Paint or Stain?

[ZoWhat]

Refurbing an open top hood for a 6ft tank. Lights will be mounted inside, blah, blah, blah.

The facings is all PINE. I'm spending a lot of time belt sanding all the OLD paint off bc its bubbling with saltwater sneaking underneath the paint over the last 15yrs.

QUESTION....

Once I'm down to bare pine wood.....

1) paint it with an oil-based enamel???

>>>>>>>>OR<<<<<<<<<

2) stain it with an oil-based stain???

 

[reef_ninja]

Maybe make the choice before you go all the way to bare wood. If you choose to paint, you may not have to go all the way down to bare wood. Any reason you are choosing oil based?

 

[Ippyroy]

Depends on what you want. I like yellow pine because you can stain it and have look like any color wood you want, but it scratches easy and stands out like a sore thumb after you sand it.

 

[reef_ninja]

Depends on what you want. I like yellow pine because you can stain it and have look like any color wood you want, but it scratches easy and stands out like a sore thumb after you sand it.

Good point, pine is very flexible for staining.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Enamel paint. Prep wood good. As an assurance, get a sample pint or borrow paint from someone before you buy a whole can to see how it looks

 

[ZoWhat]

Any reason you are choosing oil based?

I know a guy who heads up the Painting Dept for Cincinnati Water Works. The guy deals with paint all day long for the last 30yrs.

The dude paints WATER TOWERS for God's sake among a million other things.. Super hero knowledgeable about paints.

He said use an Oil-Based product for this project bc oil makes for an hard, very hard seal.on the wood, especially under the conditions of a SW tank.

Paint or stain is my choice he said but definitely oil based product

 

[mrpizzaface]

After sanding prime first with an alkyd based primer, then top coat with the alkyd based finish paint. The glossier the sheen the more durable the finish. ( I am sure there are exceptions to this rule, though it is a good rule in general.)