Real Milk Paint

[Scoony]

Not the company, but real old fashion milk paint

I have used paint from both companies but always found them foamy, and chalky. One of the brands rubs off too easily when burnishing. I have even used GF milk paint which is actually an acrylic paint, and it actually works really well, and results in a nice finish, however they changed the colors to fit in with the shabby chic crowd.

Internet has some info on making milk paint, so with skim milk, lime, and pigment powders in hand, I undertook a grand experiment to see if I could simply make it myself.

Recipe:
1 gal skim milk
2 cups vinegar
¾ cup hydrated lime
200 grams pigment (I split this up between green, red, and black
Water to slake the lime and pigment

I did use just a bit too much water with the lime so the paint was a bit thin, but actually worked out fine and it even sprayed through an old gun beautifully.

Green was brushed on with a cheap china and foam brushes. Two coats the burnished with grey scotchbrite pads. The chair got sprayed with a very thin cut garnet shellac to seal. The stools were not sealed. I started to brush on the first coat red and decided to try the spray gun. Worked out really nice and I am super pleased with the results so far.

Tomorrow, I will burnish the red, and spray the black milk paint on the windsor. The stools will get rubbed down with an oil finish.

The green pigment I got is a viridian green which is a pretty bright aqua-green. Seems to be the green pigment that’s available. I mixed in some yellow and a touch of black to get this green which I like very much.

Since no fillers, chalks, or clays were used, this paint burnished out real nice. Not a lot of material coming off the surface, and the paint smoothed out really nicely. Looked so nice that I was tempted to leave the chair green, but decided to stick to the original plan.

Strained with vandyke brown dye, starting on the green.


before burnishing


Red sprayed on


Stools


I think that fly got stuck



Separating the casein from the whey is a pain and a mess, so moving forward, I plan on getting some powdered casein protein and figure out the proportions of protein – lime – pigment so I can mix my own milk paint.

[jteneyck]

Very cool. You get the mad chemist award for the week.

The chairs look great.

John

[cputnam]

Looks great on that staked furniture - which looks great too. I don't think that I'll ever get to the point of being able to build a chair which is why, if I ever did, I'd probably go with a varnish. That said, the chair looks just fine painted.

Please keep us posted with your efforts. I'm really interested because I've got some BORG mystery wood projects in mind for which paint is the answer and I like the look of milk paint. In addition, if you get any hints of durability - that info would also be very interesting.

[Scoony]

The black proved to be problematic. First, it was separating into a black bottom and white top. Red and green did not have that problem. Keeping it stirred while using fixed that problem. Next problem was I could not spray it. Started out just fine, but after a few passes, the material stopped spraying. The pigment was not dissolving completely and was clogging up the little filter that sits below the gravity cup.

I brushed it on and the first coat seemed more like a black glaze, but the second coat got good coverage.

I sprayed a very thin cut of garnet shellac between the coats of paint and that really helped to keep clean layers in the distressed areas.

I oiled the chair and it is looking great, I will rub it down again tomorrow and apply some more oil.

3 different colors with 2 coats each and you can still make out the grain in the oak. Still shiny from the wet oil

[Steve N]

Same old milk paint formula, it's worked a long time. For me pigment is the trick. What brand pigment did you use?

Long time ago I went old school, and was grinding up bricks, using mud, charcoal, and coal, and all kinds of crazy things to color. Artist pigment sure makes that world easier.

[Scoony]

I was using pigments from earthpigments.com

I was reading somewhere online that I can use ultra marine blue with yellow and red to make a better black then from black pigment.

I hope to find a color wheel Monday to help with future color mixing.

[Steve N]

Have you tried artist pigment in "toothpaste form" from tubes? It's already wet, thick but wet, and tends to mix finer than solids, which as you know, need to dissolve completely, or they clump. I have always applied milk paint with a brush, but think if I were going to spray, I'd use the paste. Just a thought.

There is a bunch online about color wheels, and tint mixing, but the quick and dirty is a short trip to an artist supply house. IMHO the smaller the better, where you are apt to talk to the owner, who is likely an artist. Place like Hobby Lobby has plenty of choices, but poor odds of getting a knowledgeable clerk.

[Scoony]

I have used oil base colors in the tubes in the past to make glazes before discovering actual glaze products.

The colors/pigments have to be lime proof.

[Steve N]

I have just noted it made the finish flatter, seemed much more authentic.

[millcrek]

One advantage of earth pigments is they are the only pigments that are fully light fast. Laked pigments and artificial pigments will fade when subjected to UV.