the wetlands (mud) on a bayou off Jourdan River. His shop is in the lower level of their home.Questions and comments on woodworking may be written below in the comments section. Questions about pet care should be directed to his blog on pet care, www.MyPetsDoctor.com. We regret that, because of high volume, not all inquiries can be answered personally.
Paint is for carpenters.
Paint is for anyone who uses paint. The better the the paint, and the better it’s applied, the better the product.
If you will notice some of the finest oriental furniture is painted. Done right, paint makes the piece. Hard to beat a quality lacquer finish no matter the color.
No!