paints for wood crafts

[rljohn56]

ok, i'm not an expert on acrylic paints so i need some advice.  i bought some acrylic paint the other day from Walmart to use on a project i'm working on and come to find out this stuff is like working with colored water. I know there are oil base and water base paint but wasn't sure what would be best. Now i find there is also heavy body acrylic and light body(which is probably what i got from Walmart). It would be nice to be able to just clean up with soap and water too.  I appreciate everyone feed back in advance

[rjweb]

Buying paint from Walmart is why you got watered down paint, try hobby lobby or micheals for a better paint, RJ 

[oldhudson]

I've always used Delta Creamcoat acrylic paints. I must get them from Joanne's or Michael's.  They are very thick. Have a long shelf life if sealed correctly. Thin easily and clean up with with tap water (although I use distilled water when thining). They comes in a gazillion colors. I get them in 2oz soft plastic bottles, I can squeeze out a few drops or remove the cover and get a larger volume. Finally, my bottles are labeled, Made in the USA.

[WayneMahler]

I don't use paint a lot. When I do I use a product called Plaid. It can be found at Pat Catans or Michael's and come in many colors. Water clean up and stores well.

[edward]

I like Apple Barrel paint, they have indoor and outdoor.

[Rockytime]

I use the cheap acrylic little bottles from WallyWorld. They are not thin. I have to thin them with tap water to use. They have worked just fine for me. If thinned enough they work in an airbrush. I would probably only use it in a simple single action airbrush.

[Roberta Moreton]

I have always painted with the craft paints. No problems

[kywoodmaster]

Don't hate me but were the bottles mixed well (shaken)? All acrylic or latex paint is water clean up.

[crupiea]

I am a spray can guy all the way.  I use the ones from home depot that are the 2x ones. I think krylon.  You can get cheaper ones but it takes numerous coats for decent coverage so its a better value with the 2x ones.

[NC Scroller]

As kywoodmaster   said paint will settle out over time.  I found shaking is not always enough.  Unscrew the top and using a thin piece of wood try mixing the paint.

[John B]

I used acrylic satin house paint on all of my toys. I'd then top coat it with lacquor to give it a nice shine and a little more protection. I used to get the sample pot's but as production increased I bought 4litre cans and decanted them into 500ml containers. Much cheaper purchasing that way.

Edited September 10, 2018 by John B
typo

[WayneG]

as someone said if your going to use acrylic paints do yourself a favour and get them from an art store like Michales or Deseers etc.

they cover better, usually with only one coat, they dry much faster, they don't smell near as bad as the cheap paints and they don't lose the color when you apply a coat of poly even when the cheap paint is seemingly dry.

I get mine from Michael's and I buy the large bottles of the colors I use most, they are 12.99 and I always get a 40 or 50 % coupon so really they are well worth it.

Paint from walmart and dollar stores are just not worth the trouble IMO.

 

I do think I am going to try spray paint like Crupiea says he uses...

[zimmerstutzen]

One of my acquaintances was a professional artist who now mostly does freebie stuff for charities, although she still sells a bit.  For anything on wood, she swears by Rustoleum oil paints.  I tried the Rustoleum water base house paints and they give terrible coverage.   I have been getting good results with cheap Apple barrel paints from Walmart.  I wish my painting skill was better.  I have tried painting bare wood, tried painting on top of wipe on poly, tried painting on top of brush on lacquer, tried painting on top of shellac sealer, even tried painting over friction polish.   So far the best has been over the shellac.  

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

Any painting I do I use spray can  Rustoleum 2X which is primer and top coat in one and they work great. I too only get satin and can either top coat with a satin lacquer or semi-gloss or even gloss. Home Depot$ 3.88 a can. Just bought a bunch more the other day for a couple projects. Actually cheaper in Homer than Amazon.