How to make wax so smooth over chalk paint
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How do I get my cabinet so smooth after chalk painting it?
10 answers
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Hi Tara. My chalk paint is my own recipe, but I can't imagine why this method wouldn't work with any brand chalk paint. After my final coat of paint is dry, I sand with 220 grit sanding block. I also sand in between coats of paint. It might not feel satiny smooth yet. With the paint dry and sanded, wipe down with a tack cloth to get rid of any dust particles. I use a clear paste wax. You can find several different brands at Lowes or Home Depot. It needs to be a solid paste wax. I use an large old abused paint brush to "scrub" the wax into the chalk paint surface. Chalk paint is very porous and the wax needs to penetrate the surface. I then wipe the surface with an old soft towel and let dry. After the wax is dry to the touch ( an hour or so) Buff the surface with a very soft towel or t-shirt material. The buffing creates a warm heated surface and smooths the wax. I wax at least twice, and buff till my arm wants to drop off. I do have a buffer that is electric but it won't get into the tiny crevices. So by hand it is. The more you buff the softer the glow and the smoother it feels. Good luck. I hope you get some good answers. sk
![SK on Elderberry]()
SK on Elderberry
on Mar 10, 2015
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Try using a fine grade sand paper and lightly sand the piece and repaint again. That's what I've done with furniture in the past and it always comes out smooth.
![Julie Seitz-Divinski]()
Julie Seitz-Divinski
on Mar 10, 2015
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Very fine steel wool works well. It smooths out the roughness and leaves a bit of a shine on the piece
![Darla Tomlinson]()
Darla Tomlinson
on Mar 10, 2015
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Hi - you actually need grade ooo steel wool - this will make it smooth without taking any paint off like sandpaper would. Sandpaper is OK if you want an 'old look'! Before waxing really you should use the steel wool on your painted surface and then wax it with two or three coats of Clear Wax - this can be either 'Bri-wax' or Annie Sloan's clear wax - rub down with the steel wool in between the coats, but don't rub too hard if you don't want the paint to come off and then 'buff' each coat with a soft cloth - this will give it a nice sheen. See some of the furniture that I have painted and then added different finishes to it i.e. marbling and my own 'French Antique Style'. http://www.decorativeideas.co.uk
![Denise Hardy]()
Denise Hardy
on Mar 10, 2015
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might want to skip the wax and just use a spray on clear polycrylic , several coats. sand before you spray if needed. also, over time the wax might yellow whereas the water based clear coats will not.
![J]()
J
on Mar 10, 2015
- See 1 previous
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Sand it with fine grit sand paper and then wax. Good luck!
![Misty (The Cedar Shake Cape)]()
Misty (The Cedar Shake Cape)
on Mar 10, 2015
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j - your very welcome :)
![Denise Hardy]()
Denise Hardy
on Mar 11, 2015
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It is your brush strokes creating the problems. If you wet the tip of your brush with water when you want smooth brush strokes you will get them. So wipe off the top to take the wax off with turpentine not the green kind, and sand and repaint it with watered down chalk paint.
![Sherrie]()
Sherrie
on Mar 13, 2015
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Hi again. If it's your paint not creating a smooth surface there is also a product you mix with your paint called Flotrol. This product makes the paint brush lines disappear. It is used by professional woodwork painters to create a flawless look. I have used it some, but I still like the chalk paint with fine grit steel wool or a sanding block in between dry coats of paint. Wax and buff. My wax doesn't not turn yellow. sk
![SK on Elderberry]()
SK on Elderberry
on Mar 14, 2015
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Your wax won't be smooth if your brush strokes aren't smooth. Most people use chalk paint for texture, but when you don't want texture you paint, dip your brush in a little water and go over your stroke end to end. If you put in the wax and it is sinking into some areas and not others and it has a spotted look it is because your paint is to heavy. If you have waxed it already you need to strip off the wax. Turpentine ( not the green mind ) then sand down to smooth it out. Then re- wax or repaint keeping the paint smooth. In the summer I use a spray bottle of water to lightly mist the time after I have painted a row and smooth it out, or right now I dip the tip of my brush in water after I have painted to smooth it out. After stripping a kitchen table 5 times that i painted I relearned on some furniture I needed to paint it smooth.
![Sherrie]()
Sherrie
on Mar 15, 2015
Julie Seitz-Divinski
on Mar 10, 2015
Darla Tomlinson
on Mar 10, 2015
J
on Mar 10, 2015
Misty (The Cedar Shake Cape)
on Mar 10, 2015
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