Milk Paint

[ChrisGreaves]

I'd like to hear from anyone who has ever tried making Milk Paint.
Martha Stewart and Bob Villa make it sound easy:-
– Skim milk
– Lime juice
– Cheesecloth
– Powdered pigments

I think that skim milk is what I reconstitute from my 2.5 Kg sacks of powdered milk; Lime juice comes in a bottle from the supermarkets (or perhaps I could use grapefruit juice or lemon juice (I need the seeds)) or even vinegar; straining cloth I have acres of in my hot-box, and if I can't find pigment in the Dollar Store, there's always someone going to Clarenville for the day.

Why make my own paint? Well it will be something to do if I ever get tired of reading books or gardening ...

Like pulley-blocks, I get a kick out of doing, for the experience, home-made stuff.

Thanks for any words-of-experience.
Chris

[BobH]

Milk paint is not very durable, IME. It definitely is not suitable for exterior surfaces you want to protect, but if you are after a weathered paint look, it works.

[ChrisGreaves]

Milk paint is not very durable, IME.

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20240501_064503.jpg

Agreed, but then in this place NO paint withstands the weather as far as I can see. Above are two details of a sign, re-painted on its original plywood, and re-re-re-sealed against the weather. The artist/painter is a resident of Bonavista and understands our weather very well. But four winters were enough to penetrate the protected oil paint.
Sigh!

It definitely is not suitable for exterior surfaces you want to protect, but if you are after a weathered paint look, it works.

I hadn't got as far as that! I saw a mention of "milk paint" in a book, did a quick web search, found some some lovely posed pictures of antique furniture, and thought to try my hand at what some folks were doing 200 years ago.

Bob, you said "IME", but have you tried making the stuff? Any experience there? I read many caveats about using Milk Paint only for interior jobs, chests of drawers being the typical example.

Cheers, Bob

[BobH]

Yes, I tried it many years ago on some primitive furniture pieces I made. Pretty sure I didn't get the recipe right, but thought I did. The paint didn't last very long at all but did give a fairly nice patina to the pieces.

I'm surprised a Bonavista native would use plywood for an outdoor sign in any circumstances. While marine grade plywood might last a bit longer if painted with the proper sealants and paint, I should think that it, too, would deteriorate after only a relatively few seasons of Bonavista weather. The material used for those green and blue interstate highway signs is MDO (medium density overlay); and, I think, it is a special MDO.

[ChrisGreaves]

Yes, I tried it many years ago on some primitive furniture pieces I made. Pretty sure I didn't get the recipe right, but thought I did. The paint didn't last very long at all but did give a fairly nice patina to the pieces.

Did you have the paint outside? I have a variety of uses for the paint, including things like painting jam-jars and plant-pots and other materials that fall prey to my "Second Use For Everything " whims.

I'm surprised a Bonavista native would use plywood for an outdoor sign in any circumstances. While marine grade plywood might last a bit longer if painted with the proper sealants and paint, I should think that it, too, would deteriorate after only a relatively few seasons of Bonavista weather. The material used for those green and blue interstate highway signs is MDO (medium density overlay); and, I think, it is a special MDO.

Bob, I'm awfully glad that you are surprised. So you should be if a competent professional selected indoor plywood for an outdoor sign!
But that didn't happen!
I moved here Feb 2019 and by May it was almost warm enough to explore the shed; in that loft was a piece of plywood, looked like a bit of stage scenery. I asked all over town (library, Garrick Theatre, Town Council etc) and no-one know the history of it. I found a restaurant in Oireland and emailed them - no response - so I decided that ***I*** was going to be The Landfall Garden House, asked Ruth to pretty it up. She repainted it BUT retained Reg Way's original pencil lines (aMAZing!), varnished it etc and it has been screwed on to the North end of my deck Lo! these past four winters.

Then I found me a painter Royal Greening and from him commissioned a much larger sign - about 3'x2.5', painted on a steel sheet. Now in place and ready for its trial three-year test!

Cheers, Chris

[BobH]

In case you don't know, there is a difference between exterior plywood and marine grade plywood. The former uses glues that should be semi-impervious to water but the latter should be as close to impervious to it as possible. I think MDO used for signs uses a similar bonding agent but the surface to be painted is a resin. Resin might be the bonding agent, too, IDK. I salute your choice of steel for the sign. The substrate will outlast us both and probably our grandkids (if I had any), but the paint might need touch ups every decade or so.

No, I did not use milk paint on objects set outside. The pieces lived their lives inside but still did not retain their luster and finish as long as latex or alkyd based paint.

[ChrisGreaves]

No, I did not use milk paint on objects set outside. The pieces lived their lives inside but still did not retain their luster and finish as long as latex or alkyd based paint.

OK, thanks for this Bob.
It seems that - say - bedroom furniture might need to be painted every two or three years. Probably suit one of those revolting teenagers who just can't sit still unless everything is being changed ...
Cheers, Chris

[BobH]

I think bedroom furniture painted with milk paint would not need repainting so often. It really depends on the amount of handling and abrading, which is doesn't tolerate well at all, IME.