Enamel House Number Tray
This project is a hit or miss... and I will let you decide.
Normally I wouldn't ask this question but today I am.
I started out with a great idea for a project about a year ago.
I used an oval table top from a small antique table and painted it black, then white over the black.
I had even drawn the pencil lines to create what I had hoped was going to be an enamel house number tray.
And then I put it away... for a long time.
Today was the day I was going to complete this project but it didn't come out exactly as I had hoped.
I finished the black trim, painted the number then gave the
tray a heavy sanding with an electric sander.
You can see in the last picture that I sanded the piece so the undercoat of black would come through.
All was going fine, I loved the way it looked, it was looking just like an enamel house number... until...
I used a product I love and use on a lot projects, it's called Triple Thick by DecorArt.
Triple Thick is a very heavy gloss you paint on a project
to give it an "enamel like" finish.
All was going well, I gave it a few coats and let it dry over night.
Now here is where I had a slight problem...
The color I woke up to was not at all the color this tray
was when I went to bed. It seems the Triple Thick drew the tannins in the antique wood through the chalky paint I used.
Many times when you use a chalk based paint the sealer
(and many sealers not just this one) will draw the tannins
from the wood through the paint... that is unless the paint has an acrylic base.
The solution to this would have been to spray the piece
with shellac before I began the painting process or to use a paint with an acrylic base.
I do have to say that personally I like this tray anyway, it looks antiqued.
I'm the old, rustic, vintage type and I don't mind a few
stains and imperfections. I'm actually getting a few myself.
I added some very cool handles to this tray and decided it was good the way it was... maybe even better.
So whether you like the vision I had of a pure white enamel house number tray...
or you are good with the old and rustic look, this is how you do it... or don't.
I ended up bringing it to the shop and it sold very quickly so I guess someone else liked my "antiqued" version.
What do you think?
Which one would you prefer?
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