Wood You is a Certified Real Wood Retailer. Real Wood Furniture Finished Your Way guarantees absolutely no particle board in the manufacturing of its products.

Design Your Own Finish

Milk Paints ● Application of Milk Paints ● Furniture Glazes ● Wood Stains ● Application of Wood Stains Top Coats ● Application of Water Base Top Coats ● Application of Oil Based Top Coats

Milk Paints

General Finishes Milk Paint for Furniture

Milk Paints are the star of the furniture fashion market. They are interior/exterior acrylic paints suitable for indoor or outdoor furniture, crafts, and cabinets and can be applied directly from the can to produce a high quality satin sheen finish. When used with Glaze Effects, you can create all the new decorative finishes such as distressing, antiquing, marble effects, rag rolling, or color washing. Paint on high use flat surfaces such as dining tables and desks will develop the patina of every day life over time so we recommend clear or wood stain finishes to our customers who are do not enjoy this natural antiquing process. Milk Paints are available in the following colors: Snow White, Antique White, Linen, Millstone, Outback Brown, Little Pink, Buttermilk Yellow, Somerset Gold, Sage Green, Bayberry Green, Basil, Cypress Green, Red Pepper, Autumn Haze, Brick Red, Tuscan Red, Baby Blue, Federal Blue, Coastal Blue and Lamp Black.

Application of Milk Paints

Remove hardware from furniture. Taking a little extra time to remove backs of cabinets, drawer fronts etc., will make staining much easier. Milk Paints may be intermixed to create additional colors. Snow White or Antique White will soften darker colors.
If working in high temperatures or low humidity, Milk Paints may be thinned with 10-20% water or General Finishes Extender (3 to 6 oz. per quart) to improve open time for application.
If working over existing paint or finish, always test a small area to make sure paint will adhere. Sand glossy surfaces with #120 grit sandpaper before proceeding.
Make disposable paint trays by covering paper plates with aluminum foil.
Test the color on the underside of the project. It is your responsibility to insure that the color is what you want.
Always stir the contents well. Stirring distributes pigments that have settled to the bottom of the can.
Paint on a wet, liberal coat with a wide foam brush, bristle brush, or paint pad applicator. If too little paint is used, the surface can dry too quickly causing an uneven appearance.
Dry time is normally 2-4 hours under ideal conditions (70˚ and 70% humidity). Cooler temperatures or higher humidity will prolong dry time to 8-10 hours. Good ventilation, air movement and higher temperatures will accelerate dry time.
We recommend two to three coats of paint. If paint is not covering after 2 coats, you are not applying heavily enough. If using different colors of Milk Paint over one another (i.e.-when creating antique finishes) always apply a coat of Top Coat in between the colors to prevent color blending.
Buff between each coat of Milk Paint with a superfine sanding sponge, #320 or #400 grit sandpaper.
Milk Paint dries with a low luster sheen. Although it can be used as a one-can finish, we recommend one application of Water Based Top Coat for increased durability or increased sheen. It is not necessary to buff after applying final Top Coat.
Milk Paints are rated for exterior use, and do not require a Top Coat when used in outdoor applications. General Finishes water based Top Coats are not intended for exterior use.

Water Based Furniture Glazes

Glaze Effects are translucent water based colors used to create beautiful decorative finishes such as distressing, marble, shabby chic, burnishing, color washing, rag rolling and wood graining. Use over Water Based Wood Stains, and Milk Paints. Glaze Effects can be inter-mixed or layered to create custom colors.　They may also be layered over one another to create deeper, richer looks.
Glaze Effects are available in the following colors: Winter White, Yellow Ochre, Red Sienna, Burnt Umber, Van Dyke Brown, Pitch Black, and Clear Base (not shown). All finishes are shown here over Antique White Milk Paint. The digitized colors shown are for reference purposes only. Always test stain on a hidden area of the wood to verify desired color.


