How to Make Milk Paint from Scratch

[@elenalatici9568]

Thanks for the vinegar tip. I always let the milk go sour to separate the curds and whey. I'll share a tip with you, if that's ok. Use an immersion blender to mix your paint. You'll have no lumps. You will get a lot of foam which you can easily scoop off. Now you won't need to shake your jars of paint. Try it and see if it works for you. Re the immersion blender: don't use the kind with the wire whip. You want the one with the four little cutouts on the sides.

[@luluspittles5424]

Thank you for this ...and welcome to my paint nerd family!

[@Missashgroth]

I love using milk paint on my furniture projects and have always wondered how to make it myself. Definitely going to try it out and wanted to let you know your video was very informative and helpful!

[@hdwoodshop]

Always fascinated by how creative our early colonial ancestors were. Thank you.

[@louisedost8476]

Yes we built the White House and was never paid except in strange fruit iii😷

[@greenghost6416]

@@louisedost8476 You never built the White House.

[@rschultz1971]

Thanks for this! It was really clear and easy to follow. I made milk paint with soil pigments for a sculpture and it turned out great.

[@harrymason1053]

I liked the red paint just fine.

[@debsanders2851]

Me too. Not sure why he covered up all the red

[@AnneAndersonFoxiepaws]

Me too. I would have done it the other way around or just red because that red oxide pigment is a beautiful colour!

[@TheCPlants]

Thank you! My boys are reading The Journeyman by Elizabeth Yates for school. Your video really helped them to understand the book more as well as appreciate the efforts of artisans. Yes, now we'll go make milk paint after watching more of your videos to first build a project that needs to be painted...

[@dionetaylor931]

Thank you so much. I’ve tried so many chalk and mineral paints and want to try your method 🖌🖌🖌

[@christopherbarnes6976]

Thank you so much for sharing. This has to be one of your best videos by far. Again thank you so much I can't wait to do this finish on my Dutch tool chest.

[@MrMandala1111]

Nicely done Joshua.I have made my own milk paint and milk/lime paint for my home of a mix of ferro cement and earth walls and have had great results.I did though do one batch a bit too strong with the casein and had a bit of cracking which I am about to fix.I make my quark from skim milk powder,not sure if powder or fresh is better.One ingredient I do add which helps create a better glue and stops the growth of mold,is borax.I have had some casein/lime paint sitting in a sealed bucket on my verandah for a couple of months and it is better now than it was fresh,the borax and the alkalinity of the lime helps it store for a long time.Cheers

[@gathercreatelivewithleslie8340]

How much borax per quart of paint? I'm wanting to mix some up and experiment with colors, but may not be able to use up within a week. TIA

[@TheButtons15]

Hi I am so glad I stumbled upon your channel I was getting really confused about milk paints and chalk paints and now I think I have a handle on it so cheers from Adelaide Australia

[@threeriversforge1997]

Very good tutorial. I prefer milk paint simply b/c it looks right. Modern paints all seem to be so 'plastic', imo. For bare wood, I use pine tar to seal and finish, letting the grain show through. The pine tar protects against bugs and mold, and I'm told that it was once added to milk paint to make the paint more reliable over the long-term. Not sure what that means. Also heard that linseed oil was added, so maybe the pine tar was there to keep the paint from rotting, allowing you to make large batches that you could use for months? The anti-microbial properties of the pine tar certainly would prevent nasties from taking hold, I guess.

[@mrfonz8034]

Great video I learned so much, not only about paint but that you almost made cheese, I can pee into an automotive funnel to catch kidney stones and how to store my paint. Excellent video, would definitely like to see some video of some furniture that has been used a few years to see how well it has aged with this paint method.

[@MOSTAFA131160]

Thank you for this helpful video, first time to know using milk for painting. I like your working and your workbench is really such a masterpiece

[@WoodAndShop]

You are very welcome!

[@sinaimuse6562]

Thank you very much, great detailed and informative video is what I like.

[@theaussiegypsy9295]

Thankyou from Australia 🇦🇺

[@brodykin3505]

Thank you! I think you've saved me a lot of cash.

