Paint brushes

(I will add some pics later)

Getting a good set of brushes is super important.  Not only will it save you time, in the long run, it will save you money.

It seems simple but if you have a big project with a big surface area, get a larger brush.  For smaller, more detailed areas, smaller brush.

I personally use a 3" brush on almost all tops and sides and drawers of my dressers.  I used to use a 2" and it took forever and had way more brush strokes.  So, now I have 3", 2" and 1" brushes.  I really like the nylon brushes.  Easy to clean and pretty darn durable.

Plan your painting to work with the brushes and area you have to paint.  First, do the larger areas and then move to the more intricate areas.  However, BEFORE YOU SWITCH BRUSHES, WASH THE BRUSH YOU JUST USED.  Do all the big stuff first with your big brush, then rinse it out/wash it.  Then do the next size brush etc.

If your paint brush is "pulling" when you are painting, that means you need to wash it.  The pulling is because the paint is drying and the dryer the paint gets, the harder it is to remove.  The hotter the day, the faster your paint will dry on your brush.

CARE FOR YOUR BRUSHES.

It is essential to wash your brushes thoroughly.  What kind of soap you use will depend on what kind of paint you are using.  I use chalk paint and latex paint.  To rinse my brushes I use warm water and dawn dish soap. I also have a pink soap I got from Michaels used specifically for acrylic paints that I will occasionally use as well.

Rinse your brushes until the water runs clear, turning them so each side has been washed.  I actually use a scrub brush to wash them, only scrubbing one way (away from the paint brush handle), not back and forth.  Make sure you rinse all the soap out and allow it to dry before using again.

***
I have recently started using sponge brushes because they show less brush marks and I can get in the corners easily.  The beauty of these, you can put them in a ziplock bag in between uses and the paint will stay moist! The downside being, they suck up a lot of paint but the ziplock solution helps soften the blow since I will use the paint on the next project (or finish the current one) 

SOLD (BEFORE AND AFTER)

Cute 1920's dresser. Sold $100

Coffee table SOLD $50

          

               
                                                                       

NOT ENTIRELY BEFORE... THIS HAS A COAT OF WHITE.  IT WAS COMPLETELY BROWN LIKE THE SIDES.  THE FINAL PRODUCT IS GRAY.             

After

BEFORE

                                                   

AFTER PICS OF THE ARMOIRE

Before

AFTER

THIS NIGHTSTAND USED TO BE THE SAME AS THE ABOVE PIC.  THIS IS AFTER

 ONE COAT INTO BEFORE... USED TO BE HONEY OAK COLOR ... I DID THIS ONE FOR A FRIEND

AFTER

 BEFORE/AFTER                                                          

NO BEFORE PICS :(   ONLY AFTER

            BEFORE/AFTER                                                                        

 

I couldn't get my shadow out of the pic.

Before

During

After.  

BEFORE SET WAS REFINISHED

AFTER

AFTER (before handles)

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE /AFTER                                                                      

Changing hardware is just like repairing holes. (See blog repairing holes)
You can either use a wooden dowel or just straight wood filler to fill a hole.  In this particular project the "client" wanted different knobs.

This means taking off the old hardware, sanding and filling the holes that would no longer be used since new hardware only takes one hole.

I made sure it filled completely front to back.

Then we sand.  Vacuum.  Clean with a rag and water and/or cleaner. Now we can paint.

It will take a couple coats...

Holes filled and you can't see them.  Hardware is on its way.

What to ask when buying

There is a list of things you should always ask when buying anything. Cars (how old are the tires? Clean title? Non smoking? Etc)
When buying a dresser, a similar list applies. Whenever I buy a dresser I always ask the following:

*Any damage?
*Drawers work properly?
Any pets? (Sometimes this doesn't matter and sometimes it does)
Location? (calculate your gas and make sure the round trip is worth it.  If it is far, let them know you are coming from x and it is x miles away. Sometimes they will give s discount for the difference in gas)
*Non smoking? (Getting that smell out of difficult and not worth it.)
*Solid wood? (Rare to find anymore.  Most things appear solid but are pressed particle)
*Dove tailed joints?

Firm on price? (Moving sales= price is negotiable. They want to get rid of it. This doesn't mean low ball, but you can usually knock a few bucks off. I always ask for at least $10 off their asking.)

Make sure you take all the drawers out, inspect it carefully. It's your money you are spending, make sure it works. They shouldn't have a problem with it if it all functions properly.

* = "must asks"

Repairing holes

You find a beautiful dresser for super cheap.  Why? It has a hole in the side of it. :(

BUY IT!  As long as other things are in working order, buy it.  The average person can fix a hole.

Examine the hole.
See if it is just a surface gauge or if it actually makes a hole all the way through.  (I guess that constitutes a hole but stay with me...)

This one went all the way through. This is the inside view

This is what it looked like from the outside.  It was about the size of a nickel.

Since the hole went all the way though, I used wood glue to glue the inside back to flush (I had to remove some since it had splintered)  

Go buy yourself some wood filler or wood putty.  I like the Elmer's brand, I got mine at Lowe's or Home Depot.  Between $5-10 depending on the size.

(Pic is from "changing handles" blog but it shows the wood filler I like to use)

Take a fair amount of the putty and fill the hole.  You want it to be solid in there but it doesn't have to be flush yet.  Cover the hole and the surface just outside the hole, like a "putty band aid."

(Using my hand, I filled the hole, and wore a glove but you can use a putty knife if you choose)

Now wait.  You want it to harden completely (read directions for amount of time)

 After it hardens, give it a good sand to make it flush with the wood again.  It should be pretty smooth.
The below pic shows after I sanded and put a light coat of paint on it.  I will need 1-2 more coats but then it will not be seen at all.

The next pic is the hole after only two coats of paint. Can you find it?  :)  The light part on top is the flash from the camera.

  Viola. No hole.  -And that my friends, is how you make a $20 dresser (because of the hole) TOTALLY worth the buy.

FUTURE FLIPS

All furniture that has a price on it, has the possibility of being whatever color you want.  A $50 non refundable deposit is required.  This means you plan on buying it and it will be specialized to your specifications.  The $50 will go toward the purchase price when finished.

This one is BEAUTIFUL and HEAVY!!! Once finished it will be $299.

Thomasville Dresser, 9 drawers (3 hidden behind door)

Dovetailed joints, solid wood.

32" x 64.5"x 20"

 One drawer has a jewelry spot                                                           another is divided.

I am planning on finishing this in white but it is about 3 project away.  If someone wanted me to paint it or stain it another color, I require a $50 deposit and I will do so.  This obviously mean they are planning on buying the piece if I finish it in a color they request.

Will be Grey with black accents. 

Will be white with chevron stripes.

White or grey with black or white handles.