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How to paint a chair??

16 years ago

I want to paint my kitchen chairs black. What is the best paint to use that will dry "hard"? I remember painting a chair years ago and every time I sat in it, my clothes would stick to it. Maybe I didn't prep it properly. So many people are painting chairs these days and I was wondering what paint they are using. Thanks!

Debbie in Florida

Here is a link that might be useful: Welcome to My Home

Comments (5)

thrift_shop_romantic
16 years ago
Hi, Debbie-

You can use any kind of paint, really, if you put a clear polyurethane coat over it afterwards. That will help it dry hard, protect the paint job, and-- most importantly-- not stick to you. :-)

--Jenn
http://web.mac.com/thriftshopromantic/iWeb/
superiorgirl2
16 years ago
Be patient with the process. Lightly sand the chairs to scuff up the existing surface. Wipe them down with a rag dipped in paint thinner to get all of the dust off. Let dry. Apply a light coat of paint and let it dry well. I'd leave it at least 24 hours. If it is humid, be extra sure they are totally dry. Then you can apply a second light coat. A big cause of paint remaining tacky is not letting it set up well between coats. Have fun.
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"Would the groove mistake or any of the scratches or dark areas make you think paint over stain?" No no nooo! Absolutely not. Remedying those would only destroy characteristics of the chairs, I often intentionaly build into new pieces what will later appear to be flaws. It gives me satisfaction seeing somone pause to touch one of those "flaws". Staining will blend the color variations. Not conceal or cover,just pleasantly blend them. What I would do with the groove mistake is clean it up so it will be closer to color of surounding wood. It will only require 15 secounds with an artist's brush to make darker groove appear to run straight through the divot. The seat is white oak so the rays can realy throw you a curve by blotching with stain. For that reason,go slow until you know if it is blotching. One more area where shellac can make the difference between rays appearing as blotchy or beautiful pop. The problem is caused by variations in stain absorbed. To see this at work,stain all 6 surfaces on a scrap of wood. Note how much darker both ends appear compared to 4 sides. On a new unstained piece,sand one end with 180,other with 320,one side with 100 and oppisite with 220 then stain as before. Applying 1-2 or 3 wash coats or different cuts of shellac has similar effect as sanding grits. A good starting point is 1 Lb cut and go from there as you develop a preferance. If using top coat which is thinned with mineral spirits,a wash coat can be made by starting with 1 part finish in 4 parts mineral sprits. Ditto for laquer but don't attempt making wash coats with water base finish,buy commercial.
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Carol_from_ny
16 years ago
Do like superiorgirl2 said but I'd use an enamel paint. Chairs get a lot of wear and tear on them. Hands touch them leaving dirt and oil behind. You want something you can clean without the paint coming off and I think enamel does better for that reson.
JanetNOk
16 years ago
Check the weather before painting. High humidity or general dampness in the air will prevent the paint from drying "hard".
jleek
16 years ago
Have to tell ya--back in 1965 I painted a "rock maple" table and chairs that were given to me. I sanded - with paper far too course and left pretty deep scratches. Picked up a "Bradlees" spray can of paint no other prep before nor afterwards. Paint has never chipped, worn only where feet go on the rungs. Used daily all of these years-sometimes cloth on and sometimes off. People comment still on what a nice table. MY POINTE? It must be in the ingredients in the paint! For sure, the paint was inexpensive-------long before lowe's or Home Depot. I was a kid who knew nothing about nothing and in spite of me project turned out fine. BY THE WAY THE COLOR WAS BLACK!!!

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