Finish over water based acrylic paint

[Fadi Zeidan]

hey guys,

Someone gave me a piece of wood, I believe it was pine but I’m not good at identifying wood. I did not like the grain/look of the plain wood and figured why not try acrylic paint to texture and color it. I went for leather type look.

Should I use clear satin Laquer, clear acrylic spray, or other type of finish over water based acrylic? I need to protect the finish from pealing off with light use. I cannot sand because of the texturing.

 

[Owen Lowe]

I would use a clear acrylic spray. Lacquer solvents run the risk of dissolving the acrylic underneath — also, any moisture in the acrylic would not be able to come up through the lacquer and may cause other problems.
http://www.krylon.com/products/crystal-clear-acrylic/

 

[john lucas]

I have used mInwax wipe on poly successfully.

 

[Fadi Zeidan]

Thanks guys

 

[Charlie Knighton]

the painting books call for just varnish and that's what hobby lobby carries....make sure your paint is dry....3 days at least.....I like minwax polycrylic....still let your paint dry.....gives a subtle wet look....u want to use some gesso over the wood before the acrylic paint and wood needs to be dry before gesso

now if u wanted to do abstract color on bowl....I would use dye instead of acrylic and no gesso

 

[Bill Boehme]

I agree with Owen to use a product such as Krylon Crystal Clear acrylic spray finish. BTW, products labeled as crystal clear acrylics are almost always acrylic lacquers, but sometimes are a blend of acrylic and nitrocellulose lacquer. Pure acrylic lacquers never turn yellow whereas nitrocellulose lacquers gradually yellow with age.

 

[hockenbery]

I often use Waterlox over acrylic airbrush paint.
I have also used clear acrlyic sprays.

Waterlox is almost clear. Similar products give a more amber cast.

 

[Mark Hepburn]

As mentioned, poly is fine, Krylon also, and I’ve used shellac spray as well. Polycrylic is good and doesn’t add color. Artist acrylics, when cured, should be fine with spray nitrocellulose lacquer, at least in my experience but I don’t see any compelling reason to use it.

 

[Fadi Zeidan]

My concern with wipe on finish is that it may run and cause problem with sanding. Then again, same can happen with spraying it. This is a test piece anyway, I’m going to try acrylic spray on this piece and wipe on on my next test piece.

 

[Mark Hepburn]

My concern with wipe on finish is that it may run and cause problem with sanding. Then again, same can happen with spraying it. This is a test piece anyway, I’m going to try acrylic spray on this piece and wipe on on my next test piece.

Is this an "artist's acrylic" type of product, as in a tube, or a craft product? I've used both extensively on turnings and have no problems with wipe on finish or sprays. (I've also done a lot of both oil and acrylic paintings on wood and canvas and always finish with a varnish of some kind because they will have matte spots on them).

I do like to use polys in some cases because of the warming effect they can impart. Because you're thinning the poly to wipe on you shouldn't have too much concern about runs. Just remember very, very thin coats. For me, it's often easier to use a piece of old t-shirt first saturated with thinner, wrung out and then dipped in finish to apply. But that's me and there are those that will strongly disagree.

By the way, that's a very nice test piece you have there!

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

Is this an "artist's acrylic" type of product, as in a tube, or a craft product? I've used both extensively on turnings and have no problems with wipe on finish or sprays. (I've also done a lot of both oil and acrylic paintings on wood and canvas and always finish with a varnish of some kind because they will have matte spots on them).
!

Mark, Not sure this is what was referred to but the only acrylic spray I am familiar with is lacquer. Walmart has clear and black and maybe some other colors in the automotive area. I think it is Krylon and seems to me to run more than lacquer. Also it is hard to see the runs but I probably applied too much.

 

[Mark Hepburn]

Gerald, I have to say that I've bought and used the Krylon and to tell the truth never even read the label (shame on me). But I have read that there is lacquer as a component in several types of acrylic. I don't know if it's true so don't want to spread a bunch of untruths here. But I did read it right here on the interwebs so it's probably true...

I did use it and found that it is easy to overspray and will definitely run, and also to get orange peel. I try to spray really, really fine coats from the max recommended distance, which is wasteful I know, and it seems to help. I have a cheap aluminum work light with an LED that I use for a "raking" light to help see the runs. It works pretty well.

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

Gerald, I have to say that I've bought and used the Krylon and to tell the truth never even read the label (shame on me). But I have read that there is lacquer as a component in several types of acrylic. I don't know if it's true so don't want to spread a bunch of untruths here. But I did read it right here on the interwebs so it's probably true...

I did use it and found that it is easy to overspray and will definitely run, and also to get orange peel. I try to spray really, really fine coats from the max recommended distance, which is wasteful I know, and it seems to help. I have a cheap aluminum work light with an LED that I use for a "raking" light to help see the runs. It works pretty well.

Mark my experience with lacquer started a couple years ago with spray cans and then started using brush on to spray with a airbrush . I seem to have many fewer problems with spraying from airbrush and really do not care for the acrylic as a finish of choice.

 

[Mark Hepburn]

I don't either (the acrylic, that is). I like shellac and also use poly. I just bit the bullet on a Fuji semi pro and have yet to put it into service. I'm waiting until the holidays are over and I have time to focus and really learn. I'm not a fan of waterborne finishes to tell the truth and so I guess I'll die an early death.

 

[Bill Boehme]

I'm not a fan of waterborne finishes to tell the truth and so I guess I'll die an early death.

Well, it's better to die happy than suffer a long life of misery.

 

[Mark Hepburn]

I concur.

Boy, did I miss this place!

 

[Mark Hepburn]

the painting books call for just varnish and that's what hobby lobby carries....make sure your paint is dry....3 days at least.....I like minwax polycrylic....still let your paint dry.....gives a subtle wet look....u want to use some gesso over the wood before the acrylic paint and wood needs to be dry before gesso

now if u wanted to do abstract color on bowl....I would use dye instead of acrylic and no gesso

Charlie, I hadn't thought of gesso. I use it on canvas and wood prior to doing a painting, be it oil or acrylic, but never thought of using it on turnings. Do you have any durability concerns on turnings? Do you sand it after application? And though I'm not a huge fan of polycrylic I can see its being great on a fully painted piece.

 

[hockenbery]

Gesso works great on wood. Al Stirt uses it for the sgraffito work where carving through the gesso make patterns.
Waterlox works over gesso too.

Black gesso s used a lot.
White can be colored y adding pigments.

 

[Mark Hepburn]

Thanks Al. I had no idea but that opens up some new avenues I hadn't considered.

 

[Charlie Knighton]

Charlie, I hadn't thought of gesso. I use it on canvas and wood prior to doing a painting, be it oil or acrylic, but never thought of using it on turnings. Do you have any durability concerns on turnings? Do you sand it after application? And though I'm not a huge fan of polycrylic I can see its being great on a fully painted piece.

yes, I use the gesso on my calabash Zia series....I use 2 coats on the outside and do not sand......any crazy surface I will try to incorporate into the painting.....inside surface I prefer to just use Danish oil......but if the wood is old or I have a brain _art I will use black gesso on the inside or add color to white gesso to cover or disguise the bad finish.....I like the polyacrylic because it's water based and has not yellowed on me yet.....I also have several cans of it left over from bleaching some box elder ounce upon a time......I now use the polycrylic on flat work......just be sure the paints dry or you will be touching up the whole piece....wood movement can cause paint to crack.....so far I have been carefully successful but 20 years down the road who knows......we had cousins reunion this past summer and everybody likes free!!!!!!!!!