Kitchen cupboard paint...

[amfisted]

I'm painting the laminate surfaces of my kitchen cupboard doors with Ronseal Melamine one coat paint.

It specifies on the tin that you should use a bristle brush, but careful as I am, I'm still getting brush marks. If I used a mini gloss roller would I get a more even finish?

Cheers.

 

[Pigeon85]

Could be that you are over spreading or it could be drying to quick, using a roller will just give you a stipples effect, if you do use a roller you will need to brush it over after using a very fine bristle brush.

 

[Pigeon85]

Just out of interest what is the drying time given on the tin?

 

[amfisted]

Touch dry in one to two hours, but you have to wait 16 hours to put on a second coat. I might try a roller on a less obvious bit and see how it goes.

Maybe I should buy a better brush and give that a go too!

Cheers

 

[opps]

Never tried it but it is solvent based so some White Spirits might make life easier. I don't know if you can add Owatrol. If you were able to it would sort out the brush marks but would also slow the initial touch dry times.

I would be inclined to phone them. They mention bristle brushes, by which I guess that they mean natural bristle, ie hog's hair. Personally, I only buy quality synthetic brushes

http://d1foit7yghv20f.cloudfront.net/assets/documents/tin/Cupboard Mel MDF 750_BoP.pdf

 

[amfisted]

Thanks again.

I used an old bristle brush yesterday and to be frank, made a bit of a pig's ear of the first couple of doors: you can see the drag marks of the first application through the second coat. So I went out and paid good money for a decent bristle brush, prepared the next lot of surfaces with 240 grit paper and used it wet rather than (as I did yesterday) using 100 grade sandpaper dry, laid it on much more carefully and evenly, finished the strokes in the same direction as advised on the tin and the second lot of doors are looking much better.

Painting laminate may not be exactly an art form, but I'm finding out that it certainly takes a deal more care than some other techniques.

 

[Pigeon85]

It is down to the quick drying of paints which causes a lot of people's problems, you end up needing exactly the right brush for the job, I myself prefer to use horse hair which i can then shape the brush for what i want but quick drying paints make it hard sometimes, so I uses purdy brushes for them which is the best I have found. Glad you seem to have it sorted now and any mistakes you might have just let it dry and sand it down and touch up

 

[opps]

BTW

Once the first coat has been applied you are no longer forced to continue to use the Rustins. You could, if you wanted, apply OB eggshell over the top (ie a paint that will be easier to apply).

 

[stevewestern]

As opps said, owatrol makes even the worst oil based paints easy to use.
Not cheap though, but so worth the expense !

I use Axus Lime rollers for kitchens and tip off with a very good brush (Corona Knight is my favourite )

Brush marks are a thing of the past !

 

[amfisted]

Interesting advice about using ordinary eggshell paint once the first coat of laminate covering has gone on; might leave the first coat for a few days then give that a go. Far less expensive, for a kick off.

Incidentally, the drying time for applying a second coat of Ronseal seems approximate at best, because the first coat seems to remain soft for FAR longer than the 16 hours quoted on the tin.

Thanks also for the info re quality rollers and brushes. I bought a "good quality cheap brush", if that isn't an oxymoron. Seems to have done a fairly good job.

 

[Cane32]

Have you thought of using a spray paint .
Look up... PLASTI-KOTE.. on the web colour charts, worth a try saves all those brush strokes.

 

[opps]

Interesting advice about using ordinary eggshell paint once the first coat of laminate covering has gone on; might leave the first coat for a few days then give that a go. Far less expensive, for a kick off.

Incidentally, the drying time for applying a second coat of Ronseal seems approximate at best, because the first coat seems to remain soft for FAR longer than the 16 hours quoted on the tin.

Thanks also for the info re quality rollers and brushes. I bought a "good quality cheap brush", if that isn't an oxymoron. Seems to have done a fairly good job.

the 16 hours is re-coat time not time till fully cured. The latter is weeks/months.

terebene can be used to speed up the curing time, it is an oxidising agent. Post 2010 I mix in terebene, owatrol and sometimes a tiny bit of white spirit. The first speeds drying, the second slows initial evaporation and the third thins overly thick paint.

"oxymoron" isn't that a thick cow

 

[amfisted]

Blimey, we are getting technical.

Thanks again...I did consider spraying but I don't really have anywhere I could get away with doing it without making an unholy mess.

Cheers for the info re drying time. I'm getting the hang of using this stuff with a brush but its a steep learning curve. My first efforts look more like Artex than smooth cupboard doors, but the later ones are almost stroke free, and I noticed that the stuff does continue to "self-level" as its drying, to some extent. All good fun.

I might try rubbing down gently then applying an eggshell paint to the worst of the surfaces, and if that improves them I'll do the lot. Of course, matching the colour might be a problem.

Watch this space for indications of mounting despair.