Winter White Glaze over Antique White Milk Paint	Yellow Ochre Glaze over Antique White Milk Paint	Red Sienna Glaze over Antique White Milk Paint	Burnt Umber Glaze over Antique White Milk Paint	Van Dyke Brown Glaze over Antique White Milk Paint	Pitch Black Glaze over Antique White Milk Paint

Water based Milk Paints can be used with glazes and water based stains to create decorative finishes such as distressing, antiquing, faux marble, rag rolling, or color washing. Creating these layered techniques requires using layers of color combined with sanding techniques. The results are stunning and well worth the effort.
Distressing is the technique of marking the wood to give the character of generations of use. The most common technique is distress sanding. Other tools can be used to give further character to wood; hammers, nails, screws, old hardware, literally anything you can pound into the wood that would leave an imprint. Then start hammering away. If it's been a long week and you need a lift, start a little character therapy project for yourself. Get rid of all that stress and distress a piece of furniture at the same time!
Antiquing is another form of distressing using sanding techniques, often followed by glazing to give the appearance of an antique piece of furniture that has been well taken care of over the years but, has slight natural wear and discoloration on the doors, edges, or sides.
Glazing is the process of applying a translucent color to the surface, and then rubbing off the excess glaze.

In the following examples, several layers of Milk Paints, Glazes and Top Coats are combined in the tradition of old world craftsmen to create unique decorative finishes in any color palette. The process goes fast as water based finishes dry much more quickly than oil based finishes.

Click here for more samples of Glaze Effects or Water Based Wood Stains over Milk Paints

1. Two coats of Autumn Haze
Milk Paint sanded through

2. Water based topcoat to
prevent color blending

3. Yellow Ochre Glaze

4. Final top coats

　1. 2 Coats Sage Green

2. Water based topcoat to
prevent color blending

3. Winter White Glaze

4. Final top coats

1. Two coats of Millstone Milk
Paint sanded through

2. Water based topcoat to
prevent color blending

3. Van Dyke Brown Glaze

4. Final top coats

1. Two coats of Brick Red
Milk Paint

2. Water based topcoat to
prevent color blending

3. One or two coats of Basil Milk
Paint sanded though

4. Yellow Ochre Glaze

5. Final top coats

1. Two coats of Brick Red
Milk Paint

2. Water based topcoat
to prevent color blending

3. Espresso Wood Stain

4. Final top coats

Water Based Wood Stains

Our Water Based Stains have all the advantages of oil base stains: they spread easily, can be repaired, can be blended effortlessly, and have plenty of open time. The thicker formula allows controlled penetration, which will reduce blotching on softer woods such as Aspen, Pine and Maple.

Water based Wood Stains are available in the following colors: Whitewash, Natural (clear finish), Country Pine, Golden Oak, Antique Oak, Pecan, Shaker Maple, Early American, Antique Cherry, Black Cherry, Rosewood, Cranberry Red, Walnut, Brown Mahogany, Espresso and Black. The digitized colors shown are for reference purposes only. Always test stain on a hidden area of the wood to verify desired color.

Application of Water Based Wood Stains

Mixing Custom Colors & Tinting: You can create unique colors by mixing any two shades of water based products. Be sure to record exactly how much of each color is in the mix and prepare enough to complete the entire project. Tinting may be accomplished by adding 2 oz of Wood Stain and 2 oz. of water to a pint of Top Coat (or 4 oz. of each to a quart). Mix the water and stain together first, then add this mixture to tint the Top Coat. Stir well. Do not mix water based products with oil based products.
Always stir the contents well. Stirring reduces the thickness of the stain and distributes pigments that may have settled to the bottom of the can.
Lightly sand the wood with 180-220 grit sandpaper to open the grain to allow the stain to penetrate evenly. Do not over sand!
It is essential to apply a wet, liberal amount of stain with a foam brush or a latex paint pad applicator to insure easy workability. If too little stain is used, the surface can dry too quickly causing an uneven appearance.
Divide your project into manageable sections (top, side, drawer, door).
Stain a complete section and wipe off the excess evenly with the grain using paper towels or a clean cloth. Check for missed spots and lap marks before moving to the next section. Immediately correct lap marks by rewetting the entire working area with stain and wiping the excess off.
Water based products dry faster so your project can be completed faster. Dry times are temperature and humidity dependent. Dry time is normally 2-4 hours under ideal conditions (70˚ and 70% humidity).
Cooler temperatures or higher humidity will prolong dry time to 8-10 hours. Water based finishes must be applied at temperatures above 65˚ F. Cooler temperatures will adversely affect how the finish will level and harden, causing fish-eyes or craters. If it is cold enough to wear a sweater it is too cold to apply a water based finish.
Humidity: Good ventilation, air movement and higher temperatures will accelerate dry time. If working in high temperatures or low humidity, water based finishes may be thinned with 10-20% water or General Finishes Extender (3 to 6 oz. per quart) to improve open time for application. High humidity can extend the dry time but will not harm the final finish.
Sanding between coats of any stain or top coat is referred to as Buffing. We do NOT recommend buffing between coats of stain because you may remove an area of stain that cannot be re-blended. If you must buff because you have imperfections that need to be smoothed out, do so with caution using a superfine sanding pad or #320 or #400 grit sandpaper. Do not buff prior to the first application Top Coat.
On most projects three or four coats of Oil Based Top Coat is just right. On projects receiving extra wear such as table and desk tops, additional coats will add more protection. For more instructions about applying Top Coats, click here.

