Spraying Annie Sloan Chalk Paint With HVLP

craftbeerguy

Craft Beer Guy
User
Hey All,

I just sprayed a custom-built sideboard with A.S. chalk paint. Rough finish but beautifully consistent color Sorry, pictures will not help to point out my concern. Some points to note.

First, a few years back, I brushed this brand on my hand-built kitchen cabs and distressed for an older "farm house" look. They turned out great. The finishing sequence was tinted Mohawk Vinyl Sealer, two coats A.S. Chalk Paint and top coat with ML Campbell Flat Aqualente. No problems 4 years later.

This recently completed piece has been primed with the same vinyl sealer and sprayed with my 4-stage Fuji using a 1.3mm tip. Paint was thinned to a useable viscosity but still the application was a bit rough. Sanded the first coat smooth with 320 grit. Coverage on both coats was flawless compared to brushing but the finish is something like rolled on wall paint. I researched and found a plausible reason -It was suggested the pigments in this proprietary paint are larger or chunkier so they'll never lay down like Latex.

Hopefully the WB lacquer topcoat will take some of the roughness out of the finish.

Comments and experience with the product is appreciated and thanks in advance.
 

Henry W

Henry
Corporate Member
Is that not what you'd expect from a chalk paint? It needs a rougher texture, as I don't think a super smooth texture (think glass) is a surface you could use chalk on.
 

Berta

Berta
Corporate Member
Chalk paint is different than chalkboard paint. I have only ever brushed chalk paint.
I have brushed and rolled chalkboard paint.
 

craftbeerguy

Craft Beer Guy
User
Is that not what you'd expect from a chalk paint? It needs a rougher texture, as I don't think a super smooth texture (think glass) is a surface you could use chalk on.
As Berta states below that chalk paint is different than chalkboard paint. That said, I've brushed this same brand with smooth results. The coverage is not as complete as spraying though. I'm trying to determine if this is a learning curve with my 4-stage or the product simply doesn't spray well.

I'd prefer tinted lacquer but my customer is hooked on the colors offered by A.S.
 

Henry W

Henry
Corporate Member
As Berta states below that chalk paint is different than chalkboard paint.

Ahhh, ok. My misunderstanding. What is chalk paint then?
I presume it offers a color palette that is not available using other 'coating systems' (as stated originally by the OP, the color)
 
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Berta

Berta
Corporate Member
WHAT IS CHALK PAINT®?
Chalk Paint® is a decorative furniture paint specifically designed by Annie Sloan to be easy to use, quick, and reliable.
Chalk Paint® very rarely requires any preparation, such as sanding or priming, and can be used indoors or outside, on just about any surface. Chalk Paint® can be used to paint wood, it can be used to paint metal, it can be used to paint melamine, it can be used to paint flooring, it can be used to dye fabric, and it can even be used to paint glass!

It‘s big in the up cycling furniture and farmhouse thing. To learn more go to the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint site. I haven’t tried it yet, I do have a few jars.
 

Henry W

Henry
Corporate Member
Hmm sounds great. I wonder what magic Annie Sloan has created there.

I won't argue with results, but with 'no sanding or priming, usage indoor or out, any surface...' this really sounds like an all-in-one solution (could be a urethane enamel, that is the closest I can think of that woudl fit the bill, except for the no prep stuff). For a pro painter that could save serious time - because good prep is (most of) the magic to a good paint job; that and choosing the right materials. If this is a one-size-fits-all paint, that makes materials choice easy.
My guess is that this product is too many $$$ to paint large surface (walls, house exteriors) with ... but I have not looked at costs. Assuming most of the market is for the smaller quantity/volume of furniture paints.
Nevertheless if it works well, who can argue?
I will have to check this out.

Uncertain why a client would specify that product, as all the advantages seem to be on the painter side. I presume the properties are also advantageous for the end user (no block, good wash-ability, high wear/abrasion rating, color retention, etc).

Sounds intriguing...
 

craftbeerguy

Craft Beer Guy
User
Hmm sounds great. I wonder what magic Annie Sloan has created there.

I won't argue with results, but with 'no sanding or priming, usage indoor or out, any surface...' this really sounds like an all-in-one solution (could be a urethane enamel, that is the closest I can think of that woudl fit the bill, except for the no prep stuff). For a pro painter that could save serious time - because good prep is (most of) the magic to a good paint job; that and choosing the right materials. If this is a one-size-fits-all paint, that makes materials choice easy.
My guess is that this product is too many $$$ to paint large surface (walls, house exteriors) with ... but I have not looked at costs. Assuming most of the market is for the smaller quantity/volume of furniture paints.
Nevertheless if it works well, who can argue?
I will have to check this out.

Uncertain why a client would specify that product, as all the advantages seem to be on the painter side. I presume the properties are also advantageous for the end user (no block, good wash-ability, high wear/abrasion rating, color retention, etc).

Sounds intriguing...
I have to say, I'm really impressed by the colors offered. It's terribly expensive but you can paint a fairly large piece for about $42.00/qt When the distressed craze was in and I think it still is, this paint sanded like sanding sealer so I assume it contains some kind of serates. Unfortunately for us artisans, these ease of use led to folks buying 70's dressers, painting them and over-distressing and sell them for ridiculously low prices. The proprietor is notorious for filing lawsuits on copy cat products.

