Painting ash veneer

[Jennifer McM]

Seriously thinking of painting above the gunnel panels inside the boat. The panels are are satin varnished ash veneer which have aged into a 'golden' shade.

 

I'd like to paint with an off white eggshell type of paint, which hopefully a thin coating will cover the wood, yet let the 'grain' of the veneer show through.

 

I'm looking to lighten up the inside a bit.

 

Wondering if anyone has done this with good effect, or have done it, and now wished they hadn't.

 

 

 

[widebeamboy]

The inside of mine is all painted. No wood anywhere. The walls are veneered panels and are painted in a way that does indeed show the grain. I think that Viking in Poland spray paint them, however when I replaced the bathroom bulkhead I used a similar veneered panel and then a roller to paint. People thought I was mad using such an expensive panel that I would paint, however I wanted the look of the wood under the paint. It was quite simple to achieve.

 

Now what I don't know is whether you will acheive this without removing all of the varnish first.

[alan_fincher]

Now what I don't know is whether you will acheive this without removing all of the varnish first.

 

It might prove very hard to remove varnish without also removing some of the veneer.

 

For some of the faced ply I have encountered the varnish layer may actually be thicker than the hardwood veneer beneath it. The veneer can be staggeringly thin, sometimes.

[LEO]

Varnish does tend to 'bleed 'through some paint surfaces - you can get a staggeringly expensive paint/sealant from DIY outlets, not sure of it's name but it's three capital letters....

 

L.

[Batavia]

Varnish does tend to 'bleed 'through some paint surfaces - you can get a staggeringly expensive paint/sealant from DIY outlets, not sure of it's name but it's three capital letters....

 

L.

ESP, from Owatrol. Magic stuff.

 

Chris G

[gbclive]

 

It might prove very hard to remove varnish without also removing some of the veneer.

 

For some of the faced ply I have encountered the varnish layer may actually be thicker than the hardwood veneer beneath it. The veneer can be staggeringly thin, sometimes.

Last year I decided to paint over the internal plywood cabin sides above the gunwall which had previously been scumbled including a varnish layer.We used ZinsserBIN Primer-Sealer & Stain Killer.Paint went on OK and wood grain shows through nicely.So far no bleeding.Quote from advert:B-I-N Primer-Sealer: - is the ultimate shellac-based primer, sealer and stain killer. It is perfect for use on interior surfaces and spot priming of exterior surfaces.B-I-N offers unparalleled adhesion to glossy surfaces including glass without the need for scuff sanding it also blocks stubborn and persistent stains. The high adhesion shellac formula seals porous surfaces with excellent enamel holdout, even sealing bleeding knots and sap streaks.

[David Schweizer]

Being a wood man I seriously disaprove of painting over a decorative wood finish. However, I accept that some people will want to do it, and it is quite easy providing you do it correctly. First of all you need to get a matt finish that will accept paint, the best for this is a fine grade production paper, I would suggest something around P240 or P320 to get a good finish, use it lightly as you do not want to remove any more of the varnish than is necessary. Once sanded, rub over the whole surface with ultra fine Scotchbrite, this will help to flatten the surface particularly in the depressions left by the grain. wipe the whole area down with a damp cloth, and when dry remove any remaining dust with tac cloths, the surface is now ready for painting. You can ether use an undercoat and top coat, or two top coats remembering to flatten off lightly between coats.

 

I would recommend that you use a spirit based paint rather than water based, which does not like attaching itself to varnish, Spririt based paints are getting harder to find, but can usually found in DIY barns in white, but if you want a colour you will probably have to get it mixed at a specialist trade paint supplier, I use Brewers who are very good. They will mix to a standard colour, or any colour sample you take in to them.

 

One thing to note is that productuion paper is hard to find in retail outlets, as it is basicly a commercial coach painting product but can be obtained in small quantities on eBay, The same company sells a range of grades :-

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Indasa-Rhynalox-Plusline-Production-Paper-P240-grit-Sand-Paper-Sheets-Pack-10-/262506935496?hash=item3d1ea1f4c8:g:YAMAAOSwq7JUFq7y

Edited September 7, 2016 by David Schweizer