How to Treat Easels
Within the throws of creative expression, easels can quickly get messy. Whether it is for a kid or for a professional painter, easels made out of wood should be properly treated to ensure that the wood is protected against water, paint or painting solvents. Finishing the wood with a gloss polyurethane varnish will not only seal the wood, it will also create a surface that is easy to wipe clean.
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Things You'll Need
- 120-grit sandpaper
- 220-grit sandpaper
- Vacuum, hand broom, blower or tack cloth
- Rags
- Mineral spirits
- Oil-based stain (optional)
- Paintbrush
- Oil-based polyurethane varnish
Instructions
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1
Fill any cracks or holes in the wood with solvent-based wood filler. Allow the wood filler to dry.
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2
Sand the entire easel with 120-grit sandpaper.
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Sand the entire easel with 220-grit sandpaper.
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Vacuum, sweep, blow or wipe down the easel with a tack cloth to remove all sanding dust.
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Dampen a rag with mineral spirits and wipe down the easel.
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Stain your easel, if desired, or you can bypass this step if you want to preserve the natural wood tone. Working in the direction of the grain, apply oil-based stain semi-generously with a paintbrush and leave it to soak into the wood for 5 to 10 minutes, depending on how dark you want the stain. Wipe off the excess stain with a rag, allow it to dry and apply a second coat to make up for any uneven stain coverage. Allow the second coat to dry.
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Apply a coat of oil-based, gloss polyurethane varnish to the easel with a paintbrush. Allow the varnish to dry.
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Sand the first coat of varnish lightly with 220-grit sandpaper then apply a second coat of varnish. Repeat this step one or two more times to create a thick, durable coating.
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References
- Photo Credit easel image by Rog999 from Fotolia.com
