It’s done.

Do you use regular latex or enamel?

Just latex. But it’s BM regal, not some home despot crapola. Anyway, just like all paint jobs, the prep is more important. The very most important thing about painting a door is to paint all 6 sides. And the most important part of that with a rail and stile door is to heavily cover the ends of the stiles where the most moisture can enter and exit. I prime the top and bottom twice and I paint them 4 times. If I have to trim the bottom later I will prime it with BIN a few times before rehanging it. BIN dries completely in about 15 minutes anyway.

One thing I forgot to mention last night was that while cutting the latch plate mortise, I ripped off a big chip from the edge. I glued it back on and held it with blue tape then painted the other side first. Then I removed the tape after about an hour and sanded it smooth. Looks like nothing ever happened. LOL… One thing about painting is that it’s very forgiving. I guess the same could be done if I were staining, but I doubt it would be invisible.

looks good brian

looks super,nice work.

I asked because every time I paint with latex, I have difficulty sanding as it stay rubbery.

Yes I did buy from home depot and lowes(:

That’s very true and also not recommended. You’re supposed to sand before you paint. ;-)

Back to BIN, which I cannot possibly sing loudly enough my praise of it. It sands like a dream. So if your surface is properly sanded primed and smooth and free of debris and dust, and you still feel the need to sand the paint, then you’re doing something wrong, in my humble opinion. Whenever at all possible I use a roller to paint with because the finish is more even and anyway it’s faster. So if you’re sanding brush marks, try a roller. If you’re sanding debris out of the paint, don’t. Use a scraper (painter tool, not a razor blade) and knock the debris off, then go buy a higher quality roller and touch it up.

Good paint makes a difference too. There is more “paint” in good paint. And for a few projects around the house, the price difference is so small that the headaches are not worth the savings. I could paint all the doors in my house with less than half a gallon. Don’t cheap out with paint. It’s just not worth it.

One more painting tip. If you’re like me, and not a professional painter going through gallons a day, and you need to store the paint for long times between small paint projects, use a plastic cup to scoop the paint out of the can instead of pouring it from the can. Keep the rim clean and the can will seal every time you close it and you won’t be tossing spoiled half full cans. Obviously I’m talking about small woodworking projects, not painting a room.

Thanks Brian. I appreciate the tips.

always used a primer. I used Bin 123 primer on one project then I also tried shellac (sanding sealer) on the second.
I am sure it’s my inexperience that’s shinning through.
The sanding was done before anything finish. Brush marks developed and I was trying to sand those. Probably it fry too fast (water based).
I used brush, roller and pads. The one that worked best for me was the pad.
The roller gave me “dots” almost like tiny orange peel.

I am going to try other brand from sherwin william on my next paint need.

BIN is shellac based sealer/primer. 123 is a good latex primer. Both by zinsser. Jeez you’d think im getting paid to talk about them. LOL but never went wrong with them.

Here is the difference between BIN and 123:

That’s a close up on a bit of door casing I made using common pine. I must have been in a rush (or drinking) because I primed with 123 (I have a 5 gal bucket leftover from painting my house). Anyway, that’s a knot. That’s the difference. Shellac based BIN seals knots completely and there is no staining. This was not sealed with BIN. The stain showed up after maybe 6 months.

Were you using a foam roller when you got the dots? All rollers leave behind a texture. Better paint helps to settle that down. I never liked the foam ones. They don’t hold as much paint and they tend to build up a bead of paint at the ends, then you end up with streaks. And worse yet, they’re no cheaper when they should be 1/3 the price. I usually buy the home depot brand of 4" roller. They are surprisingly good.

Thanks Brian.

At first I used the hairy one then I tried the foam.
I still have a bunch of those in the shop.
I will take pictures some pictures tomorrow of some sliding under the stairs drawer I painted with latex.