NOTE: Refer to either the General Finishes EF brochure
or the Country Color brochure for basic information on the application
of General Finishes water-based products and the preparation of
the wood before starting. The following information only addresses
using General Finishes products to create special effects.
Note: These instructions are also included in the EF Waterbase
Finishing video.
Use EF Crackle with Country Colors and EF Wood
Stains to produce the weathered, aged look of a crackle finish!
Crackle is made with a medium that contracts when a water-based
stain is applied over it. As the Crackle contracts, it fractures
the top stain coat and exposes the base coat beneath.
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For
crackle effects, you will need two colors, EF crackle medium
and EF topcoat.
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Begin
with a base coat of either EF Wood Stain or Country Colors.
This will be the color that shows through the cracks. Let
this base coat dry for 2 hours. It is not necessary to sand
this coat.
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Apply
EF Crackle with a foam brush or handipainter pad. A thin application
produces thin cracks and thicker applications produce
wider cracks. Let the EF crackle dry for 2 to 48 hours.
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Then
brush on a relatively thick coat of your chosen second color
(EF stain or Country Color). Do not overbrush by brushing
back and forth repeatedly. The cracking effect will begin
within minutes.
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Let
the piece dry overnight and then finish with 3 coats of EF
PolyAcrylic, following instructions in brochure.
Note: These instructions are also included
in the EF Waterbase Finishing video.
Read the information on the application of General Finishes water-based
products and the preparation of
the wood before starting. These instructions
only address using General Finishes products to create special
effects.
Creating a marble look on furniture is easy
with Country Colors and EF Wood Stains. The following are some
useful tips to know before you begin.Marbleizing works best on
closed grain woods such as pine, maple, birch, aspen, or alder.
If you use "open-grain" woods, such as oak, the distinct, visible
grain of these woods will show through the background of the marbleizing,
and distort the look.Use your imagination! In nature, there are
no two pieces of marble exactly alike. If you don’t like the results
simply paint over and start again. List of Materials needed:
- Country Color White
- Country Color Black
- EF PolyAcrylic
- natural sponge
- lint free cloth (old T-shirt)
- feather
- 220-400 grit sandpaper
-
foam brushes
1. Apply 2 coats of White Country Color to
get a solid background. Allow each coat to dry for 2 hours. Then
lightly sand the surface to a smooth finish, following instructions
in brochure.
2. Dip the tip of the feather in Black Country
Color and draw the marble veins on the surface in a diagonal direction.
Use a slow, twisting motion with the feather as you drag the color
across the surface. Veins should look like lightning bolts or
tree branches, each vein roughly parallel to the one next to it.
Avoid a crisscross pattern. Veins should continue from edge to
edge. Allow the veins to dry for 5 minutes.
3. Pour equal parts of White and EF PolyAcrylic
in a flat pan. Dip the sponge in this mixture and then blot the
excess on a paper towel. Sponge over the surface in a random pattern.
Lift the sponge - do not drag it. The sponge will soften the veins
and begin to cover some of the veins. Let this dry 5 minutes.
4. Next, fold a cloth into a pad making sure
there are no wrinkles on the bottom side. Wrinkles will leave
an undesirable pattern on the surface. A latex handi-painter can
also be used. Blot the entire surface by lifting the pad straight
up and down. This will blend the black veins into the white creating
a soft, subtle look.
5. Use the feather again to lightly accentuate
the veins using Country Colors Black. Allow this to dry 2 hrs.
6. Finish by applying 3 coats of EF Polyacrylic,
sanding as instructed in the brochure.
Note: These instructions are also included
in the EF Waterbase Finishing video.
Create the Old World look of primitive grain
on any piece of unfinished furniture. In this discussion, we will
use Cranberry Red as the base color and Black Walnut as the secondary
color.
1. Apply 2 coats of the base color, then sand
the surface with #320 or finer grade sandpaper. Finish with a
layer of EF Polyacrylic to prevent color blending. Allow each
coat to dry for 2 hours.
2. Apply a heavy coat of dark stain (such
as EF Black Walnut or Country Color Black) directly over the base
color with a polyfoam brush or handipainter. Allow the stain to
set for 5 minutes.
3. Create a graining comb by beveling the
end of a piece of corrugated cardboard with a razor knife. This
will expose the ripples in the cardboard. Drag the comb across
the stain to remove most of the top layer of color, allowing the
base color to show through. The result will look like wood grain.
You can purchase commercial graining combs from craft supply stores
to create a different look.
4. An option to Graining is Antiquing. Follow
steps A and B. After the base color has dried, apply a thin coat
of the EF Black Walnut directly over the base color. Repeatedly
brush the stain until it is almost dry to achieve soft grain lines.
The wood stain softens the base color to a warm antiqued look.
5. Finish with 3 coats of EF PolyAcrylic as
instructed in the brochure.
Turn new furniture into
heirlooms by creating a vintage, timeworn look. Start by staining
your piece. Allow the stain to dry completely. Remove the stain
from selected areas, usually edges and corners, with #180 to #220
grit sandpaper. Sanding these surfaces will allow the wood to
show through and simulate wear and tear. Optional: Apply an additional
coat of EF Country Pine over the entire piece to create the look
of aging in both the stained area and the sanded areas.
Finish with 3 coats of EF PolyAcrylic following
instructions in brochure.
Pickling is simply applying a light color
stain to wood; then wiping off the stain to let the color of the
wood show through. The most popular pickle color is EF Whitewash
Stain or Country Colors White, however you are not limited to
white. Apply the stain and wipe off as much as you want while
letting the wood grain show through the stain. The look you want
to achieve is a soft subtle color. Let the piece dry and apply
3 coats of EF PolyAcrylic following instructions in brochure.
Another pickling method (the French provincial
look) requires two stain coats. First apply a light color stain,
such as EF Pecan, and let dry for 2 hours. Then apply a coat of
EF PolyAcrylic and let dry for 2 hours. Finally add the look of
age by applying a washcoat of White. Push the White into the edges
of raised panels or into detail areas such as carvings. Wipe off
the stain from the other areas. Let the piece dry and apply 3
coats of EF PolyAcrylic, following instructions in brochure.
After applying a base coat of Country Colors,
you have an option of applying a second color two different ways.
The first is to apply a second color over the base color while
it is still wet. A good example is to use Wedgwood Blue as your
first color. As soon as your are done applying the blue stain
follow immediately with a coat of white stain. This will allow
the colors to blend together to create a softer shade of blue.
The second method of color washing is to allow
the base color to dry completely. Apply a second choice of color
over the first coat. A good example is Black over Barn Red. When
the second color has dried, sand the surface down using 180-220
grade sandpaper. This will allow the base color to show through.
Follow with three to four coats EF PolyAcrylic finish.
