jim becker, todd burch or anyone else...

[aurelio alarcon]

Hi Jim, Todd and others,
You guys seem to know quite a bit about finishing. So I am back with another question. How often do you use latex to finsh your work? And where do you use latex if at all? Thanks, Aurelio.

[Todd Burch]

I've not yet used latex paint to finish a standalone piece. I have used latex on interior/exterior household projects that would normally get painted with latex.

Latex has one attribute that I really don't like and that is "blocking." Blocking is the effect of anything sticking to the paint after the paint has cured (like on a shelf or countertop).

If I'm going to go through the hassle of painting something, I prefer spraying oil based paint. Last fall, I whined to my paint supplier about oil base's slow dry characteristic, and he suggested a waterborne enamel that had fast dry. I bought 2 gallons for $35/gallon, and it's blocking was just as bad as $10/gallon latex, and it took longer to dry than the oil base. :(

Todd

[Eric Apple - Central IN]

Hi Jim, Todd and others,
You guys seem to know quite a bit about finishing. So I am back with another question. How often do you use latex to finsh your work? And where do you use latex if at all? Thanks, Aurelio.

Agree w/Todd's comments on latex & oil based.

Fuhr makes an acrylic enamel designed to avoid blocking and see use in general furniture finishing. Also target PSL is available in colors. Both can be ordered from homesteadfinishing.com. Both are much more expensive then oil based at about $40 gal and there's the mail order wait. The plus side is they are waterbased and don't smell bad with easy cleanup and fast drying.

[Jason Roehl]

Todd, I'm just curious to know how long after application you've had trouble with blocking with latex products, and what those products were. In my experience painting (and I've painted LOTS of shelves over the years), the blocking is more of an issue the more gloss the latex has, but there are other ways to avoid it. I've noticed that latex/acrylic enamels (which cure harder than standard latex paints) tend not to block after they are fully cured. The drawback is that takes roughly a month to occur, whereas oil-based paints cure to a hardness that resists blocking much sooner.

[Jim Becker]

The only thing I use latex paint for is walls and trim in the house. If I need color on a woodworking project, such as the cabinets I made for the kitchen renovation, I use WB lacquer/acrylics. (Target Coatings and Fuhr International) I would also consider oil-based paint if I were doing some faux finishing techniques...but have not done that to-date.

[aurelio alarcon]

From what I gather, all of you would use latex more in the traditional sense. That is--mainly for walls and trim inside the house. Otherwise you would use oil based paints. Do anyone of you recomend spraying latex based paints? From what I understand latex painst are very rough on a paint gun because of it's abrasiveness. Again, thanks for your responses. They have reafirmed what I thought about latex.

[Tyler Howell]

Alright Aurelio, :mad:
You have exceeded your limit of questions for the year! :p
Actually you have been asking some very interesting and basic questions that have stimulated a lot of thought and discussion. Keep them coming. The only dumb question is the one that isn't asked.Soon you will be giving the answers. ;)
PS. you are about due for posting some of your pictures!:mad:

[Todd Burch]

Jason,

Sears Easy Living, Monarch, Devcon, and I'm sure others. Even after being in my new house for 2+ years, I picked up a flower vase this morning that sits in a window shelf, and could hear the paint releasing from the bottom of the vase.

And yes, it is the gloss, or semi that causes the blocking. (Although, I've never had a flat surface with flat on it, so it may happen with that too. Dunno.)

When I'm delivering cabinets, I don't want to have to tell people to wait a full month before they populate it.

If I need color now, I'll use a pigmented lacquer. Fast application, fast dry, easy touchup, high sheen.

[Steven Wilson]

Ever use Milk Paint? I've been very satisfied with the pieces I've painted with milk paint, sealed with BLO, and then top coated with GF poly (armrcell).

[aurelio alarcon]

Alright Aurelio, :mad:
You have exceeded your limit of questions for the year! :p
Actually you have been asking some very interesting and basic questions that have stimulated a lot of thought and discussion. Keep them coming. The only dumb question is the one that isn't asked.Soon you will be giving the answers. ;)
PS. you are about due for posting some of your pictures!:mad:

You are right! I do have to post some pictures real soon. Unfortunately, the last two projects that I did were delivered without getting them on a disc so that I can post them. I have the negatives, and I am going to get those put onto disc so that I can upload them. I hope to do this real soon.

[Chris Padilla]

Aurelio,

I have sprayed a fair amount of latex with my HVLP Apollo 1000. It is a 4-stage turbine and quite powerful. For starters, you need a large opening in the nozzle (like 2-2.5 mm I think) because latex is thick.

Then you need to thin it down with Floetrol (or other thining agent...I don't recommend water) so it will flow nicely. I've had excellent results with this method. I usually do a 1:4-6 ratio of Floetrol to Latex. Depends on the latex thickness and how the new mixture feels while mixing it.

[aurelio alarcon]

Aurelio,

I have sprayed a fair amount of latex with my HVLP Apollo 1000. It is a 4-stage turbine and quite powerful. For starters, you need a large opening in the nozzle (like 2-2.5 mm I think) because latex is thick.

Then you need to thin it down with Floetrol (or other thining agent...I don't recommend water) so it will flow nicely. I've had excellent results with this method. I usually do a 1:4-6 ratio of Floetrol to Latex. Depends on the latex thickness and how the new mixture feels while mixing it.
Chris, I will keep this in mind.