Hello and welcome back!
For Part 3 of my Road-Rescue General Finishes Series, I used a General Finishes Milk Paint and Topcoat on this charming dresser.
There’s a lot of DIY’ers blogging about applying it with a brush, so I’m going to share my experience “shooting” aka “spraying” General Finishes Milk Paint.
Before we get rolling, I need to show you how gorgeous this finish turned out! I used GF Persian Blue which is a beautiful soft blue with grey undertones.
Now, I’m curious why this paint is called a ‘Milk Paint’ because it’s nothing like milk paint! But truth be told, they could have called it ‘ANYTHING’ and it wouldn’t have made any difference because I’m hooked! I L-O-V-E it… and here’s why…
- Acrylic based paint. Acrylic is a perfect furniture paint because it provides a durable finish.
- Rich, thick and full bodied. It’s thickness reminds me of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint but with a little more of a “latex slide”.
- A little goes a long way. I thinned the GF Milk Paint with water to spray through my spray-gun. I applied 3 coats and used 3/4 of a pint.
- Sprays like a dream. Leveled beautifully.
- Sands nicely. I sanded with a light touch with #320-400 grit between each coat and it sanded and smoothed very easily.
- Flat finish. This matte low sheen is perfect for hiding small imperfections.
- Easy clean up. Very easy to clean my equipment with soap and water.
- Quick drying. Dried quickly so I was ready to re-spray within 3-4 hours.
- Created a hard smooth professional looking surface. I’m super pleased with the professional spray finish it provided.
- Durable enough to use for outdoor furniture. Although this isn’t an outdoor piece, the General Finishes Milk Paint is rated for outdoor use.
- Low odor and VOC’s so better for the environment. It does have a slight odor but certainly not as harsh as other brands I have used.
- Doesn’t require a topcoat and can be used as a one-can finish. For extra protection and durability, I did spray on the General Finishes Water Based Flat Top-Coat which sprayed equally well and did not need thinning.
- Has excellent coverage. I sprayed 3 coats but I had full opaque coverage after my 2nd coat.
For all of you who saw the ‘before’ of these up-cycled handles on my Facebook page… I just had to add the above pic!
It’s amazing what painting drawer hardware can do!
To sum up my experience with General Finishes Products… they are excellent.
I’m definitely going to be purchasing more of this Milk Paint in the very near future along with more GF Gel Stain when my pint runs out. The GF VanDyke Glaze in Part 2 gave me a beautiful finish. However, I did find the glaze dried a bit too quickly. Maybe that was because I was using it over another brand of milk paint… not sure? As for the High Performance Water Based Topcoat, I really like the flat finish and will be adding that onto my supply list as well.
If you’d like to see the before picture of this dresser you can see it in Part 1 here.
Thanks for joining me on this 3 Part Series…I hope you enjoyed seeing the furniture make-overs as much as I enjoyed doing them!
Denise x
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Great blog post Lynda! I’m a massive fan of gf milk paints and until now, I have always applied with a foam brush. I bought a hvlp and I’m currently finishing the second coat of queenstown grey on all my kitchen cabinets. I too found thinning slightly helped a lot with the spray finish. I have two questions before I apply the high performance top coat. Firstly, I lightly sanded between coats, but I’m tempted to spray my first coat of topcoat without sanding as the finish is so gorgeous – what do you think? Secondly, did you thin the topcoat at all? Many thanks and kind regards, Nadine from Scotland
Hi Nadine from Scotland! 🙂 If you’re happy with your last coat of paint, it’s not necessary to sand before applying topcoat. I typically don’t thin poly’s, but if you spray in a hot or extremely dry climate – you can. Here’s what General Finishes recommends. Hope this helps and I’m sure your ‘new’ cabinets are going to be gorgeous!
Nadine,
I’m curious, how have your painted cabinets held up? Also, did you prime them first, or only sand? We just bought a 1960s house with original cabinets, painting is a must! But with children my main concern is durability. Thanks!
I am going to buy the sprayer you recommend to paint 4 pieces of a bedroom suit. I have ordered Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint in shutter gray. I just have to add the bonding agent to the first coat, right? Can I spray that mixture? Also, I don’t have to sand it first if I use the bonding agent, right? Thank you!
