Replies

1. 
   SteveSchoene | Nov 12, 2005 06:37am | #1

   Steel wool is a decent tool for bringing a piece to a satin level gloss.  However, it isn't very good at getting rid of dust nibs, or sags, or orange peel.  For those you can either use a cabinet scraper--very lightly.  Sandpaper also works.  I use 320 for getting rid of defects between coats.  The next to last coat should be as perfect as you can get it--uniformly scratched by the sandpaper, with few or no "glossy" spots.  Then you apply the final coat as carefully as possible.  After that has cured you can then rub out the finish to what ever gloss you want.  You should wait as long as possible before the final rub out so any shrinking that will happen during the cure will have happened, and the finish as reached full hardness.  (Harder is easier to rub out.)  Then you can start with 320 grit if there are significant diffects in the last coat, or 400 or even 600 grit.  After carefully sanding the defects out and making the last coat uniform you can finish with pumice or steel wool for a satin finish, or go to rottenstone for a very mellow high gloss finish.  Rubbing compounds can be used instead of pumice and rottenstone. 

   The above system for finishing varnish may be overkill for topping milk paint, which tends to go with a less formal look.  Milk paint is VERY tough, except for water spotting.  All you really need to do is seal it from the water spotting problem.  Several coats of Waterlox, a thinned varnish, works well.  For an even more natural finish, you can use Watco or other Oil/varnish mix. 

    

1. 
   chasusame | Nov 13, 2005 05:43am | #3

   Thanks...appreciate the tips.

    

   Chase

2. 
   Gretchen | Nov 12, 2005 02:44pm | #2

   Your milk paint is virtually bulletproof as it is.  And in my experience, milk paint is not a terribly glass smooth finish to begin with. A reason for putting a topcoat on it is to make it more "wipeable" probably.  I would use a couple of coats of wipeon varnish.

   Gretchen
1. 
   chasusame | Nov 13, 2005 05:44am | #4

   Wipe on varnish....will look fo rthat @ the paint shop....thanks for the time on the questioni.

    

   Chase

    

    

1. 
   Gretchen | Nov 13, 2005 03:33pm | #5

   You can find wipe on varnish at stores but you can make your own.  Dilute varnish with mineral spirits 50/50.  You might search this site for the technique if you are unfamiliar with it.Gretchen