# Pickling



## PMP (Sep 7, 2014)

I have a customer that wants a significant amount of pickling done on walls. There is currently a urethane finish. With sanding will the desired effect be achieved?


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## Schmidt & Co. (Nov 6, 2008)

When I think "pickling" I'm thinking of a pigmented varnish. It's something you apply, rather than sand off. Unless I'm missing something.


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## Paradigmzz (May 5, 2010)

Urethane on walls?


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## benthepainter (Jun 17, 2011)

G'day PMP

Welcome to the forum : ) but please don't post up such titles I'm sitting for lunch and I see the title pickling 

With great excitement i couldn't get into the thread quick enough : (

Oh well I made my first chutney on Saturday and was keen to read about some pickling









Sent from my iPhone using PaintTalk.com


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## Red dog (Jul 20, 2014)

Back in the old days what we called "pickling" was staining with a thinned oil base paint.


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## PMP (Sep 7, 2014)

Paradigmizz, yes there is currently urethane on the walls. The "pickling" I'm referring to is going to be a thinned (with water) latex (white) brushed on and wiped off with a rag. Guess kinda like white-wash.


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## ridesarize (Jun 19, 2012)

Just realize how much or little you sand into urethane. It will cause the white to stain I think. But what pattern*being created is what matters. 

I would try a light even scuff with a fine sanding sponge, not gritty paper that will scratch.


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## A&S Painting (Oct 19, 2014)

PMP said:


> I have a customer that wants a significant amount of pickling done on walls. There is currently a urethane finish. With sanding will the desired effect be achieved?


So, what was the out come? I just ran into the same situation yesterday. The walls are wood plank with a stain and urethane on them and the HO wants them pickled. I stopped at one of the three Benjamin Moore stores by me and they said to use oil paint thinned with a thiner and apply with rag then seal it.


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## Epoxy Pro (Oct 7, 2012)

A&S Painting said:


> So, what was the out come? I just ran into the same situation yesterday. The walls are wood plank with a stain and urethane on them and the HO wants them pickled. I stopped at one of the three Benjamin Moore stores by me and they said to use oil paint thinned with a thiner and apply with rag then seal it.


We just stripped a clear off a T&G ceiling and going with a white wash. I don't know what the clear is that was used but the Festools are tearing right through it with 120 grit. We had started to strip it right to bare wood, there is some splotchy spots the HO really likes. I don't know what a White wash will look like on it. I am doing a sample tonight for the HO.


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## Epoxy Pro (Oct 7, 2012)

PMP said:


> Paradigmizz, yes there is currently urethane on the walls. The "pickling" I'm referring to is going to be a thinned (with water) latex (white) brushed on and wiped off with a rag. Guess kinda like white-wash.


I made a couple of mixes yesterday. Not sure I like the look (but then again who cares what I like as long as the HO is happy). It's my first time making my own.

How do you water down your paint?


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## Epoxy Pro (Oct 7, 2012)

As we were sanding the way the ceiling looks the HO loves it (again not a fan). Here are my first 3 attempts of a watered down latex paint.

Left side sat for almost 1 minute before wiping, middle is brush, wipe, brush, wipe. 3rd one is really watered down.


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## journeymanPainter (Feb 26, 2014)

To bad you cant/aren't removing all the stain. The last one looks good (from what I can see on the tablet). Two coats, and spray some white clear min wax over that


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

cdpainting said:


> As we were sanding the way the ceiling looks the HO loves it (again not a fan). Here are my first 3 attempts of a watered down latex paint.
> 
> Left side sat for almost 1 minute before wiping, middle is brush, wipe, brush, wipe. 3rd one is really watered down.


Interesting look, almost like "sand back" technique for highly-figured woods, like guitar bodies.


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## fauxlynn (Apr 28, 2011)

A&S Painting said:


> So, what was the out come? I just ran into the same situation yesterday. The walls are wood plank with a stain and urethane on them and the HO wants them pickled. I stopped at one of the three Benjamin Moore stores by me and they said to* use oil paint thinned with a thiner and apply with rag then seal it.*




Yes, this is the way I would do it. I would not even bother to scuff any of it.Just do not use a straight up bright white, it has to be a warm white or the result will look too 'ghosty'. The white should have some yellow or brown in it. When applying, less is more. You can always add more if it's not heavy enough overall. Then just seal it.

As far as using latex, like Dave showed in those examples, that would work,too. However, I would be leery of the mixture beading up on the surface if it were too watery, especially over a clear coat. Plus it might make a bit of a mess on a ceiling.
Good luck.


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## Epoxy Pro (Oct 7, 2012)

journeymanPainter said:


> To bad you cant/aren't removing all the stain. The last one looks good (from what I can see on the tablet). Two coats, and spray some white clear min wax over that





Gough said:


> Interesting look, almost like "sand back" technique for highly-figured woods, like guitar bodies.


As we were sanding the HO came up stairs while we were sanding and said I love the way this looks and pointed to a spot we had just started so we kept it going, before we did the wash we made sure she liked the look.


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## Epoxy Pro (Oct 7, 2012)

Here is one wall done.


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## eews (Apr 18, 2007)

the wood looks quite blotchy-with dark staining- was there any chemical application to the raw wood?

I've always preferred using a thinned oil base pigment ( like japan color) for whitewash/pickle. Never liked the way latex goes on or moves around.


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## Epoxy Pro (Oct 7, 2012)

eews said:


> the wood looks quite blotchy-with dark staining- was there any chemical application to the raw wood?
> 
> I've always preferred using a thinned oil base pigment ( like japan color) for whitewash/pickle. Never liked the way latex goes on or moves around.


As we were sanding the clear off before we even got to the point to make it look new and clean the HO saw it and loved it. She liked the blothcyness look so we finished sanding the ceiling and walls like that, had the HO look again and she loved it more. I would have sanded it back to bare wood any other time.


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## Jmayspaint (Mar 26, 2013)

cdpainting said:


> Here is one wall done.



I think it looks cool Dave. Definitely unique. Puts me in mind of the hide of a Holstein cow for some reason.


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## Epoxy Pro (Oct 7, 2012)

Jmayspaint said:


> I think it looks cool Dave. Definitely unique. Puts me in mind of the hide of a Holstein cow for some reason.


HAHA that's awesome. After looking again your right it does sort of remind me of a cow.

The HO loves the finished look that is all that matters in the end.


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