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Collectibles-General (Antiques)/varnish first or not

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Question
I am in the a process of hitchcocking a unfinished toy box. I have painted the box with a flat black paint and stained the seat early american. Do I apply a coat of varnish  before I stencil the box or do I stencil first and then apply the varnish?

Answer
Hi Bob nice to hear from you.
Personally I would varnish after stencilling for durability.
Just make certain the varnish is compatable with the paint.
By this I mean waterbased varnish over waterbased paint, or oil based over oil based.
Sounds like a great project.
Kindest Regards
Eileen

Collectibles-General (Antiques)

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Eileen Cronk

Expertise

I can answer most questions about the repairing and refinishing of all your old furniture items (the things we call antiques). I can also give you advice on what wood items to choose and what wood items to avoid at auctions, flea markets etc. I DO NOT give appraisals on antiques as this is not my field of expertise.

Experience

I have been repairing, refinishing and of course buying old furniture for the past 30 years. On any given weekend I can be found at auction sales or flea markets searching out a good buy. I have taken several courses in this area over the years, but I find "Hands On" learning to be the best teacher. I can help you avoid the pitfalls and problems of this wonderful rewarding craft.

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