"How to paint raw oak"

needinfo

Grumbler in Training
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Dec 4, 2004
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Loc
California
I was wondering if someone could tell me the BEST way to paint raw oak. I dislike using paint brushes because you see the brush strokes. I currently use black spray paint and it leaves the finish I desire but it tends to chip off easily. Also, any tips on painting any woods will be appreciated.

Thanks ...

Don Trenton
 
If it chips off easily it is probably not prepared to take the paint. If it has any kind of finish on it at all you will have to sand that off or at least down enough that it can take the paint. If it is truly raw maybe just a light sanding would help. Then use a primer first. I prefer Krylon.. not to drop any names.. but it is pretty cheap and dries a lot faster than anything else out there. Use very light coats at first and make sure they are dry before you try to paint more. It will take a little bit longer making sure everything is dry. But I am sure like most of us you can find something else to do while waiting.
 
If it is truly raw, and depending on the finish paint you want, it might be good to use a primer or undercoat first. This helps "grab" the wood and gives a good surface for your colour coat to adhere to. Af course this will also fill in some of the grain which could be good or bad depending on your purpose. Oak is oak, it is hard and has a very pronounced grain, and is hard to get a smooth surface. There are other hard / semi hard woods that take paint better than oak.
If your paint is falling off with little mechanical encouragemnt primer would help it stick.
 
Sounds to me like the oak is sanded too smooth to hold the paint. If I just want a black frame, I use poplar or bass: the light body structure of these woods has little fibers that the paint soaks into instead of just hardening on the surface - and they take any kind of paint(spray, brush, gel).

Of course if you still want to paint oak, just sand down to 120 grit diagonal to the grain and paint it with black primer and clear lacquer.

B.
 
Adding a wetting agent such as alcohol or oxgall
to water-base paint will do two things: it will
make the paint flow and settle, making brush strokes go away, and it should help the paint go
into the wood more strongly, helping to keep it
on the wood.

Hugh
 
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