Oil Vs Water Based Paints

[fortyfourpm]

Hi All,

newbie here. I have started a project to refurbish a chest of drawers. I have picked out an oil-based paint for it, but want to know recommendations as to the undercoat. I have had some people tell me it makes no difference, and others saying it does. is there a definitive reason for or against a water or oil based undercoat?

Thanks

 

[matt]

Hi. Welcome.

I prefer water based painst etc because they generally smell less, dry quicker, and clean up is easier than oils.

That said I'm fairly certain I recently used water based primer/undercoat followed by an oil based eggshell. Regardless of my personal experience I'm fairly certain it's OK to mix the two.

There are members on this forum who have a lot of experience of painting so will no doubt provide some useful advice.

 

[Graeme]

You can (or at least I have) use water based primer undercoat then oil based top coat, but I tend not to. i.e. oil and oil or water and water.

Considerations are that water based undercoats can lift the grain in the wood, this may not be an issue for your application, but you may have to do a bit or rubbing down between base and top coats. This seems to be especially true if your spraying.

Good luck.

Cheers
Graeme

 

[cornucopia]

if your using an oil based gloss then i always reccomend an oil based undercoat- you will achieve a much higher sheen on the gloss that way.

if your using an oil based eggshell finish then the reccomended finishing system is two full coats of eggshell onto suitably primed or previously painted substrate.

as a general rule you can put oil on water but not vice versa unless a binding coat is used first.

 

[fortyfourpm]

Hi All,

Thanks for the responses. I will be brush painting it. Am I right in thinking that with the longer drying time of the oil-based, that the brush marks will level off better, whereas with the water based quick drying time they are more exaggerated, or does that not make a difference as it will get sanded in between coats anyway?

 

[cornucopia]

the drying time doesnt affect the brush marks- brush marks are a result of certain poor quality products,bad technique and cheap brush's.

although having said that none of the major companines have yet to get a perfect acrylic gloss which doesnt need flotrol to resolve issues like opacity or dragging, but there are very good satin/matt acrylic finish's like sikkens rubbol bl satura which dry to a perfect uniform finish without to much fuss.