annie sloan calk paint , anyone used it ?

[ggirl]

I bought a bookcase and want to paint it , this stuff you apparently don't need to use a primer.
I used it to pain my fireplace which worked out well .

Anyone used it?

yeh it's a pain having it hanging aroung in the lounge unfinished , I've read that I need to wait 24hrs between coats fo wax before the final buff..is that what you do. Do you use one of her waxing brushes, if it makes the job less tedious I may get one.

There isn't a single thing that makes waxing less tedious - sadly!

I use a brush (not one of hers though, just a small old one) for the fiddly bits but I use old white t-shirts to apply it to the main parts & to wipe it off/buff.

Lots of people do use the brushes, but for me I think it would go on too rough. I prefer a smoother finish.

I don't deliberately leave it that long between the final coat and buffing, no, but because I hate it, it probably ends up being that long!! Or the late afternoon one day and the morning of the next.

I have been using white t-shirt
how many coats do you usually do , I want a nice sheen to it

Make sure your t-shirt is lint free, if you get bits of lint in the soft wax they're virtually impossible to remove.

I am going to order another lot of lint free cloth off eBay, it is better & not expensive.

You need to make sure the coats of wax are very thin, it's like putting moisturiser on your face, it needs to be a thin coat and worked in or it wont dry properly.

The jury really is out on the brushes, some people swear by them and others wont touch them. I think I might borrow one and give it a proper trial run. It might help to get it on thinner?

In the heat we have now your wax should be fine, but if it's 'heavy' (and I might have already mentioned this?) you can use a hair dryer on it, put some on your cloth then use the hair dryer to soften it and then aim the dryer at the piece while you put the wax on. It's a bit of a faff, but you do get a thinner coat and it's a really, really good trick in the colder months especially.

Try to get even coats of wax on and not overlap sections.

Also, I don't use the wax directly out of the tin, I scoop some out with the back of a clean spoon and put it in another dish, it stops you contaminating the wax with your cloth and it means you don't have the tin open for ages.

It should only take 1-2 hrs to dry (it will stop feeling 'tacky') then you can buff it whenever you want to really and apply another coat. I seldom do this in the same day - partly because I hate waxing so much, but mostly because I just prefer it to be totally dry/hardened.

If it's not dry (not tacky) in 2-3 hrs (unless there is exceptional humidity) then you are putting on too much wax

I think they recommend one coat on the sides etc and two on a surface but I put two coats on everything then another coat on any area that is likely to be used as a 'surface'. Possibly even a forth if I am selling it and it's likely to be used for drinks/vases/keys etc and if it's not too big an area

thanks chipping, that's very helpful
especially the bit about not overlapping bits
off to buy another tin of wax I think today

Have you only used the wax on the bookcase??

I hope not, because if that's the case then you have used WAY too much wax (unless it's for a full wall bookcase in the Smithsonian Library).

Hopefully it was only what you had left after the fireplace.

yes , have only done the bottom half cupboards and inside the glazed part of the bookcase
I prob have 2/3 of tin left. One of those small tins.
I have to wax the bottom half again cos i have painted over the first layer because I wasn't happy with it.

How does the bit look that you have repainted? Are you happy with it now?

Obviously I have no idea how big this thing is, but you shouldn't need more than one (small) tin of wax for a bookcase/cabinet thingy, even redoing the bottom.

Are you getting the wax on thin enough? How long is it taking for it to dry?

I need to go and wax a piece, but I'd rather talk to you about the theory of it! Did I mention it's the bit I dislike the most? ... Maybe I'll go and paint another piece instead I have barely moved my arse today and I have sooo much to do. I am so tired, I haven't been sleeping so I'm just MNing

Is the jury still out on whether we can use non-Annie soft wax? I find the paint goes a long way but the wax doesn't and, yes, it's the worst part.

Ggirl - I get mine at the same shop as you ;) I did one of their courses and didn't really rate it. Hasn't stopped me buying 9 tins of paint!

Nepotism - I honestly can't remember where I read the thing about the waxes - what it is or isn't in 'regular' waxes and how it affects the paint - sorry. I know some of them are just fine, but as I can't remember what to look out for I can't really say which ones.

How about ringing a couple of the retailers, all the ones I have ever spoken to have been helpful and not if you aren't using Annie Sloan exclusively.

