Main > Main Forum

I suck at painting! Any tips to do better?

Pages: << < (2/5) > >>

ekopp2:

I used latex paint and the results are quite good (not to say that it couldn't be improved by the suggestions by Oscar and Peale). A couple of things that I experience:

Definitely use a foam roller. I ended up using the little 4" foam roller, which was more than big enough for the small surface area. Plus, the smaller roller allows you to get around the odd shape of the cabinet a bit better.

Of course, make sure to prime, sand, paint, sand, etc. Some people swear by two primer coats... I didn't go quite that far.

For sanding, I used a palm sander. This helps a ton. It's a lot easier than sanding manually with a block, and the results are smoother and more even. After the primer, I used 120 grit. I moved up to 220 after the first two coats of paint and finally to 320 before the final coat.

It'll take a couple of coats to get an even finish. Don't get discouraged if the paint job doesn't look "production ready" after the first coat And, don't try to put the paint on extra thick. Just put on a nice even coat and let it dry. Sand and repeat. And, take your time to sand at any 90 degree corners (you may need to go to the block to do this properly... you'll be happy you did).

Also, don't put too much pressure on the roller or it will squeeze paint out to the edges (Peale mentioned this as well). Three or four coats of paint applied in this way will come out looking very sharp and very smooth.

Rocky:

Painting, like anything, takes a little practice to get good.

The nice thing is that you can always sand it smooth if the finish doesn't come out good.

I always use 320 grit between coats and usually sand lightly with a block.  (Basically you are just polishing the paint, I wouldn't use power tools for this).  100 grit is way too coarse for between coats.

Also, Latex dries too quick (I've never tried that stuff that Oscar is talking about but it sounds like it slows the drying process). I use oil based paint for my cabs. It takes forever to dry, but it gives a nice hard, beautiful finish.

Power sprayers do the best job but require the most skill.

Don't use brushes, they are the worst.

Use the foam roller. To avoid lines, put the paint on and spread it around good. Run the roller in every direction possible, then after it's even, lightly run the roller over the whole surface in parallel lines.  (For oil based paint, it flows together and makes an even coat -- since it literally takes hours for it to dry)

Also, I don't sand before the last coat.

Good luck,

Rocky


rdagger:

I was just at the paint store and the guy recommended using Gripper water-based primer-sealer for the MDF before painting.  He also recommended Floetrol for the HVLP.  I used to suck at painting, but I found that if you actually following the instructions and have some patience it comes out great.  Make sure you clean the surface before painting and don't rush it.

darktemp:

Probably a stupid question.  Can you use a water based primer (Kilz Premium) with oil based paint?

sofakng:

How many coats of paint is typically required to have a nice finish?

So far I've primed my cabinet and painted it with two coats of Behr's Premium High-Gloss Black (latex).  Before painting the second coat, I sanded all the rough spots down...

Well, the second coat STILL doesn't look that great.  It seems like both of the sides have a lot of "circle marks".  You can really see streak-marks too much (but you can somewhat see them), but you can definitely see all these areas where the paint looks lighter or something...

How many coats of paint is typically required?  I'm going to be painting a third coat over the weekend?

Any other tips for me?


Pages: << < (2/5) > >>

Go to full version