Painting furniture

[DawnM]

I just got a free nice wood toy box that needs sanding and either refinishing or painting.   I would like to try my hand at painting it.   Suggestions?   Type of paint?  Do I need to prime?   Would you use a wax on top like Annie Sloan (is there anything like AS in the reg stores like Lowe's?

This is my practice piece.   I. have a nice coffee table I would like to refinish/paint but I want to make sure I know what I am doing first.

Bonus points for showing me your project pieces.

[gardenmom5]

15 minutes ago, DawnM said:

I just got a free nice wood toy box that needs sanding and either refinishing or painting.   I would like to try my hand at painting it.   Suggestions?   Type of paint?  Do I need to prime?   Would you use a wax on top like Annie Sloan (is there anything like AS in the reg stores like Lowe's?

This is my practice piece.   I. have a nice coffee table I would like to refinish/paint but I want to make sure I know what I am doing first.

Bonus points for showing me your project pieces.

What finish is on it now?

Any piece with a hard clear-coat on top, I would recommend stripping the finish before doing what you want.  

if you paint - you just need to give it a good sanding  (different grits) before priming, then painting.   paint will adhere better.  Wax is a if you want to thing.  It can visual add depth to the finish, 

[DawnM]

7 minutes ago, gardenmom5 said:

What finish is on it now?

Any piece with a hard clear-coat on top, I would recommend stripping the finish before doing what you want.  

if you paint - you just need to give it a good sanding  (different grits) before priming, then painting.   paint will adhere better.  Wax is a if you want to thing.  It can visual add depth to the finish, 

 

On one piece the finish is pretty much gone, but I will sand it.   The other I am not sure.

[gaillardia]

Definitely take before and after photos, Dawn! I can't wait to see what you do with it. I'm interested in painting furniture and haven't finished 2, or is it 3, chairs. Random dining chairs that have long since lost their family of chairs. I've been using acrylic craft paints. Not sure how I would have found the colors I fell in love with otherwise. 

[Corraleno]

(1) Lightly sand it down, you don't need to get to bare wood, just dull the surface so the paint will adhere better.

(2) Don't skip the primer (I recommend Zinsser-BIN).

(3) Two coats of a good satin paint — you want a paint that will flow and self-level to minimize brush marks. You don't need wax over satin paint.

 

(FWIW, I have tried Annie Sloan chalk paint and did not like it at all — pronounced brush marks, hard to sand, and chips easily.)

[alisoncooks]

I've painted a lot of furniture/cabinets, and the above is basically my plan. Sand, prime, paint. Sometimes I add a protective top coat - depending on your color, something like polycrylic or whatever might work (some top coats may yellow with time so be careful if your paint is white/light). 

If your box is super grubby, it might need a clean first (anything from soap/water to TSP substitute/krud kutter).

Also, if the piece is mostly flat, you might can get a good finish with a high density foam roller (the mini ones that are useful for small projects). Use the brush to cut in the corners and roll the rest.