Lindsay, I’ve never attempted to spray w ‘real’ milk paint. I can see how this may be confusing because General Finishes is labeled milk paint but it is actually an acrylic paint! If you’ve never used a paint-gun (which also requires a costly compressor to operate), I don’t suggest you start by shooting MMS Shutter Gray. The consistancy would have to be EXACTLY right and ensure ALL the lumps and bumps were disolved for it to shoot properly. Both shooting paint and painting with real milk paint have a bit of a learning curve. So if this is your first time, you may not be setting yourself up for success. If you have any further questions feel free to email me and I’ll do my very best to get back to you asap.
You’ve mentioned that the glaze dries quickly without much play time, I read on the GF site it recommends using an extender. Do you think that would help? I am looking to use on a large piece of furniture. And have you used the Java Gel stain over a stained piece? I’ve seen your 3 projects, beautifully done by the way. Here is what I’m trying to cover, honey oak that has a shellac finish, large built in book case and two mirrors that are firmly attached to the wall, one hides the fuse box, which is in the middle of my dining room wall. ( this had to be a guy’s idea – I have yet to meet a women that would say “why yes, please, put that hideous thing in the middle of the wall” ) That being said, the honey oak has to go, these are my last two projects, and I keep coming back to the Java Gel, but concerned about the outcome, as there is no hiding the screw-ups on either piece. Any advice I would so very much appreciated!!
Hi Rhoni! Yes extenders will help to extend your play time when working with large pieces. And although I haven’t used the Java Gel Stain over another stain with shellac topcoat, I’ve seen other bloggers and pins on Pinterest do just that! I believe the GF site recommends a sanding before applying over the existing finish… but it can be done. Personally, I would test a small area first. Just to ensure it’s the exact look you are after.
I apologize if it’s been mentioned but what type primer is used? Can you use milk paint over oil-based primer or only water-based primer?
Beth, General Finishes Milk Paint (and keep in mind this is an acrylic paint… not a true Milk Paint) is self-sealing and does not require primer unless you have bleed through or knot issues and you need to seal it. Then a stain blocking primer can be used. I prefer to use water based primer when I’m working with water based paints. If you’re working with a ‘true’ milk paint (powder that you mix with water) you can apply it over an oil based primer but you will need to add bonding agent to the first coat of milk paint you apply. Great question!
I just saw this post and I love, love this dresser. I was wondering if the dresser was laminate because it looked like a laminate in ‘part 1’. Also, I haven’t seen you face book post about the handles, but they are gorgeous! I’m going to search your blog about how to paint handles. I’ve tried before, but they don’t seem to hold up under medium to heavy use. Thank you for the heads up on the GF milk paint. I am definitely going to try it.
I was wondering what your prep was? I refinished a hutch a few years ago with GF Antique white, I stripped it thought and used a foam brush. Did my kitchen cabinets in ASCP and I hate it. We’re moving and I wanted to spray my cabinets in GF this time. I can’t find anywhere on PREP though! Curious what you did & how it’s holding up now. Thanks!
Hi Eleasa! Prep was sand, prime.. then paint and topcoat/seal. This piece has been sold but I’m assuming it’s holding up strong. General Finishes Paints and Topcoats are known for their durability. Great choice for kitchen cabinets!
Stunning and has a soft even glow!…Hardware is beautiful..Well done Denise!
Thank you Judy 🙂
Great project. I’m getting ready to try to spray a book case with the GF milk paint. Was wondering wondering what sprayer you used a and what tip size? Also how much did you thin the paint? Thanks so much.
Josh
I use the Husky HVLP Paint Gun and LOVE it https://salvagedinspirations.com/free-husky-hvlp-paint-gun-is-on-route/. As for thinning the General Finishes Milk Paint, I watered it down maybe 15% until it was the consistency of a watery milk-shake and then I used a 1.8mm tip. Have fun Josh… I bet you’ll be impressed!
I forgot to comment that I LOVE the dresser and and the handles look great!!
Thank-you, big compliment coming from such a creative talent like you Lynda!
Hi Denise…
Great to see your comments! I used it in the Antique White and loved it as well.
Lynda
It’s wonderful to work with and I love the finish. Did you brush it or spray it Lynda? My next project is going to be in the Antique White also! 🙂