GG.and.UN. wrote:
We are doing quite a bit of remodeling in our house including new
countertops, redoing the hard wood floor, and painting the kitchen
cabinets.
The kitchen cabinets were real ugly - 70's looking with huge knots.
We bought some alkyd gloss Benjamin Moore paint and have been
painting the cabinets with some natural bristle Purdy brushes but
we can't seem to get a smooth finish. We had originally cleaned
them with TSP, applied some oil-based Bullseye Primer, sanded, put
on a coat of BM, sanded, and another coat of BM. Unfortunately you
can still see the brush strokes. It looks good if you stand a foot
away but if you look closely you can easily see the brush strokes.
So, we decided to use foam rollers. We tried three different kinds
from the local paint store and purposely asked for contractor grade
foam rollers. Unfortunately these all leave a slight orange peel
look. So now we are considering spraying.
My question is:
1) What are we doing wrong vis a vis brushing and rolling. What are
some good tips to get a glass finish?
2) If we did want to spray, should we go HVLP with turbine, gravity
fed, or what? I called all the local rent a centers in a 60 mile
radius and no one rents the systems. I'd be buying one and do not
want to spend more than $500; I'm even think of getting some touchup
gravity fed gun from Lowe's or something.
Any ideas - all are appreciated!
1. Nothing will beat spraying
2. No paint surface will be smoother than the underlying surface. It
must be dead flat and smooth. It may be that the brush marks you are
seeing are being telegraphed from a less than properly sanded
undercoat.
3. Even starting with a perfect surface, a dried paint film will
probably be less than perfect due to dust, uneven application, etc.
4. Oil paint is NOT dry when it feels dry. It takes several days -
even weeks - to thoroughly dry and during that period the paint film
continues to shrink. If it displays minor brush marks after it no
longer feels tacky it may not after the paint is totally dry.
5. Good results can be achieved either with rollers or brushes. Or
both. I used to paint my sizeable ketch topsides by rolling on enamel
in an area maybe 3-4' wide from waterline to gunnel - around 25
sq.ft.; I'd then smooth & feather that with a 4" brush then "tip off"
until the paint started to drag (set up) and then roll the next strip.
6. Paints from different manufacturers (or even the same manufacturer)
behave differently and are also affected by temperature/humidity.
Various additives, retarders and thinners can be used to control
leveling and set up time. Marine enamels are about the best around.
They are expensive.
7. Excellent colored surfaces are made the same way excellent clear
ones are...apply material to a good surface, let dry, rub down with
ever finer abrasives, polish. Lots of work. An easier though less
perfect way is to apply material to a good surface, let dry
completely, sand flat and smooth and then apply one more "shine" coat.
That shine coat is a thinned down one applied as lightly and evenly as
possible.
--
dadiOH
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