Best paint for wooden furniture?

[Nilsen]

I have alot of wooden furniture (for indoor use) that I would like to paint.

The first thing im gonna start with is a dining table that is quite old and in very good shape (exept for scratches and loose paint)

Im taking it outside today so i can sand it down the old fasihioned way.  

What is the best kind of paint for this kind of thing? Oil or water based paint? Im guessing i need 1 base layer and then 2 more after that.

Ill use that table more or less as a test unless i can get it right on my first try.

I have painted alot of houses and other outside stuff but never any furniture so any advice is welcome.

[eskimo2]

Oil based enamel will hold up best.  You will also be able to scrub it when your kids get crayons, jam, boogers, etc. all over it. You could strip, sand and refinish it as wood, but that would be a lot more work.

eskimo

[Skuzzy]

It depends on the type of wood and what type of paint was on it before.

If the previous paint is oil based, you will need to either seal the surface with a primer/sealer (Kilz is good for this) if you want to use something other than oil based.
The oils in oil based paints soak into the wood making it very difficult to use non-oil based paints.

You can test the surface after sanding it.  Just take a wet rag and drop a bit of water on the wood.  If the water soaks into the wood, then you can use any type of paint you like.  If the water drop bubbles on the surface, you will need to use an oil based paint.

Take note, make sure you are not dropping the water on a knothole as they tend to contain saps which will bubble the water.

Prepping the surface is the most work but it is what will yeild the best look.  What type of look are you aiming for?  High gloss, satin, or flat?
Don't just try and sand the old paint off.  Use a chemical stripper to remove the bulk of the paint and clean the surface really well afterwards.
If the wood is very old, take a wet sponge and dampen the wood a bit.  This will raise the grain of the wood so it can be properly sanded.  If you do not do this, then the paint will raise the wood grain up and cause your finish to not be flat.  You may have to repeat this process depending on what type of wood it is.

Sand the surface with a 400 grit dry sandpaper to prepare for primer.  Alway prime the surface, never paint the wood directly, this will yeild the best results and a more durable finish.

After sanding, prime the surface with a quality primer that can be sanded.  Let it dry the requisite time, and sand it using 400 grit (wet or dry).

You are now ready to paint.  By the way, avoid using can spray paints.  They suck.  From this point it all depends on the type of finish you want after it is all done.
High gloss finishes require more work than flat or satin finishes.

[Nilsen]

Yes. the plan is to put it in my cave/home office and put my printers, the copyer, scanner and coffe maker on it. It will see some abuse and stains from coffe spils, ink etc.

Doesnt matter if it takes some work, thats half the fun and learing process for when i do the rest of the furniture.

If you say that oil based can take it better than water then that is what i want.

How long does it take for the smell to get out of it?

thx

[eskimo2]

Originally posted by Nilsen


How long does it take for the smell to get out of it?

thx

Up to a few days.  When its tack free, I usually set oil painted things outdoors in the sun to finish drying and hardening the paint.  I’m not sure if this is recommended, but it seems to speed things up.

eskimo

[Nilsen]

Skuzzy..

Its made of oak and has quite a few layers of varnish on it that is starting to peal off. For the use i have its going to be painted in low gloss? flat? in a white color with a very light touch of yellow in it.

Was going to use primer (called it base ) and 2 layers of paint top of that. The idea is to get it to look good but also be able take som punishment from dragging/moving printers etc around on it and the above mentnioned abuse from coffee stains etc.

[eskimo2]

P.S.

Good sanding and priming as Skuzzy suggested not only gives a better finish, but it will require less paint.  Raw unpainted wood can nearly soak up a first coat of paint.

eskimo

[Nilsen]

Noted

Can i do permanent damage to the wood if i mess up?

Was thinking about testing on something else first, but I dont have any other pieces that is made of oak that i can use for testing.

[MiloMorai]

Originally posted by Nilsen
Skuzzy..

Its made of oak and has quite a few layers of varnish on it that is starting to peal off. For the use i have its going to be painted in low gloss? flat? in a white color with a very light touch of yellow in it.

Was going to use primer (called it base ) and 2 layers of paint top of that. The idea is to get it to look good but also be able take som punishment from dragging/moving printers etc around on it and the above mentnioned abuse from coffee stains etc.

You are going put paint on oak?  

I would suggest a clear urethane or one of the 'plastic' paints.

Dad just finished redoing the dining room set a couple of years ago using a 'plastic'. No problem with all the use it gets.

[Nilsen]

paint on oak no good?

[MiloMorai]

Originally posted by Nilsen
paint on oak no good?

Why would you want to cover that beautiful wood grain?

[Skuzzy]

If it is made of oak. I would strip it, stain it, and seal it with a clear polymer (more durable and easy to fix if you scratch it).  Oak is too pretty to paint (my opinion) and furniture made from oak is getting tough to find.

Testing on an unseen area of the furniture is the best bet, but take note, as most unseen areas of furntiture are not fully prepped, the results can vary from the actual finished visible area.

Letting the treatment dry in the Sun is ok to do as long as the humidity is low, you have not applied a thick coat (wrong to do anways) and it is not too hot.  Drying the treatment too fast can cause spackling to occur (a condition that appears as random spider web looking cracks).

[eskimo2]

If it is a veneer, it will only have a thin layer of good wood that can be sanded.  If you sand too far you will run into particle board or some other crap.  The odds are that you have a solid wood table though.  The worst thing that you can do to a solid wood table is create more work for yourself; you might have to take off what you goober up and redo it.  If you are unsure you can certainly practice on the underside.  Always read the paint cans; if you really care, do what they say.  If you just want to get it done then get it done.  

BTW, the light color that you are describing will really show dirt, smudges, boogers, scratches, etc.  If you are going to put a lot of work into refinishing it, you should consider a wood finish as MiloMorai suggested.  The best part about painting it is that you can have it done to a “good enough” quality and drying in just a few hours.

Paint on oak is fine, its just kind of like putting a mask on a pretty girl’s face.

eskimo

[Nilsen]

We have a ton of oak furniture but this is the only piece that has been so neglected and mistreated. It was used as a hobby desk by my dad and i buildt my model planes on it.

Hmm.. good idea tho, i can try to do the underside first. It looks like its been treated in the same way as the rest.

[eskimo2]

Seriously, you can find oak tables at garage sales for very little money.  If you think that a painted table would look fine where you want it, then paint it.  You will be done today.  Oak is not sacred.  If you want to put some time into it and see if you can make it look like a nice professionally finished table, then by all means go for it.  It will likely be a more satisfying experience, but also much more time consuming.

eskimo