Give wood a vivid finish

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Give wood a vivid finish

Start with a smooth surface

Begin by sanding your project parts up to 180 grit. Remove all sanding dust with a vacuum and a clean rag. Then use a vacuum or compressed air to remove any loose fibers from the paint applicator pads. We're applying this finish to a bed designed to be disassembled for moving; for projects you'll glue together, mask the joint areas for a better wood-to-wood glue bond.

To make this finish, mix equal amounts of oil-based enamel paint and mineral spirits in a clean container to create a translucent finish called a toner coat. Different paint colors thin to different shades, so lighten or darken the color as you choose by varying the amount of solvent. Then fill the bottom of a paint tray with thinned finish.

Finishes