I’m restoring an old wooden railing (100+yrs.) made of old growth pine. Except where there were poor joint details the wood has held up remarkably well. I stripped the layers of old paint off and have restored the wooden details with epoxy consolidant and putty where applicable and with spliced in comparable wood where necessary.
I’m probably over thinking this but the original has held up so remarkably well that I feel I owe the railing my best effort to ensure it lasts maybe another 100+yrs.
I’m thinking maybe I should coat the bare wood with a coat of boiled linseed oil first to soak into the wood fibers, let that dry, then cover with an oil based primer. I plan on doing this to areas that have another layer of moldings to be attached, and to the moldings, then covering all with a good quality latex paint.
The original held up so well because of the original primer coat that was so heavy but still viable (so much so I hated to remove it) So I want to create something as durable and with a few better const techniques increase its longevity. I know the old primers used were heartier and I want to do the best system I can. Am I heading in a good direction?
BTW these railings sit out in the weather 24 7 here in all the extremes of the NE.
Please any help or input will be welcomed and deeply appreciated.
Replies
BLO will take a long time to cure.
Most oil based paint/primer will be a linseed oil base anyway, cut to adhere with added bonding agents. I would just start there.
If you do use BLO first, be absolutely sure iut is all cured before overcoating it, then sand to give a mechanical tooth bond for the next coat.
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"I'm thinking maybe I should coat the bare wood with a coat of boiled linseed oil first to soak into the wood fibers"
Don't do this - we've seen very bad mildew problems from this technique. Use Cabot Problem-Solver Alkyd primer with mildewcide and 10% Penetrol then topcoat with 100% Acrylic.
Jeff
There is no such thing as painting outside for 100 years. There are many conditions that will effect the paint. Do it so you can renew when the time comes.
The key with painting is having it adhere to the surface. Putting on linseed oil will prevent the primer from getting a good grip. There are a number of different primers but we still use a good quality oil based primer. This isn't the place to buy the inexpensive stuff.
There are also a lot of top coat choices. We can't make our own out of white lead like the old timers could. Acrylics resist peeling and fading. On a railing, you could use an oil based or a polyurethane enamel, too. Resist the urge to over do things. It may actually shorten the life of the job and will make it more difficult the next time.
Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
I have had very good results on similar projects using Primekote, an Abbatron 2 part epoxy primer. Very low viscosity, it soaks in like crazy and stiffens up the wood fibers. A little sanding and then follow with a good oil primer. Note, this is not Abbatron's Liquid Wood consolidant which I think is a lousy product because it is way too thick and doesn't soak into the wood. In fact, I use the Primekote as a consolidant before using their Wood Epox filler. I have also had good results with linseed oil mixed 5050 with paint thinner, which allows it to soak into the wood and stiffen up the fibers.
I've used a lot abatron wood consolodant and epoxy putty to remake a lot of the damaged areas. I find that the consolidant is heavy but absorbs faster when warmed. Anyways I have about 60 feet of very heavy and ornate railing. How far does the primekote cover if it soaks in so well.
Have you had any problems with the linseed oil and mildew? Or does the cutting of it allow it to dry better?
When I said the primekote soaks in like crazy, I wasn't suggesting that it soaks up so much that you don't get good coverage...just that it gets into the wood and stiffens it up. I'd say it covers as much as oil primer. I had no problem with linseed oil with mildew etc.; cutting it is important since this gets the resin into the wood fibers instead of sitting on the surface. Try it on a small area, I think you will be impressed with the way it stiffens up the wood fibers...even old growth needs some help after a 100 years.
Boiled linseed oil works well to keep bare wood from drying out and cracking, particularly outside. I've used it on wooden handled tools, picks and long handled shovels in particuar.
Hand sand the surface smooth and apply the oil liberally, letting it soak in overnight before use. Makes it possible to work all day without gloves. It also adds many years to the life of the handle...if you continue the practice every year or two.
It lasted that long because it was old growth.
A light sanding and the coating of your choice.
That wood will last quite awhile more with normal care.
Benjamin Moore makes a penetrating oil primer. When coating bare wood it's a good idea to use 2 coats of primer. The first coat should be thinned to soak deeper into the wood. Then second coat should be full strength for good adhesion.
A good (expensive) primer will not let go of the wood. I usually pay more per gallon for primer than for paint.
Check out the University of Wisconsin Forest Products Laboratory web site.http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/faqs--finishing.htmlThey've done extensive testing on painting and finishing wood. One of their test showed that coating bare wood with a water-repellent preservative prior to painting prolongs the life of the finish. They also recommend latex over oil based paints.