Woodgraining Base Coats and Glazes

Home | Interior Painting | Faux Finishes | Wallpaper

Painting and Decorating Concourse

734-464-3883

Base Coats

There are three base coats that I use for woodgraining. All are quick drying. Unlike wall finishes most woodgraining requires two graining steps or even three. The only exception to this is my "Simplified Graining System", which doesn't require a second step, but it can be improved on with an over graining step if one has the time to do so. Also in order to expedite the process

Woodgraining Base Coats & Glazes

my graining base coats are also primers so there is no extra priming step needed before base coating. All of these base coats are tintable and one comes in a deep tone base for deeper tinting. So without further ado, the following are my woodgraining base coats and the corresponding graining glaze that I use with them.

Glazes*

The are three glazes that I use for woodgraining. Modern Masters Tintable Glaze which is my fist choice. Modern Masters glaze holds patterns the best of all the glazes and even though it is waterbased, the working time is pretty good. Modern Masters holds up very well on next day over gaining - even when using rubber graining pads or rockers. For longer working time I use alkyd glaze: The two alkyd glazes that I use are Sherwin Williams (or Pratt-n-Lambert) Illusions alkyd glaze and if I want to use a premixed glaze or if I need a lot of open time, I use Old Masters Wiping Stain (I add some SW glaze to the Old Masters to stiffen it up) which has the L-o-n-g-e-s-t working time of all (this one will not be dry enough the next day and you will need to wait 48 hours or longer before over graining or varnishing). If you are just beginning with woodgraining I think Old Masters is a good choice to start with because of the long working time and it is already tinted. If you can't find your color in a standard premixed color offered by Old Masters, you can make it be mixing a couple of premixed colors together to arriver at the color of your choice. That way you are not dealing with tinting or tint strengths at all, it really simplifies the process. The following is

System #1

Base Coat : Zinsser "123 Bullseye" (white and deep tint base)

Glaze : Modern Masters "Tintable Glaze"

123 Bullseye works remarkable well as a base coat even under waterbased glazes. This system is actually my favorite system now (it used to be BIN - with Pratt-n-Lambert alkyd glaze over it, which is now my second choice), and with Minwax Polycrylic finishes you can do an excellent graining job all in waterbased products. This is a good all - round graining system -especially if you are doing multiple graining steps.

System #2

Base Coat : Zinsser "B I N" (white base only)

Glaze : Sherwin Williams "Illusions" Alkyd Glaze (or Pratt-N-Lambert or Old Masters "Wiping Stain")

Use this system when you need the extra working time or if you don't want to match the glaze by tinting. BIN is a fast drying shellac primer and is an excellent base coat under alkyd glazes. You can grain over BIN after a couple hours of dry time. The alkyd glaze won't re-wet or soften it. If you are doing one step graining and want to manipulate the glaze a bit this is the way to go. This system is a pleasure to work with. There isn't any simpler graining than "a quart of Bin and a quart of alkyd glaze and few brushes .......... (insert a little "Tool Time" Tim Allen grunting in the background here and you will get my point) ...... you can turn anything into any wood you desire.

System #3

Base Coat #3: Zinsser "Coverstatin" (white base only)

Glaze : Modern Masters "Tintable Glaze"

Coverstain is a quick drying alkyd (oil) primer. This is the flattest (it is not a dead flat) of the basecoats, normally you don't want a flat base coat, but waterbased glazes work well over it. Oil is great over enameled surfaces, hard to grip to surfaces and will develop scratch resistance quicker than a latex base coat. This product works well under waterbased glazes, alkyd glazes might soften it a bit if you overwork the glaze. This is a good choice when using Modern Masters glaze for your graining, but latex (123 Bullseye) primer is not the best for the substrate your are graining.

Our "terms of use" governs your use of our website; by using our website, you accept this disclaimer in full. If you disagree with any part of our "terms of use", do not use our website.