I did my entire kitchen in it.

Davidson Kitchen.jpg
 

Henry W

Henry
Corporate Member
I have to say, I'm really impressed by the colors offered. It's terribly expensive but you can paint a fairly large piece for about $42.00/qt ....
I did my entire kitchen in it.

So was it the color selection that was the reason for the product choice? $42/qt? I guess I assumed these products were not inexpensive; for a piece of furniture this is acceptable, methinks. For the kitchen, those qts would have been needed in multiples. Seems like tintable lacquers (including water based) should be able to achieve the colors, be easier to spray, and significantly cheaper. That's my first take at least.

What was it about this product that had you choose it?

Nice work on the cabinets by the way...
 

craftbeerguy

Craft Beer Guy
User
So was it the color selection that was the reason for the product choice? $42/qt? I guess I assumed these products were not inexpensive; for a piece of furniture this is acceptable, methinks. For the kitchen, those qts would have been needed in multiples. Seems like tintable lacquers (including water based) should be able to achieve the colors, be easier to spray, and significantly cheaper. That's my first take at least.

What was it about this product that had you choose it?

Nice work on the cabinets by the way...
Thanks on the cabs! It was the customer for the piece on just finished and my wife for the kitchen that were insistent on the paint. I'd go solvent based, tinted lacquer any day. Our last kitchen was done that way with a glaze and significantly easier. Hope this thread helped a few folks.
 

Henry W

Henry
Corporate Member
Thanks on the cabs! It was the customer for the piece on just finished and my wife for the kitchen that were insistent on the paint. ...
Interesting to me that the client is specifying the finish. Not sure why they'd care which specific product was used, unless this product has a particular look that other products can not achieve. I don't understand enough about this product to know what that look is. Aside from colors, and gloss levels... does it feel different? Wear or clean differently? I understand that you are not making this choice, and so may not know/understand the thinking of the client (especially if it is your wife, haha). (EDIT - again the OP stated that it was the colors, I seemed to have missed that).
The Annie Sloan site that suggests 'a wax coating to add further protection' would suggest (imply?) to me that this is not a highly durable coating (not that adding wax would do much for durability except to add water beading...). Wax top coat would change the feel and possibly the sheen.

Again this is not a criticism, but just interesting to me. When a client says "Use this!" I will use that, and the price will be modified to accommodate the challenges in 'using this'.
 
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Jdc2130

New User
Jay
Annie Sloan Chalk paint and is water based and has amazing coverage which results in using less paint on a project therefore the cost is usually not more expensive. Over 45 colors .The Annie Sloan wax does seal the finish and after curing (21 Days) has a very hard and durable finish . Absolutely No sanding, No priming , No
Odor , and will not chip or peel.
It’s amazing and easy to use
 

Henry W

Henry
Corporate Member
Annie Sloan Chalk paint and is water based and has amazing coverage which results in using less paint on a project therefore the cost is usually not more expensive. Over 45 colors .The Annie Sloan wax does seal the finish and after curing (21 Days) has a very hard and durable finish . Absolutely No sanding, No priming , No
Odor , and will not chip or peel.
It’s amazing and easy to use

"It’s amazing and easy to use"
Great to hear that testimonial - makes me want to try some. Always glad to hear when someone has found a product they like and can recommend.

"...and has amazing coverage which results in using less paint on a project therefore the cost is usually not more expensive."

Sorry Jay, but to me that sounds like great marketing lingo. Does the can provide actual suggested coverage #s. Standard wall paints are listed at 300-400 SF/gallon. I don't know what the coverage is on Target's sprayable acrylic lacquer, but I suspect it is similar, or at least 250 SF/gal. For me 'amazing' coverage would have to be at least 400+ SF/gal.
The savings and advantage to using this product, at least to me, is the low prep and no primer aspect - fewer coats and low prep saves a lot of time and material.

"Over 45 colors"
You mean only 45 colors? That 45 choices may give you what you want, but have you seen a fan-deck of colors from any paint manufacturer? 45 colors is about 3 % of the typical color range of preset colors.

Again, I'm glad to hear about this, and have already thought of uses for it - wish I had considered this earlier.
 

Jdc2130

New User
Jay
The can states it’s coverage is around 140 sq ft per liter but
I’m sure that depends on the surface that’s being painted
 

Jdc2130

New User
Jay
I’m curious if anyone has sprayed this and with what kind of sprayer they used . The Chalk paint is thicker than most so know it needs diluting
 

Henry W

Henry
Corporate Member
The can states it’s coverage is around 140 sq ft per liter but
I’m sure that depends on the surface that’s being painted
Ok that IS great coverage - about 560 SF/gal - significantly more than the products I mentioned.
Thanks Jay
 

Henry W

Henry
Corporate Member
I have to say, I'm really impressed by the colors offered.
Yes the color palette looks great - I finally looked at the site.

I would be shocked if any paint store couldn't color match and create these colors - but maybe there is some color magic happening here.

The deep dark colors are hard to get 'single coat coverage' in conventional coatings. Does this product suggest 1 coat coverage even for these deep colors? I would guess not since the OP stated his finishing schedule included 2 coats of the AS product. (That info may be on the website, I only looked at the colors.).
 

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