Shabby Chic; Volume III

steve_2012

thanks for all the advice and tips, all of which i dare say you have repeated many times here.
i got a very cheap little battered table from the car boot this morning and ive rubbed down and under-coated it just now.
i think ive already made my first mistake. ive used this http://www.wilko.com/wood+metal-paint/wilko-drip-resisting-undercoat-paint-pure-brilliant-white-750ml/invt/0159083?VBMST=undercoat&VBMST=undercoat&VBMTC=180d17b2e57c9e70cdc4562ef6b020ce which was left overs from a few doors i did a while back, i am now thinking it should have been an acrylic primer/undercoat and not an oil based under coat.
have i gone wrong at the first hurdle?.

emma_kate

steve_2012 wrote: »

thanks for all the advice and tips, all of which i dare say you have repeated many times here.
i got a very cheap little battered table from the car boot this morning and ive rubbed down and under-coated it just now.
i think ive already made my first mistake. ive used this http://www.wilko.com/wood+metal-paint/wilko-drip-resisting-undercoat-paint-pure-brilliant-white-750ml/invt/0159083?VBMST=undercoat&VBMST=undercoat&VBMTC=180d17b2e57c9e70cdc4562ef6b020ce which was left overs from a few doors i did a while back, i am now thinking it should have been an acrylic primer/undercoat and not an oil based under coat.
have i gone wrong at the first hurdle?.

Yes, this is oil based and isn't a primer. You may have problems getting water based paint to go over this. Let it dry and see. Sometimes you can get away with it. It will also take 16 hours to dry which is very boring and smelly. The quick drying formulas are less smelly, less harmful to the environment as they wash out with water as opposed to white spirit and faster which is a huge bonus if you can't wait to see what it will look like.
If you do have problems painting over, you may have to make chalk paint! No idea why this writing has gone all funny...

Cazo1

Can't advise on this, sorry....I only use water based paints & varnish and have never used undercoat. It is a process that you learn as you go, what works for you & what doesn't...once you get going with it, you will find it addictive :0) good luck!

chalkysoil

emma_kate wrote: »

Yes, this is oil based and isn't a primer. You may have problems getting water based paint to go over this. Let it dry and see. Sometimes you can get away with it. It will also take 16 hours to dry which is very boring and smelly. The quick drying formulas are less smelly, less harmful to the environment as they wash out with water as opposed to white spirit and faster which is a huge bonus if you can't wait to see what it will look like.
If you do have problems painting over, you may have to make chalk paint! No idea why this writing has gone all funny...

oh yes - I bought a little tin of oil based primer paint in Asda for £1 and painted a huge picture frame. It took days to dry and was a pain to manoeuvre around. Never again.

months later I painted it with chalk paint.

Today I have been painting a 2 foot high candlestick type thing I bought at a boot for £1. Home made and the candle holder isn't on it - but full of potential. Gave it a coat of chalk paint, then cream emulsion, then liqueur colour emulsion, then pva, then almond white emulsion, then clear wax, then dark wax.
It still doesn't look right !!
the biggest stick -

steve_2012

chalkysoil wrote: »

oh yes - I bought a little tin of oil based primer paint in Asda for £1 and painted a huge picture frame. It took days to dry and was a pain to manoeuvre around. Never again.

months later I painted it with chalk paint.

emma_kate wrote: »

Yes, this is oil based and isn't a primer. You may have problems getting water based paint to go over this. Let it dry and see. Sometimes you can get away with it. It will also take 16 hours to dry which is very boring and smelly. The quick drying formulas are less smelly, less harmful to the environment as they wash out with water as opposed to white spirit and faster which is a huge bonus if you can't wait to see what it will look like.
If you do have problems painting over, you may have to make chalk paint! No idea why this writing has gone all funny...

thanks emma and chalkysoil,
as i was doing it i knew it was wrong, idiot :mad:
my wife got a tester earlier from wilco (on deck) just to see if she liked the colour, this would have been enough to do this little table.
i have some bal white grout powder so maybe i could give that a go.
how wet do you make the grout mix, would it be as wet as pancake mix and i assume half a teaspoon will be enough powder to use with the tester.

chalkysoil

the recipe I use is 1 water/ 1 P of Paris (probably the same as grout) / 3 paint.

Then I probably bung in some more p of p being me. It is said to mix better if mixed with warm water then add the paint, or just stir well if making a tiny amount.

Nicnax

These are my latest finds from the charity shop today, two chairs and a sewing box on legs. Still deciding on what to do with them although one of the chairs is destined for the eldest sons room and he wants it red.

emma_kate

steve_2012 wrote: »

thanks emma and chalkysoil,
as i was doing it i knew it was wrong, idiot :mad:
my wife got a tester earlier from wilco (on deck) just to see if she liked the colour, this would have been enough to do this little table.
i have some bal white grout powder so maybe i could give that a go.
how wet do you make the grout mix, would it be as wet as pancake mix and i assume half a teaspoon will be enough powder to use with the tester.

Yes, what Chalky said re amounts. I would imagine white grout powder will have a slight lightening effect over pop as it's coloured. But prob not noticeable unless you have black paint.
See you're learning already! My dad says you just have to do it, make mistakes and then you know how not to do it.
If it makes you feel better, I have made a huge mistake in making a rubbish table top. And now I think I'm ready to build wardrobe doors!:)

emma_kate

Love the sewing box Nicnax! They are so fun and easy to re upholster!

steve_2012

thanks chalkysoil.
tesco direct do POP @£3.40 for 1.5kg.
regarding the link i put earlier that had grout, bicarb,pop and chalk powder.
the grout used there and ive seen it suggested elsewhere is mapei, mapei is great grout but i dont think it would be the right grout to use as it is fast setting and this would i believe contribute too the lumpiness issues, this would happen much easier and quicker with mapei grouts.
if you wanted to use grout i would use bal white standard or bal white superflex.
just a bit of useless info i have!!!!!

edit: what very probably would be good too use is grout or pop that has been mixed and set then powdered down by hand.
this would probably take away some of the adhesion but would stop the lumping or setting of the paint which i assume is what it is doing.
POP would likely powder back down easier than the grout.