Hey Guys! Here are some Q&As from this past week:
My most pressing questions about waxing are “how many coats?”, “do you buff / polish between coats”, “how long do you wait after a coat before buffing”?
You will only need one coat of the clear wax, but make sure you cover your entire piece. You will see the color deepen and the surface becoming a bit more satin but without a shine to it. It’s kinda like candle wax. As you apply your clear wax rub deep and heavy, buffing as you go. Do NOT leave any clumps of clear wax on your piece because if it dries this way it’s just a mess. Smooth it out as you apply THEN let dry for at least 24 hours.
I was thinking about buying direct from her (Annie Sloan). Do you know if that’s possible?
I believe she only sells through her stockists. I know you cannot order from her online presence. You can, however, look up stockists in your area on her site. They are easy to find. If there is not a stockist close enough to you, find on that will ship. I did this when I first started.
“Have wooden floor boards been painted using Annie Sloan chalk paint?”
Yes! I have not done it myself on purpose (if I have to work in the house due to weather sometimes I accidentally spill on the floor and think, now, this is how my floors would look painted. Same process.
“How do I incorporate a piece into a room when I don’t want everything to be chalk painted and distressed.”
Great question. You don’t want to have every piece of furniture in one room painted. Rather, you want to mix and match. The painted piece can either be your interest piece depending on color or it can be a neutral and blend in with your room. If you are new to this, go with a neutral color and paint a side table. You can’t go wrong.
(not my baby. just my buffet :))
“If you finished a job paint and you did not like the finished product that has 2 coats of wax, what is the easiest way to get rid of the wax? Can you just repaint on top of it or you use some product to remove the wax?”
Yes, you must repaint and start the process again.
“Being very literal we both get nervous of order. We believe it goes paint paint sand wax wax? However , if we paint then sand can we repaint and sand again?
Yes, that is the order that I use. If you paint, sand and repaint you will go over those sanded parts and have to re-sand if that is the look you are after.
Do you have to use the wax as a way to finish the piece or can you just stop after the sanding?
Good news – there are no rules! If you like the look of the matte, chalky paint on your piece then leave it. However, if it is a surface that gets alot of traffic I would recommend at least clear waxing it as a protectant against water rings and scratches. Dark wax is optional.
Once you have applied with an old cloth, when do you buff? Straight away or after a few hours / overnight once its had time to dry / set a little?
You buff as you clear wax. Rub it in as you go. Do not leave clumps. Smooth it out as much as possible and that is your “buffing” stage.
What do you do (with rags)? Throw them away each time? I think I will run out of old t shirts and bags of rags from home depot will get expensive!
I wash mine. Yes, they do get a bit stiff after a few waxing cycles. Anyone have any advice?
My question is — is there an inexpensive alternative to the Annie Sloan dark wax brush? Can I use an old t-shirt or inexpensive brush for that? And do you have any suggestions for usage when not using the AS brush for dark wax? Thanks!
Dark wax is just finicky. You can totally use a rag, but you will not have the same control and may get frustrated. If you are going to refinish a few pieces I would recommend inventing in a small, dark wax brush to get the results you want.
I honestly hate the feel of the wax on the paint. Am I doing something wrong? What would happen if I just skipped the wax?
It sounds like you may not be applying it correctly. Again, do a thick coat, covering the entire piece & really rubbing it in as you go. Then let it set/dry for 24 hours up to a week. At this point it will not feel like wax. It will just feel a bit smoother.
I’ve sold several tables painted in Old White. One I did for my Mom and last time I visited I noticed that the finish didn’t look too good. You could see a lot of wear on the top. Do I need to apply 2 coats of wax or am I doing something wrong? I need to top surface to be durable!
Yes, we all need the surface durable! Did you let it dry? Sometimes I take up to a week to let my pieces set. Did you use enough wax? It should be completely covered.
“I know chalk paint is okay to use outdoors, but is it alright to use the wax? I won’t be able to achieve the look I want without the wax and we live in Northern California where it can be very hot in the summers. The front door is in a covered patio”
I have painted & waxed outdoor benches. I have done many shows where the pieces get wet outdoors and stand up fine. So, yes, I’d say it’s fine to use the wax for outdoor pieces.
“Do you ever use a verathane on your furniture? Say for something that will be in a high traffic area? If you do, do you skip the wax or put it over the wax?”
No, I have not. Anyone else?
Would you just seal them with wax or poly? I understand the wax to wear down over time so I am concerned about not sealing them with poly since they will be wiped down constantly.
You can totally seal with poly, but that is not really the “look” you see when you try to achieve a shabby piece of furniture. Again, there are no rules, but if you use poly it will be shiny.
If you find a veneered piece in good condition, will you buy it or do you strictly stay with solid wood.
If it’s a great piece and there is veneer on the top then I will still buy it. I would not invent in a piece that is totally fake/veneer though.
I had someone purchase my tables before I gave them shipping price and now they want a refund, when my policy clearly states all sales are final. Should I just stay local?
Shipping just sucks. Period. I have found that I need to include my client/customer in the shipping process. I use USHIP and get bids on jobs and then go back to the clients to get the go-ahead. It’s very time-consuming and does not always work out. If I were in your situation, I would have to refund if I could not ship.
Have been hearing lately that AS paint may not be safe. There is a materials manual available that lists the ingredients of all different paints and 3 of the key ingredients in AS are very toxic. Do you know anything about this? I was especially concerned when I saw that AS Unfolded shows a baby crib painted. I respect your work so much and have followed your blog and YouTube tutorials so I feel you will tell me the truth.
I have ordered Old Ochre chalk paint without actually seeing the color. Do you have any photos of items that you have painted this color?
I found your tutorials extremely helpful to me as I have many ideas for projects but I don’t know where to begin. Thank you for being willing to share! Maybe this is a question you have already answered but I couldn’t find it so thought I would ask. I have a furniture piece I would like to work on. I want to do black base and burgundy on the top. Then I want to distress it so both the wood and the black will show through. Is the process you do for your piece the same if your two coats are two different colors or have you ever tried this? Thank you
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In regards to the rags, I go to thrift stores. Many of them here will sell a bundle of tshirts, maybe about 10 or so, for about $2-$4. I’ll cut them up and use them once. It’s so much cheaper than Home Depot!