Experimenting with Hemp Oil

 The phrase "From Trash to Treasure" could be used in the case of this old farm chair. I use the word character a lot when describing many of the older pieces we re-do. When I looked at this chair, I saw just that. The fact that it had been worn down that much made me want to restore it even more. It took a good deal of wood glue, clamps and a couple taps with the hammer to get it back in shape.

The next step was to choose which color of Milk Paint to do it in. This chair was being painted during a demo - as an example of how Milk Paint reacts without bonding agent. I decided to use Lucketts Green. It's a soft shade and since I have a plan for this chair, I wanted it to be subtle.

This is the first coat. I want a washed look and am hoping for the chipping and flaking. It's possible I won't get that effect because the chair is so old and was exposed to the elements so no finish is left on it. The paint is apt to just be absorbed into the wood and not distress itself.

This is after the second coat. All of a sudden, there it was. The paint just started to lift off and it was as I hoped.

Not alot of distressing happened to the carved area. Not a problem, I just ran a piece of sandpaper over it and lightly distressed it.

The seat, rungs and legs bubbled up just slightly. A quick once over with a putty knife and all the flakes fell off.

I hadn't tried the Hemp Oil on the fresh paint, I always waxed it or used a varithane. Well, I got a soft rag and started rubbing the oil into the paint. It was absorsbed immediately. You could see the way the paint just went from a chalky texture to a smooth, firm finish. At this point you could still feel the oil. Two hours later, it had totally absorbed into the wood and when I ran a clean cloth over it - nothing came off. Another coat and it will be ready to go out on someones porch or even in a garden. That was my vision when I was painting it.