Looking for white finish that can be brushed and lay flat like it was sprayed

[scott vroom]

I'm building a cabinet for my wife's home office and she wants it finished off-white. Could anyone recommend an off-white finish product that can be brushed on yet lay flat enough to appear to have been sprayed? I'm guessing it might involve pre thinning?

Many thanks!

[Neal Clayton]

i get pretty smooth with oil enamel thinned about 25%-30% with penetrol, especially if you take the time to sand and flatten the primer as much as possible.

[scott vroom]

Thanks, Neal.

[Peter Pedisich]

Scott,

Benjamin Moore 'Aura' paints lay extremely flat - I've used it.
Overbrushing must be avoided - and I prefer the Purdy 'All Paints' brushes over the ones for latex paint only.
The first coat will pull out as it dries like a spray finish.

Sherwin Williams also make a similar product, which is less expensive than the pricey BM product.

Also, don't underestimate the importance of good lighting while painting.

Good Luck,

Pete

[Carroll Courtney]

Scott has stated the biggest problem that people make and thats over brushing.Don't over work the paint and make long slow strokes.I,myself like the SW oil base paint,you can add alittle Pentrol (for oil base paint)about a tablespoon full and it will also help it lay flat.With the oil base paint,it drys slow and that will help it level out.And that can also work against you, w/oil base paint is the slow drying time.What ever you use,if it don't work out,sand and try again---Carroll

[John Adam]

Great answers, I have a follow-up question..

Can you add a varnish or other protector over the oil-based (or latex for that matter) paints?

With bookshelves and desks particularly, they take a ton of abuse and i was wondering if another layer of protection would help...

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Scott,

The board doesn't allow duplicate posts so I combined both of your threads here.

Thanks for your understanding.

[Bill White]

An oil based top coat will "yellow" the primary color. I use a water based finish whenever possible, and the water based counterpart to Penetrol is called Flotrol. Same results 'cause it is a retarder which allows the finish to flatten as much as any brushed paint will.
Water based is tough, and the water based poly is clear....no yellow.
Bill

[Neal Clayton]

yep, as carroll and bill said, it's the slow drying that you need to help it level as it dries.

my official measurement for thinning paint is "a swig" ;). more than about 20-25% and you'll need two coats to cover and a third to finish it. less than that you might get away with two.

[Peter Quinn]

Around here the standard paint grade material for pros has been Benjamin Moore Impervo Alkyd. You can retard it a bit, but too much and runs/drips become a problem. It dries hard like nails and lays down pretty level, but its getting harder to get as the VOC laws have gotten stricter in my state.

I have used the water borne replacements in my own work, both BM Satin Impervo, which is a fully acrylic based latex, and the Aura, with IMO behaves a bit more like a regular latex wall paint than a cabinet grade or trim finish. It is thick like mud but does level ok.

All the water borne products dry too quickly and must be retarded. I've been using XIM latex extender and prefer it to floetrol for water based paint products. I think I'm thinning close to 20% depending on conditions. You can greatly reduce brush marks by always painting backwards into the wet line. Avoid brushing an area twice to blend each stroke together, and use a very soft good quality tapered brush like a purdy.

[Wayne Cannon]

Benjamin-Moore's C207 "Dulamel" alkyd enamel lays out almost perfectly flat even without thinning. Unfortunately, it's no longer available here. B-M's Moorcraft "Super Spec" D.T.M Alkyd Enamel Z24 is essentially the same paint and levels very nicely. It's labeled as a "direct to metal" rust preventative coating -- probably an environmental thing. I've read a lot of positive comments about B-M's Impervo acrylic, but wasn't aware there was an alkyd namesake.