Getting Started: To Prime or NOT to Prime

This is where the teacher in me comes out.  Speaking from personal experience, it's always easier to remember something important if it can be tied to something you already remember...so this is my lame attempt to get you to remember about priming. 

To Prime or NOT to Prime, That is the question!
YOU NEVER PRIME!  That's right, NEVER prime.  You see, priming doesn't work because it's all chemical.  It doesn't have a foundation for wood to respond to naturally which is why priming never works.  Especially the water based primers...these simply draw out the tannins or natural pigment in the wood. What does work is shellac.

Shellac is a sealant & finish for raw wood for protection against water & humidity.

Tip #2 be sure to mix the shellac up properly according to the manufacturers recommendation.  If you don't, it will not seal the raw wood properly and can potentially ruin your painted finish.  It can take up to 2 coats for the best results.

Tip #3 Shellac comes CLEAR and TINTED.  Unless I'm using Pure White, I always use CLEAR.  This allows me to distress darker colors without seeing a halo of white tint.  Not very attractive when wanting to achieve a modern finish with Graphite~

Shellac functions as a tough natural sealant, sanding sealant, tannin-blocker, and high-gloss varnish.
It can be used for the following purposes:

·       Use one or two coats to remove musty smells on untreated wood.

·       Use one or two coats to prevent the tannins within knot holes or open grain from bleeding through.

·       With some pieces of furniture, typically pieces from the 1930s & 1940s, after painting the first coat there is either a yellow or pink stain, which bleeds through the paint. Resist the urge to apply another coat of paint. No matter how many coats you paint, the stain color will continue to bleed through. Use one or two coats of shellac to block these bleeding stains. Annie recommend wiping it on with a cloth pad. It dries in minutes and you can get on with painting almost immediately!

·       Shellac preforms best when applied with a rag or brush.

·       Get in the habit of dating your can; shellac has a shelf life of only 6-9 months.

 Shellac is HIGHLY flammable as it's key ingredient is denatured alcohol.  Be sure to use in a well ventilated area away from flame & spark!  On the upside of this, it dries in minutes!  You know, pros with the cons always! lol~

Next week, we will talk sanding & sand papers.

Until then~ Happy shellac-ing!