Glazing Without Sanding

Finishers discuss glazing techniques that don't risk sanding through stain coats into white wood. December 23, 2014

Question
I have a customer that wants me to glaze her cabinets. I've not seen the cabinet doors but from what she says the crevices are not glazed but the outside corners are? She showed me a picture and it looks like the guy that built them did a creme color paint and took something brown like a crayon and just made a little stripe on the corners instead of leaving it in the crevices. If anyone knows this technique I'd like to know how to do it so that I can satisfy this customer thanks.

Forum Responses
(Finishing Forum)
From Contributor S:
Sounds to me rather than a glaze it is a sand-through finish. It would be good if you could get a pic of the door and show us.



From the original questioner:
It actually looks like a sand-through to me too but if it is then the guy put a brown primer on the doors then probably put a coat of a creme color paint over it and then knocked off the corners.


From Contributor J:
You can "color distress" with glaze - dry brushing comes first to mind. We did some black chairs recently with what looked like a sand-through to a cherry stain, but was a glaze on top of the black applied to the edges by pulling the flat side of a chip brush along the chair edge where color was desired. It saved a stain step and the chance of a burn through to white wood.


From the original questioner:
Interesting concept I have not tried that before. I halfway wonder what it would look like to just take a brown marker down the edge of the door?


From Contributor J:
It might look cheap, depending on the sample. Or it might be just right.


From the original questioner:
I just had a thought. I wonder what it would look like to spray a brown dye, then do a creme primer and then do a sand through to show the dye? I’ve never done that before. I don't know if there would be adhesion issues or not?


From Contributor M:
I think it must have been done using the new technology. A machine called Luraboccsionkkey helps in getting such finishes.


From contributor Y:
Instead of sanding through and taking a chance on sanding through the base color to white wood, try using a vinyl sealer tinted to your top color; then, instead of sanding, use a rag with solvent (lacquer thinner) to wipe through. The vinyl sealer will be soft enough to wipe off to get the "sand-through" effect, then just top-coat. I know that deviates from your glazing question but applies to the other posts.


From contributor M:
Just buy some of the rectangle shaped Touch-Up Solutions edging sticks. They are like a really hard crayon, except they are made to be compatible with topcoating with lacquer/CV. I've done this before, they work well unless the sand-through is wide. If it's just corners, they will work fine. Otherwise, an assortment of broad-tip permanent markers can work. As can using aniline dye concentrates, applied with empty refillable magic markers.


From the original questioner:
Some of my same thoughts. I'll look into the touch up solution sticks.