Using Fusion Mineral Paint for the First Time - Top Tips
I recently used Fusion Mineral Paint for the first time, I like it so much that I've decided to become a stockist! Here's a my experience and few top tips on using Fusion to paint furniture.
I was working on this farmhouse style dining table, it had been previously painted in Farrow & Ball eggshell, it was tired and had chipped in places where it had been knocked and worn. I started by giving it a light sand with my trusty Black and Decker Mouse sander, I used 100 grit pads as I wanted to "degloss" rather than remove all of the previous paint. Over the chipped areas I made sure that the edges were well sanded down so they didn't show through when painted. I always wear a mask when sanding and would recommend that you do too, you don't want to breathe in particles of paint or dust.
Once the sanding was done I wiped it down with a damp cloth and Fusion TSP (degreaser and no-rinse cleaner) to get rid of any dust and grime.
I used Fusion Mineral Paint in Ash, which is a fabulous dark grey, slightly Scandinvian in look. As you can see I had some help from Peri the Border Terrier who was admiring my work! I used a flat Fusion paint brush to apply (which is unusual for me a I usually prefer to work with an oval bristle brush when using Chalk Paints) but this one was recommended and I have to say it was brilliant. The paint goes an incredibly long way and the coverage is great. I applied the first coat, left it a couple of hours to dry then applied a second. This table is going into our shop as our new main display table so I wanted to make sure the paint job will last well and look smart.
Being water based the brushes washed well in plain cold water but came up like new with the Fusion Brush wash. Being acrylic based I wouldn't want to let them dry out before washing. I found the brush wash soap good for cleaning my hands afterwards too.
With Fusion there is no need to seal the paint, once it's applied and dried its done. I am delighted with the results, a smooth, smart and crisp finish.
My top tips:
- It's all in the preparation: sanding is definitely required with Fusion Mineral Paint particularly when working over previous paint work
- A little goes a long, long way. I hardly used any of the 500ml pot on the table base
- Don't get too much paint on your brush, less is more! If you want a nice smooth finish it's better to do two thin coats of paint than one thick one. You're also less likely to get runs or pooling areas of paint.
- There's no need to prime raw wood, Fusion Mineral Paint is self priming so I didn't need to worry about the expose bits of wood on the table base.
- Once you've finished your first layer of paint make sure you have a good look over the piece to make sure there are no runs as these can't be sanded out like they can with chalk paint
- Make sure your first coat is completely dry before applying the second. The official Fusion dry time is dry to touch 2 hours and can accept a re-coat after 4 hours.
- Fusion Mineral paint has no VOC's (toxic chemicals that are released into the air as paint dries)
- No topcoat is needed as it is built in the paint. Fusion Mineral Paint is durable and scrubbable. Tough Coat is a non-yellowing wipe on Poly Varnish designed for use when you know that a piece of furniture is going to have a tough life and extra protection is needed, for example a kitchen table top where lots of kids arts and crafts are going to be done or cutlery is likely to be dinked on it.
- Wash your brushes ASAP after use, I did find that the Brush Wash helped to get them uber clean after my second use.
If you want to find out more about Fusion Mineral Paint projects have a look at some of my other blogs.
Want to get going with a project? You can shop for Fusion Mineral Paint, Tough Coat, Brushes, Beeswax, Metallic Paints and other Fusion products on our website, see our collection here. We post through the UK including the Channel Islands and Scottish Highlands, postage starts from £4.95.
You can pop into our little shop in Bridge Street in Andover, Hampshire where we have lots of examples of painted furniture, colours and finishes. We also have fabulous interior items, homewares and gifts.
Happy Painting!
Hello, I’ve never painted furniture before. I have 2 dining chairs in a medium tone brown wood. I have scuff sanded & cleaned with tsp. My plan was to paint a light-medium gray or tan because I already have the seat upholstery that I want to use. However, I just heard that for a first timer, light colors are difficult to work with & that I probably won’t get a good result. She always recommends ash or coal for first timers because they seem to give a smoother finish. I’d love to get your thoughts please. Thank you!
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