Replies

1. 
   Rich14 | Jul 09, 2008 12:26am | #1

   bofh,

   It's a wood distressing technique.

   The wood is prepared as usual - surfaced, then sanded smooth, free of surfacing marks, such as the inevitable "scalloping" left by jointer or thickness planer. Sanding is usually carried out to about 180 or 220 grit. Without a smooth surface, the following step can look very coarse and unattractive.

   The smooth wood is then abraded with a wire brush or synthetic abrasive brush. The degree to which this is done is a matter of taste. Usually it is very light as vigorous brushing results in a very "rustic" look. The degree of "brushed look" is very dependent on the type of wood. Soft woods and hardwoods respond differently and different species within these categories have different responses. As with any wood "distressing" technique, it's a matter of experience.

   The surface is then painted with whatever technique one wants to use, paint brush, spray gun, wiping, etc.

   Rich

   
   

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   Edited 7/8/2008 5:30 pm ET by Rich14

1. 
   Gretchen | Jul 09, 2008 03:54pm | #2

   I will be interested if this is what he is asking for. I don't read it that way at all but who knows.  ;o)Gretchen

1. 
   bofh | Jul 10, 2008 06:20am | #3

   Thanks Rich, but Gretchen is right... I may have expressed it badly, but I think the effect I've heard about is just the subtle occasional brush-mark irregularity of a hand-painted surface, matching the remainder of the trim in the house.I assume they're using spray applications of most coats for speed, but perhaps hand-brushing a final top coat? And if so, I wondered what material they used - I would expect that large shops would spray something that dries quickly, but wondered if that would preclude brushing a final coat.Neil

1. 
   ring | Jul 10, 2008 07:42am | #4

   Your assumption is quite correct - my shop is often asked to make a brushed finish, that is, the final coat is done with a paint brush and not sprayed. It doesn't preclude doing the first coats by spray. We commonly do these finishes in water-borne opaque colors; some 90% of the time the colors are very light. We spray white undercoat as many times as needed, then do the tinted coat with paintbrush. It then gets another clear WB topcoat for added protection, also done by brush.In some cases, this type of finish also gets some degree of distressing, which may involve a secondary color underneath the final color, and which gets revealed a little at "wear" spots which are sanded through before the final clear coat. This means using a color instead of the white undercoat, but basically it's the same idea.
   David Ring

   http://www.touchwood.co.il/?id=1&lang=e

2. 
   Gretchen | Jul 10, 2008 04:50pm | #5

   I still think you are not talking about a "distressed" finish as the poster above is describing.  And I kind of find it interesting that you are looking for this.  When we had our kitchen painted (over dark stained wood with lacquer finish) our painter did it with a small fine foam roller, and I love the "look"--almost sprayed look, and not like rolled. 

   The rest of our woodwork is brushed, and some looks better than others depending on the skill of the painter. I was looking at my sister's woodwork one time and complimented her painter for the lack of brush stroke marks. Gretchen

1. 
   bofh | Jul 10, 2008 11:45pm | #6

   "...for the lack of brush marks."Funny, isn't it. The idea of paying someone to install brush marks! I found where I had seen it... it's on one of Norm Abram's shows, when he was building a kitchen. They toured a large (apparently high-end) cabinet manufacturer, who said (as I recall) that something like 1/2 of their orders now were for "hand brushed look" paint jobs to avoid the monolithic look of a sprayed finish. Norm's painters did just that later in the show, apparently spraying primer and first finish coat (using Dulamel) and then hand-brushing a final coat. I guess it's no big trick with oil-based, if you can accept the drying time... I thought perhaps they were doing something fancy with lacquer.Neil

2. 
   Gretchen | Jul 11, 2008 01:16am | #7

   Would lacquer "yellow". Anyway, I associate--and can identify!-- a hand brushed finish. Our son and his wife can paint better than ANY professional I have ever seen--there aren't any "brush marks" but you can tell it is brushed. Absolutely beautiful. I'm not bad--DH is banned from painting ANYthing!Gretchen