Peter–
I am getting ready to finish a piece that I want to be Black/Antiqued. Can I use a brown lacquer (if available) under a black lacquer and then sand.
Is this the right way to achieve this look?
Do you have a better suggestion?
The Piece in a small Kitchen Island Cart.
Replies
Grillman,
Using a brown lacquer under a black may not be the best. Each coat of lacquer sprayed on "burns" or "melts" into the the one underneath becoming essentially one coat.
If you wanted to do a lacquer finish you may consider one of the crackle lacquers available. These will allow the coat underneath to show through the cracks.
The other point to consider is the color of the brown you want to use. If it is too close in value ( the light or dark of a color) to the topcoat (black) it will be barely noticeable.
In other words, a golden brown will show better than a deep brown underneath. Two colors that work very well under black are reds and greens.
You might consider doing a painted finish. Prime first, sand, and then apply at least two coats of your base color. Let it dry well and give it a light sanding.
Next, using some paste wax, apply a little to the areas you want to show through the black. After you apply the black topcoat, you can then lightly scrape or sand through those areas with ease.
Give this step some thought. It's easy to go overboard. It is not absolutely essential to do it as you can sand through the topcoat. It just gives you another option for control.
Make a few samples first. It may seem like it's taking a while to complete, but you'll be glad you did. Take your time, you'll be surprised what you learn.
Many of the finishing books out there also have some good step by step instructions. Check your local library.
Peter
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