Top Coats

Water Based Brush On Top Coat.

For optional use over Milk Paints, this crystal clear finish is rated by Fine Woodworking magazine as "Best Brush-on" in a competition of national brands. It is our standard "work horse" top coat and can be used in furniture and woodwork. Formulated to be durable and consumer friendly, it flows and levels easily and has great adhesion characteristics. It has strong sag resistance for vertical surfaces and its higher polyurethane content provides greater durability than other polyurethane/acrylic blends. Once you use PolyAcrylic Blend you will say to yourself, "Fine Woodworking was right on!" Available in the following sheens, Matte, Satin, Semi-Gloss, and Gloss.

Application of Water Based Top Coats

If you are applying Water Based Top Coat over an oil based stain, allow the oil stain to dry a minimum of 48 hours under ideal conditions.
Water based top Coats are milky white in the can, but will dry to a crystal clear finish. Stir contents well to insure that all the ingredients are mixed together.
Apply with a foam brush, latex paint pad applicator, or by spraying.
Apply Top Coats liberally using smooth even strokes working in the direction of the grain. Use enough material to provide a wet film. Do not over brush! Top Coats self level beautifully.
When used over Water Based Stains, Top Coats have "burn in" characteristics and may slightly lift some of the color during the application of the first coat (particularly red colors).
On most projects three or four coats of Top Coat is just right. On projects receiving extra wear such as table and desk tops, additional coats will add more protection.
Dry time is normally 2-4 hours under ideal conditions (70˚ and 70% humidity).
Cooler temperatures or higher humidity will prolong dry time to 8-10 hours.
Good ventilation, air movement and higher temperatures will accelerate dry time.

Buffing Top Coats

Do not buff the stain prior to the first application Top Coat.
It is important to buff in between each application of Top Coat for the smoothest possible finish with #320 or #400 grit sandpaper or superfine sanding sponge. It is not necessary to buff final Top Coat.
Remove dust with a clean cloth.

General Finishes Arm-R-Seal Oil Based Clear Topcoat

Oil Based Brush On Top Coat.

For use over wood stains, Arm-R-Seal topcoats are made with only the highest quality urethane resin, making them extremely durable and long lasting. They are formulated to be wiped on with a cloth or applied with a foam brush, thus eliminating drips and sags. They penetrate to provide deep down protection and that " natural" look.
Arm-R-Seal is available in Satin, Semi-Gloss, and Gloss.

Application of Oil Based Top Coat

Apply the top coat with a lint-free cloth, foam brush, or paint pad applicator, moving with the direction of the grain.
For large surfaces, apply a liberal coat as quickly as possible, evening out the surface with long, smooth strokes, keeping your applicator wet to provide lubrication. A dry applicator can drag on the surface and may cause streaks. (These streaks may be easily removed after the surface has dried by buffing well and recoating).
Buff between top coats with '0000' steel wool or #320 or finer grade sandpaper to produce a smooth surface. A minimum of 3 top coats is recommended.
Wipe-on Liquid Stains and Top Coats can dry in 6-8 hours under ideal conditions (70˚ - 75% humidity). Cooler temperatures or higher humidity may extend the time needed for drying up to 12-24 hours or longer. Basements, even with a furnace, fireplace, and dehumidifier, are the worst environments for drying. Provide good ventilation and air movement with a fan to greatly improve dry time. If a stain coat is dry, you should be able to wipe your hand across the surface without feeling any tackiness. If your top coat is dry, sanding will produce a white powder.
Use caution in disposal of waste materials!!!! When using oil based finishes, take careful precautions when disposing of waste products. Rags, steel wool or other waste soaked with these products may spontaneously catch fire if improperly discarded. Never leave application materials indoors. Immediately after use, place rags, steel wool or waste in sealed, water filled, metal container. Dispose of in accordance with local fire regulations.