Hi Friends!
Thanks for watching the videos. I wanted to post the answers the questions that you’ve posted & emailed. I hope this helps.
“I’ve just recently started using Annie Sloan paint and wax and I’m finding on large furniture my waxed areas look a bit patchy. I think I’m maybe not using enough wax but I’m wondering if I can just apply more without sanding it down first?”
When you apply Annie Sloan Clear Wax you want to use a heavy hand. You will have more success if you use her round wax brush as it makes the application easier then, say, a rag would. You want to thickly coat the brush in the can and then with a strong hand, brush the clear wax into the piece. You want to coat the entire piece and in doing so, you will use the clear wax liberally. For a large piece you could use up to 3/4 of a can! You will see the wax “balling up” in places. Continue to coat the piece. You will see the color deepen and change. Make sure you cover the lighter areas as they have not been hit by the clear wax yet. Then you will buff off the excess wax with a cheesecloth or rag with strength until there is a slight sheen to the wood.
“I watched your tutorials and love the steel wool tip, I used it and came out great but made a huge mess like when I distress. I’m I doing something wrong?”
This seems to be the most difficult step for most. The dark wax is a big mess if over-used. It’s like oxidizing a silver ring, as I’ve seen my dad do a million times. It creates black/dark spaces in those crevices creating interest and an aged look. It is necessary to antique a piece. Use sparingly. With one hand apply the Annie Sloan dark wax with your small, round wax brush and with the opposite hand go over with your steel wool. You will need to brush off the bits of steel wool that shed by simply going over with a dry brush. Use your dark wax in the details of the piece and the edges. It will age the piece. You may not want to use it down large surfaces, like the side of a cabinet because it may look overly smudged. Stay within those little areas.
“If the dresser has a medium to deep scratch marks on top of the dresser, should that be sanded first before the Annie Sloan paint? Or would the paint cover those. It’s more than the distressed look, it’s ugly slashes, so wondering what you would do in those situations.”
Every piece of old furniture has it’s own personality. And sometimes they are easy-going and other times they are finicky. If a piece has gouges that detract from a beautiful, aged look then you will want to take an electric sander to them. Don’t try to hand sand deep scratches because you will get tired & frustrated very quickly. You need to buzz those out the right way. DH is very good at helping me with this process. If the piece has little scratches and flaws, well, they can just be part of the character & story of the piece so go ahead and paint over it. Don’t plunge into a project. Spend some time looking at what you have in front of you and see what the piece calls for.
“How long do you let a piece, like a chair, sit before waxing.”
I don’t know if I heard Annie Sloan say this or I learned by trial and error, but I wait 24 hours after using my clear wax. You want it to cure on the piece and it needs time to do this. You can rush it. It still may seem waxy after the wait, but as you bring the piece inside and begin to use it any waxy feeling will go away with the use of the piece.
“I noticed in your video, that you painted the dresser with the drawers still closed. Does the chalk paint differ from latex, in that the doors won’t stick shut? Does the same apply for cupboard doors (armoire or buffet)?”
Ha! I am nothing if not efficient! I started painting with drawers still in when I began painting Union Jack’s on dressers. You cannot move drawers around if you want a straight until jack. I also want to work on a piece and evaluate it as I go. I can’t really do that if all the drawers are scattered everywhere. What I do typically is pull out the drawers a bit and then paint. Admittedly, I did not do that on the demo piece because my DH had to take the hardware off and I was unable to. Do what works for you.
I’m working on another tutorial about distressing as there seems to be some confusion. Stay tuned.
Helpful tips, thanks! =))