Milk Paint Revisited

If I am not mistaken, my previous posts on milk paint probably discouraged an entire generation from using it. I hope this post may make you reconsider.

My first two attempts at mixing milk paint (milk paint powder + water) left a lot to be desired. The first batch was probably mixed correctly, but, since I jumped the gun on mixing it up, it sat too long before it was used. The result was something akin to a bucket full of snot, not pretty or fun to use.

My second attempt was even worse. Hoping not to make another bucket of snot, I used warm water and added a little extra. It was usable but too thin. It took about eight (more?) coats for full coverage.

Fortunately, I didn't actual have to use either misbegotten batches of paint. My mother-in-law and wife did. See, I've always told you that I'm not nice, but you never really believed me. Now you have conclusive proof that I am evil. However, in my defense, they did ask me to mix it for them.

The stars were right last Sunday so I decided it was time to paint the vent hood. Here is the correct process, step by step:

First, here is a before picture of our lovely vent hood. All the nail holes, seams, etc have been filed with wood putty and sanded smooth.

And, here is our milk paint. Fortunately, we stored it correctly so the powder is still nice and dry.
The basic formula for mixing milk paint is 1 part powder to 1 part water. Yes, I am moronic enough that I screwed this up twice.

Here is the random amount of powder (1 1/4 cup or so) I scooped up in a plastic cup. I used a Sharpie to mark the powder's depth on the inside of the cup.

I poured the powder into a plastic bucket and added an equal amount of lukewarm water.

I stirred the powder and water until they were thoroughly mixed. The powder has a tendency to clump, so keep at it until the mixture is nice and smooth.

Since all the prep work had already been completed, I gave the hood a once over with a tack cloth and it was ready to paint. Milk paint is meant to be applied to unprimed wood so no primer is necessary.
This is the vent hood after nearly one full coat of milk paint. If I'm lucky, it will only take two full coats (if unlucky, three) for get full coverage. Including set-up, mixing the paint, and prep (tack clothing), the it only took a little over a hour to get this far. Compare this to the neighboring cabinets which received the 8+ thin coats from batch #2 over a six hour period. The milk paint darkens as it drys if you are wondering why the vent hood looks more white than buttermilk.

So, if I scared you away the first or second time, please reconsider. Using milk paint is easy if you are not stupid like me. Really.