Cabinets, Furniture, Woodworks/Painting over veneer

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Expert: - 1/27/2012


Question
My daughter bought 3 pieces of 1930's waterfall bedroom furniture and is thinking of painting it- it is for a teenager and she probably will not like the wood color it is now. My husband says to put some Watco Danish Oil on it to make it look better until she has time to paint it. Will the danish oil on it make it more difficult to paint later?  And,  what is the easiest way to paint it- does it have to be stripped and sanded or can we just primer and paint? One site says not to sand as it will destroy the veneer. I see there is a new product that says it replaces sanding- some kind of product you wipe on. I wonder if that would be suitable? Thank you!!

Answer
Hi Marian, the Watco is really an oil modified varnish and after a couple of weeks will be cured enough to paint over without worry. As always a good primer is essential, and a light hand sanding before that is also important to open the pores and smooth any imperfections, etc. A machine sanding is aggressive enough to do damage to the veneers, so that should be avoided. I would also stay away from those solvent based "liquid sanders", as the physical act of sanding needs to be abrasive to de-gloss and open the pores of the wood, and leave behind a dry, slightly scratched surface for maximum primer adhesion.A good grit will be in the 120-150-180 range. Then just use good tools and technique as you paint, a high quality brush is worth the extra money, and those little 4" foam trim rollers are capable of very good results with a little practice.1-2 coats of primer, 2-3 coats of topcoat. You could also spray the piece with Krylon or the Rustolem Universals....for the finest of finishes, but spraying takes some skill, but it's not Rocket surgery...it can be learned and developed fairly easily. Best of luck, and post back if need be-Regards- Greg

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Greg Scholl

Expertise

Questions on Woodworking, wood finishing and refinishing of all kinds, repairing furniture and wooden objects, Architectural details, Woodturning, carving, tool usage, product usage, some chemistry as it applies to woodworking and related interests,cabinet making and furniture construction/design, etc. I have experience with all manners of colorants, finishes, paints, stains, dyes, glazes, and coatings, wood species recognition and usage,tool recommendations, blade types and recommendation,techniques and methods for many Woodworking related issues, etc.

Experience

Fine furniture restorer and cabinet maker for over 30 years,serving high end Antique dealers, Interior designers, Collectors in the CT area. Consulting for area Painting/Decorating and Building contractors on non painting issues..(staining, wood prep.,clear finishing, floor restoration and architectural detail restoration and repair, etc.) Sold, built, serviced, setup Home, Industrial, and Commercial stationary woodworking tools for a major tool retailer in CT. for three years, sold hand and power tools , provided knowledge, parts replacement, service, and on site service, Trade show Demo, and training as well.

Publications
Published in Fine Woodworking Magazine (12/97), included on Fine Woodworkings first "Best of Fine Woodworking" CD-ROM (2002) ...("27 year compilation of expert know-how")

Education/Credentials
Art School at Silvermine Guild in Norwalk, CT., 9 year apprenticeship in a European run Cabinet and Restoration shop in CT., various classes on subjects having to do with the field. Seminars from major Tool manufacturers, Skil/Bosch, Delta, Powermatic, Ritter, Porter cable, Milwaukee, Dewalt/B&Decker, Performax.

Past/Present Clients
Many varied clients including work on Martha Stewarts' Westport, CT. show house, many fine Antique dealers and private collectors in and around Fairfield County and in Woodbury, CT. (the Antiques capital of CT.), Golden Age of Trucking Museum, Wilton Historical Society.

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