Our entry sidelight windows have taken a minor beating from our Samoyed lightly scratching the wood trim when people/dogs walked by!! She's over that now for the most part....!

DW has been "hinting" for a while now to get this done...;-)

This is some COOOOLLL stuff!
* It's kind of a ULTRA high-build "surface-smoother", not really a "primer" per-se.
* It's like brushing-out liquid toothpaste! Kinda weird until you're used to it!
* Interesting smell too...Uffda!
* If you laid a paintbrush on this actual putty, it would just sit on top of this stuff. Brushes-out decent though!
* I'll be lightly sanding this smooth today.
* It'll then have to be primed, once I get the "BP" sanded smooth to my tastes.
* 2 coats of this are needed where scratching was deeper!

This is some DANG cool material for "highly visible" trim areas, or projects where a NICE surface is critical.

The materials:

The "culprit", complete with her Christmas-Bandana!
She's now 2.25 y/o!

I won't be using the Hollandlac-Satin OIL paint (lower-left). I'll use the ECO-Brilliant Waterborne-Alkyd for the final paint coats.

Faron

I thought about shootin' some B4 pix, but I don't have the best digital camera. It's a HP, but it's at least 6y/o.
I haven't been happy with how the pix look on forums like this. Just doesn't seem "clear" enough.
I WILL try some afters in a few days, if I can focus it clear enough.

The WIDEST part of the sidelight casing is 1.5"....!
The edges facing out are maybe 3/4"!
* Some of the deepest scratches might have hit 1/8", on the edges facing the entry!
* On the worst areas, I've done 3 coats of the BP, sanding each back some.
* I've now got all that trim (NOT the Oak door trims) looking like glass! First using medium-grit paper, then with 220.
* The surface gets so smooth and dense that it's like doing auto-body work!
* Ready for the FPE Oil primer tomorrow, now that the substrate is built-up with the FPE-Putty and smoothed off.

Faron

Only had time to work on this in short time segments the last week!
Plus....I'm very a*al about sanding, etc.!!

* Had to apply 3 coats of Brushing-Putty to the scratched areas, and sand back each coat.
* Sanding & more sanding, Wiping-down, vacuuming-off, & tacking-off gets a little tedious!
* Knees, etc., sore from squatting/laying on entry floor doing all the lower detail-sanding!
* Used medium & fine-grit wedge-shaped sanding-sponges, and cleaned-'em out each night, to use the next evening.

Once the Putty-layers were sanded good enough, and a lightly sanded coat of the Oil-Primer......
On went the ECO-Brilliant paint!!!
(used a 1" Purdy angle brush)

O.....M.....G!!

That ECO stuff is RIDICULOUS-NICE!!
* Can't even smell it! The Oil primer IS a ventilation-suggested/charcoal-mask product though....Uffda!
* It flows out so beautiful! Because the work is obviously vertical, I had to tweak my application-strokes to avoid runs.
* Work the paint on, then used loooongg/light flowing "Lay-off" strokes.
* Even 15min. later, it seems like it's still SLIGHTLY leveling-itself off!
* After ECO-coat #1, lightly sanded it the next evening.
* 2nd ECO-coat was Monday night.
* Looked at it today.....HOLY CR*P!!! I didn't know trim could look so beautiful!
* The depth of gloss is quite unlike anything I've seen...I can't stop looking at it!!
* DW is impressed....whew! It looks 75-times better than when we first moved-in 15yrs. ago....

Everybody has different opinions of paint prices, but once you use THIS level of paint, you're spoiled for anything else.
For "HIGH-VISIBILITY" trim projects, you just can't go wrong here...

(finished-project pics coming....)

Faron

Some final shots....I just wish they were clearer!! I might take some more pix on a sunnier day! The paint looks even better!!

The bottom shows the best in these shots...

There's a floor/base lower stained trim-molding that I poly'd too. I'll get another pic with better sunlight. It was too cloudy on these shots!

Faron

If I could just get the narrow vertical edge to show decently...!
Most of the scratching damage was there. I'll have to light the area differently. The flash on White paint just blasts all the contrast away! It's only ~ 3/4" wide....

Yeah...it DOES kinda look plasticky! No trace of the wood-graining now!

Faron

Here's a so-so shot of the primers & all my sanding wedges!!

This is the FPE stuff used. I didn't use the Hollandlac Satin (it's the OIL-Based Satin).
The finish-coats were the ECO (Hybrid) Brilliant (Gloss!)

>>> NOTE the purple Maglite in the 1st pic!!!
For detail work like this, seeing the sanding marks, ridges, etc., a good light is critical!! Laid-down ON and parallel to the surface...the long beam reveals flaws in what SEEMS "smooth" in general room lighting.

Faron

That's quite a project and the results are most excellent.

"Most excellent"....

Is this Wayne's World?!!?!?!?
"Party on Fun-C"!!!
;-)

Faron

Due to budget constraints, I will be painting my doors and trim with Ace but I'm tempted to try the FPE on my kitchen cabinets if the finish would be noticeably better. Can FPE be tinted to Benjamin Moore colors? You're one of the few people I've come across who has tried both products so your opinion would be greatly appreciated.

On the FPE site it says that the brushing putty is a "primer". Does that mean it's applied like a typical primer, either brushed or rolled on? When i think of putty I think of having to apply it with a putty knife. I'm NOT good with a putty knife but pretty decent with a paintbrush.

Andrea-
BP is a VERY high-build primer.
* They recommend just using a throw-away brush to apply it, since you're sanding it down anyway....
* It's KINDA like brushing-out soft pudding!

Faron

As for cost, the FPE brushing putty was slightly less than $50 for approx a quart in my market. I was expecting it to be a little more expensive, but we'll see how far it goes.

I'm trying 3 different paints/methods in advance of painting my oak kitchen cabs so I can decide which is my best option. So far, I've used BM advance on doors and trim, and rustoleums cabinet transformation in the upstairs bathroom. In the downstairs powder room I'm going with FPE products. We'll see what turns out best and then I'll make my choice. I was very impressed with BM Advance but I have a feeling FPE will knock my socks off. I'll post pictures and reviews of all 3 when I'm done.

Since there's no "weathering" inside obviously, it's not nearly as critical.
It WILL hold onto your ECO topcoats TENACIOUSLY though...so it's technically "the best" coat-system.

I THINK you could use the ECO-series primer over your BP?!?!?!.
Call them to be sure....

>>> You WILL need a final-sand of 220!!!
* Once you build up a nice base of BP, you could sand with ~150-ish grit, for quicker initial smoothing/cutting.
* On the worst area of that trim, as I mentioned, I sanded-back 3 coats of BP.
* When you do the last passes with 220...THAT'S when the magic happens! The surface changes. If you lay a narrow-beam flashlight down on your work, you'll see what I mean by that "final smoothness"-look!
* When it looks like "Marble", you're ready for the ECO top-coats!!
* I even lightly sanded the Oil-Primer with 220 b4 the ECO-Brilliant magic....
* Those multiple sponges in my pic??? I rinsed each of them out a few times!! While one was drying, I was sanding with another....
* I wonder if Porsche will hire me for their paintshop now??!?!!?

Faron

Thanks guys for the kind words!
Yes, this stuff is wonderful for those who appreciate "the finer things"!
Wolfgang 80-
Yes, ideally, the Oil primer....if you're not already done!?!!?

SparklingWater-
Those Hollandlac-Brilliant doors are something to behold IMO!
I was able to play around with some...WOW.

Faron