Painting Crib

[Dan Gill]

My first grandchild (grandson) is due in May, and I'm making a crib for him. My daughter-in-law wants it to be (shudder!) painted white. Not sure of the finishing program for that. Seems like latex paint wouldn't be durable enough. Perhaps latex with a polyurethane topcoat? The crib is poplar. Any advice is welcome.

[Todd Burch]

If me, I would spray white pigmented lacquer.

If she wants to go "green", you could use white milk paint.

Todd

[John TenEyck]

You might consider the products below. I'm sure there are others. They are pigmented topcoats, so you can spray them with your HVLP, etc. gun just like a clear topcoat. If you decide to use a true paint instead, I'd use a waterborne acrylic. The problem with them, however, is they typically have a much higher viscosity and are difficult to spray unless you have any airless sprayer. But I think the pigmented topcoats would be a lot easier for your project. Milk paint + a clear topcoat would also be a good choice. Just my opinion, but I think I'd make the crib out of soft maple instead of poplar. Poplar paints very well, but it's pretty soft and will get dinged pretty easily.

Whatever you do, don't use latex wall paint, it's too soft, and don't use oil based paint, there will be a baby in the crib after all.

John

http://www.generalfinishes.com/profe...h#.UN-H3HfFYro

or

http://www.mcfeelys.com/product/CLU-3390/Quart-Gloss-White-Topcoat-CrystaLac

[Jim Becker]

I would not use "latex" (typical house paint) for a furniture project. Too soft and not durable for this kind of thing. If I couldn't use my standard Target Coatings EM6xxx and spray it, I'd likely use Sherwin Williams ProClassic Acrylic and brush it on. Or an oil based enamel...but that would be unlikely...

[Dan Gill]

No sprayer, and the crib is finished, so it will definitely be poplar. It will have to be a brush-on finish like the ProClassic Jim has suggested. What about a primer? Any need for a primer?

[Steven Hsieh]

I'm a big fan of benjamin moore advance. It brushes and dries hard like oil based enamel, but it is water based.

They make up to high gloss

http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/f...4&advs=0&tab=2

[John TenEyck]

No sprayer, and the crib is finished, so it will definitely be poplar. It will have to be a brush-on finish like the ProClassic Jim has suggested. What about a primer? Any need for a primer?

The SW ProClassic is nice stuff, available in any sheen you want. SW also makes a nice wood primer that sands very well and you should use it underneath. Painted finishes always show every little defect; using the primer you will be able to find those defects and repair them, then prime again, repeat, etc. If you just use the ProClassic you will find it difficult to sand and repair the defects you inevitably will find.


John

[Kent A Bathurst]

My understanding is that milk paint is 100% non-toxic. For an application where the user has a tendency to gnaw on the furniture, that may be a consideration.

[Lee Schierer]

My understanding is that milk paint is 100% non-toxic. For an application where the user has a tendency to gnaw on the furniture, that may be a consideration.

All the paints suggested are non-toxic once cured. I would go with an enamel over a latex and gloss or semi-gloss rather than satin finish to aid in clean up.

[Dan Gill]

Hit the Benjamin Moore store, and they put me onto a good water-based enamel and primer for that. You would be hard pressed to find more helpful people. They gave me solid recommendations, and even gave me the contractor price and told me to save the receipt to get that price again if I needed more. Now to finish up the sanding and get started. With this weather, I'll probably have to put tarps down in the front room and paint in there. Way too cold for painting in the garage. Thanks for the help, folks.

[Steven Hsieh]

Im guessing you got the benjamin moore advance paint?
One advice I have is brush on light coats or it will sag on you.
But it brushes great.

It is Benjamin moore's most longest open time paint than their other paints.

[Jim Becker]

When buying paint, you'll most often be best served by going to a Benjamin Moore or Sherwin Williams store than you ever will at the 'Borg...and if you sign up for their discount programs, the "good stuff" doesn't cost all that much more than the 'Borg paint, either! The folks that deal with the pros often can offer invaluable advise.

[Dan Gill]

They didn't have the Advance. Found another water-based enamel. Now I just wish I could get them to do the painting. I stink at this. I've just primed one piece, and when it dries I'll have about an hour trimming with a razor blade. Of course, a crib with lots of little slats is just about one of the worst things to paint. But it's a labor of love.

[Jim Becker]

Yea, cribs and the like are not very forgiving in the "labor" department for finishing! But I'll bet it will look outstanding when you are done and am looking forward to a nice thread about it in Woodworking Projects here at SMC.