The 5L tins are better value for money if you can afford the initial outlay.

yet again another day and no buggering waxing done

nepotism-do you live in the area?

Yes - the yachty town near you! Not a regular poster and name changed cos I'm paranoid. Remember you from a few years ago when your DD was looking at unis because we talked travel options from round here. Don't worry, I'm not a stalker!

Me either ggirl - it is now laughing at me, as is the unpainted piece. Sigh. So so tired.

nep I want to live in a yachty town, I miss living my the sea. I also want to move back to London. Up to the Cotswolds. Down to the south of France. In the New Forest. I think I should just buy a camper and be done with it.... but no idea where I'd put 20 million bits of furniture that need painting and waxing

I'm sitting on Rightmove as we speak trying to decide which of my siblings to live near. Unfortunately as we all seem to have decided to live in horrifically expensive but beautiful areas my dream of being mortgage free is just that. If I'm honest, the catalyst is wanting to do up another house (and seeing if you really can paint floors with ASCP!).

I also have the storage issue. I need a house in the country by the sea with a massive shed for less than 250k.

nep - Really? I like living several thousand miles away from mine, it stops me feeling the need to slap him & his wife quite so often

When I have decided what I am doing with my kitchen, I am going to take up the shitty cheap, badly laid, wtf were they thinking laminate and paint the floor. It's only going to cost me a tin or two of paint - so nothing to lose really. But I don't want to do it yet because the floor might be too crap underneath to paint it and I don't want to have to tile it until I know what's happening with the layout.

I might also paint the kitchen cabinets...

If you come for coffee - you might get painted if you stand still too long

You need to go on Escape to the country

Don't use the wax. honestly, it is just a bloody faff.

Paint on some Polyvine wax finish varnish which is compatible with the chalk paint. The finish is a very subtle satin and hard wearing. You can still do the dark wax smooshy thing then buff.

oooh atrisan -can you link me to some of this wonder stuff?

It is a bloody faff - I'd be the last one to disagree with that

But I love the finish you get. I also love being able to control the finish (ie matt/sheen/shine). I love the fact that it can be repainted easily & that it can be re-waxed at anytime etc.

I am also incredibly 'brand loyal' so I might be a bit biased

Having said that, I have quite a 'don't knock it until you've tried it' attitude to life and I am painting a huge, chunky old sideboard right now (well, meant to be, I'm actually pissing about on MN!) and I haven't decided what to do with the inside of it, so I might try it in there.... Thanks for the suggestion :) (I do sometimes varnish the insides of cabinets or drawers for convenience depending on the piece, but I haven't used one with a 'wax finish').

ggirl - Link here Polyvarnish it has a stockists list.

There's a stockist near me.

I have just watched the 'video' - she mixes it with emulsion paint and it goes on lovely, but it's a bit of a messy faff with wire wool if you want a shine/sheen to it (so you get all that black dust).

Hmmm. I might try it inside the cupboard first because I don't need that to have a sheen/shine, as long as it's wipeable. I wonder if it would mix with the chalk paint or if you could only do it in two steps.

The fact that is has colour options is not a good thing

so can I use this varnish on top of AS ?
I am not so brand loyal bbut I do still have 2/3 of a tin of clear wax to use. Must admit I am tempted to give it a try , have already given the inside a wax though. Can you apply this stuff over a previously waxed surface?

Yes, you can use the Polyvine varnish on top of the AS paint. Leave the paint to dry really well (at least 24 hours) then apply the varnish. Try a tester bit to see if it takes over the already waxed bit but the AS paint selling woman said it took ok. She thought the wax was a faff too

I tried it on an old cupboard then deliberately threw water at it but paintwork was fine. I am now going to paint the inside with the Emperor Silk.

Just bumping to keep us on my Threads I'm on :)

I need to go and buy some paint, I wish there was a stockist a bit closer or the nearest one was in a nicer place. Sigh. I love Life in Nettlebed but can't justify going all that way for a tin of paint.

Just back from thomas and lucia to get another brush, have decided I apply too much with a cloth. They didn't have any waxing brushes but said they use one of AS medium brushes so I got one of those.
Still undecided on the country grey , I seem to have wiped some off in a few areas and too much of the original wood is showing through for my liking.
I am thinking about painting the whole thing in old white now

Also have waxed the cupboard bit (applause please) and in the process spotted a few long drip lines of paint , if I sand them back I'l have to repaint again ...ffs!