Painting mahogony window frames

[malcolm622]

Hi I wiant to paint our mahogony window frames white(I was aiming to use quick drying gloss white as it does not yellow). Last time I remember panting mahogony, there were problems with the colour bleedsing through the paint.

I there any specific method I should use - a specific undercoat which will act as a barrier and be compatable with quck drying gloss or should I stick with good old fashioned gloss paint?

Malcolm

 

[emilybronte]

I'm assuming this is for the outside of your house.

You need an oil-based undercoat. Then you need two oil based top coats in white. Weathershield (Dulux) or Trugard (Leyland) are good and because it will be outside it won't yellow.

The quick drying stuff will be water based and the technology has not yet improved to the point where water based paints are as durable as oil based ones in exterior conditions.

If you are painting the interior of your house then Johnstone's water based gloss or satinwood is very good, but you would be advised to seal the mahogany with something like Zinsser Bin before you go anywhere near it with the white top coat.

 

[dcdec]

You need to use Aluminium wood primer over mahogony because its a hard wood. Use it as your primer regardless of interior or exterior, bin would also work but its hard to brush out because it dries so quickly, and then follow with suggestions as above

 

[vibrobullit407]

Agree with dcdec. Aluminum primer will prevent the bleed from the mahogany coming through subsequent paint layers. It does not dry as fast as BIN and is a little cheaper to buy!

 

[deanibusmaximus]

I am like a broken record when it comes to Zinsser Coverstain at the moment. Would it do the job on mahogany??

 

[emilybronte]

You need to use Aluminium wood primer over mahogony because its a hard wood. Use it as your primer regardless of interior or exterior, bin would also work but its hard to brush out because it dries so quickly, and then follow with suggestions as above

That's useful to know - thanks. Would you need the aluminium primer AND the undercoat or just the aluminium one?

 

[vibrobullit407]

That's useful to know - thanks. Would you need the aluminium primer AND the undercoat or just the aluminium one?

Primer then undercoat would be the correct application prior to any top coats.

 

[malcolm622]

Hi
Many thanks to everyone for their knowledgable replies
Malcolm

 

[oldgreymouse]

Mahogany timber is a very tight grained wood and is very difficult to even get glue to adhere to. When making joints in this timber, I was always advised not to smooth off the joints too much before gluing up to help hold the joint together.
When painting it was suggested to use a course paper and not to go down to finer grit and I mean leaving off at a 60 grit! This was to give something for the paint to bite on. The aluminium paint is quite thick so this is a good primer as already suggested. It did stick quite well and an undercoat of white with a rub down in the usual way was fine before the top coat.

Having mixed thoughts about what is the best white gloss to use these days, I like the dulux Exterior for outer windows but finding all this eco stuff is not such a nice finish to my mind. It's quite hard to get a smooth finish with the water based stuff, dries too quick!!

 

[emilybronte]

There's not the same need to use water-based for exeriior work though, as the uv llight keeps oil-based whiite paint white. It's just inside where the o/b whites are now a problem(VOCs which kept them white have been removed, and there's not usually enough sunlight to keep them white naturally).

 

[oldgreymouse]

Emily, that's very interesting in what you say about the whites and in still using them outdoor. I mostly use oil based in much of my work but having to relearn more about the water based paint for indoor woodwork. I just don't get the nice finish anymore. I find them sticky, drying too fast and you just can't lay them off as good as oil paints.
Still I guess we have to move with the times.

 

[emilybronte]

Emily, that's very interesting in what you say about the whites and in still using them outdoor. I mostly use oil based in much of my work but having to relearn more about the water based paint for indoor woodwork. I just don't get the nice finish anymore. I find them sticky, drying too fast and you just can't lay them off as good as oil paints.
Still I guess we have to move with the times.

I think the acrylic glosses and satinwoods are the way forward - have you tried those?

I recommend Johnstone's Acrylic Satinwood or Gloss, or Dulux Diamond Trade Satinwood - both need at least two coats and must be applied with a synthetic (not bristle) brush. You can get a good finish with them if you're patient. I prefer them, personally, as I hate the smell of oil-based in a confined space and the reduced drying time means you can do the second coat the same day and you can use them in environments (e.g. family home still in use!) where o/b would be spoilt by dust, dog hairs, etc before it dried. The acrylic w/b seem to repel dust and specks wonderfully and dry nice and smooth.

 

[vibrobullit407]

I agree that the wb finishes are going to be used more and more but still say that for certain internal work ob may be necessary. For instance large flush areas like flush doors. The brush marks on these types of door are hard to get rid off with wb. Where as with skirts and archs you can get a decent finish with the wb systems.

Different horses for different courses so to speak.

 

[emilybronte]

I agree that the wb finishes are going to be used more and more but still say that for certain internal work ob may be necessary. For instance large flush areas like flush doors. The brush marks on these types of door are hard to get rid off with wb. Where as with skirts and archs you can get a decent finish with the wb systems.

Different horses for different courses so to speak.

I've achieved results I'm happy with on flush doors with w/b - by dint of taking off hinges, lying flat* to paint, applying paint with micrfibre 4" roller first then laying off with tips only of a Purdy 3" brush... and giving at least 3 coats. It's a palaver I agree, but at least they won't yellow!

(*the door, not me)