Alternative to GF milk paint

[Farmerdave]

I like the GF milk paint but cannot buy locally and it's getting really expensive. Anybody use anything in place of this?
Thanks,
Dave

[Phil S.]

You could make your own.  An internet search will turn up a bunch of recipes.  This outfit has a faq on making milk paint and sell pigments to color it -

http://www.earthpigments.com/milk-paint-with-lime/

[Rob Young]

I like the GF milk paint but cannot buy locally and it's getting really expensive. Anybody use anything in place of this?
Thanks,
Dave

GF Milk Paint is an acrylic. Not casein based.

S do you just want the working properties of an acrylic or the way real milk paint works?

[Phil Thien]

GF Milk Paint is an acrylic. Not casein based.

S do you just want the working properties of an acrylic or the way real milk paint works?

It isn't just any ordinary acrylic, though, it sands great and builds fast.

[Scoony]

Hobby Lobby carries a milk paint that is probably acrylic based. I have not tried it yet. I do like the GF milk paint, but hate the newer colors they went to. There are some other companies that produce acrylic based milk paints, and I can find them in local peddlers malls but they are also expensive.

I do make my own milk paint, but it is really not much cheaper then buying the premix stuff. I use casein protein powder, hydrated lime, earth pigments and water. It makes what I think is a better paint then the powder mixes available. Sands and burnishes well without losing a lot of material which was a problem for one of the premixed products that I have tried.

[Phil Thien]

I asked this same question at another forum and someone suggested tinting primer.

Many primers tend to have properties similar to the GF milk paint.  That is, they dry quickly and sand nicely, and build pretty fast, too.  I never tried this.  The only primer I really have on-hand now is Glidden Gripper which doesn't feel like the typical primer I've used before (doesn't sand that great).

Anyway, thought I'd toss this out there as an idea where someone may be able to approach GF milk paint with a decent primer sold at a home center.

[Rob Young]

It isn't just any ordinary acrylic, though, it sands great and builds fast.

True.  I should have said "acrylic based" as I don't believe it is a straight-up acrylic either.

Last check, Rockler had decent prices and regularly has free shipping at the $35 (?) level so perhaps that might bring the price down for the OP.

If using enough, why not contact GF directly and see if they can help you find a distributor?  Or maybe they can get you a house-account to direct order?

[Farmerdave]

Thanks to all
Dave