Hi guys,

I am putting a finish on my Three Space Mystery and had some Behr water based primer left from a previous project and it applied very well over the wood. So I could attach the casters, I painted the underside of the illusion with a spray can of Rustoleum Painter's Touch flat black and it also went on very well. Now I've started painting the lower box with a brush on Painter's Touch and the paint will not cover well. It is almost as if I am painting with water colors on a piece of glass. When the paint dries, it seems to adhere well, but when wet it is a pain in the butt. Also I'm not getting a very even coat.

Am I stuck with stripping what I've applied and starting over, or is there a fix for this?

Thanks,
Richard

Hey, Richard:

Sounds like a compatibility problem between brands/types of paint (Rustoleum vs Behr, solvent vs non-solvent). Before trashing the existing paint, why not give it a quick de-glossing, with either Liquid Sandpaper or fine abrasive (cloth, steel wool, ScotchBrite pad). Clean with denatured alcohol or the thinner used in the intended topcoat.

On the upside, it sounds like you've got the makings of a nifty "crackle" type finish as it is; would this look work?

You are attempting to put a water based paint over an enamel. Either Leland is correct an the de-glosser will work but I"m pretty sure you'll need to sand through the shine, you may not need to strip.