[@twcmaker]

Love this look. Thank you for sharing. I'll try it out on one of my pieces. Jamie

[@MJ-nb1qn]

Thanks for the info. I just have to try this. I’m building your bench right now. Thanks so much. Just love your channel.

[@WoodAndShop]

Glad you like it!

[@OpekiskaWood]

Thanks for the class! I like the look of milk paint and now I know how to make my own.

[@WoodAndShop]

You're most welcome Rick 😊

[@sarahj2743]

More and more relevant, as paint prices skyrocket.

[@angelamundie2630]

Do I need a white pigment or will just the milk give a white colour? Thanks

[@BEAdventurePartners]

This video is exactly what we were looking for! Two questions for you 1) can we epoxy over the milk paint? 2) Will milk paint hold up in high humidity like in a bathroom? Thanks so much for making such a great vid! - Brian + Erin

[@Unicornyachtclub]

that was a quite educational video and I appreciate you taking as much time as you did and going over all the process cuz I learned something new i appreciate it thank you so much

[@WoodAndShop]

You're welcome Nic!

[@kristinaadams7203]

I am ready to try this, need to get pigments, but I am getting 2 gallons a milk daily from my goats. Maybe I can paint the whole house. I suppose I need to experiment with whole milk, it is not easy to skim goat milk down to 1%. Thanks for the great video and the clear instructions.

[@lcbcreative2379]

I enjoy your videos. I need to try this now.

[@BeaverCraftTools]

Thanks for sharing your useful video! I just have to try this 😁!

[@bloodeaglehohos7099]

Good work pal.

[@rickgatewood6442]

Nice to know how to do!

[@WoodAndShop]

Glad to hear it Rick!

[@mwrcrft]

Thanks for the milk paint lesson, I just bought the bench plans and hope to make a few milk painted Buchanan style pretty much the same as yours.

[@karenbearden6198]

Thank you, well done sir.

[@drippydante37]

I’ve never made milk paint but I always like a challenge. Thanx for making this video I can’t wait to make it... you are awesome

[@dirdick43]

I DID enjoy watching you work out this paint. I can see why I'll need to experiment with this soon.

[@VilellaFernanda]

thank you!

[@lollo1991]

Thanks for uploading this! Didn't know you can use milk as a base for painting! That red colour looks really nice, organic I must say! Cheers

[@WoodAndShop]

You're welcome Willie!

[@Madden1970]

Great video! Looking forward to my next painting project :)

[@WoodAndShop]

Glad to be of help Jonathon!

[@chrisgriffith1573]

My wife eats a ton of that Talenti ice cream too! I have those containers all over my workshop!

[@harrymason1053]

One other point, if you have ever had to strip paint, this paint, milk paint, has different solvents that work with it than other paints. Removing layers of milk paint, layered with oil paint for example, is a real bugger to do. So this shows the strong, long lasting nature of the finish. Combined with a shellac top layer, it's durable.

[@Ernesto710219]

Hola amigo! Exelente trabajo Me podrías decir qué tipo de pigmento usas? Gracias

[@lapboard340]

Thank you kindly Sir!

[@joeleonetti8976]

Thank you for showing us how to make it. I plan to try it. I am a PhD chemist as well. I have a though regarding how to easily fix the foaming. Buy one of those anti-gas pills you swallow. They contain dimethicone (sp). At least look for the ones that have this anti foaming agent. Grind it up and mix it with the raw pigment. I'm guessing it would solve the problem.

[@stevejeffryes5086]

Simeticone

[@carlospinheirotorres9499]

@@stevejeffryes5086 same effect

[@dianemoore2945]

I really did enjoy watching you work!😅 I actually didnt know milk paint was a thing, I learned something today. The other thing I learned was that you have a great sense of humor!! Question, why did you use the reddish brown color as the base coat?😊

[@davisoneill]

Amazing video. Thank you so much.

[@marinamamet4044]

Thank you so much ,hope I will try soon

[@darrylkane9220]

can you use mica powder for the pigment?

[@davidxiao3912]

awesome! Thanks a lot

[@WoodAndShop]

You're welcome!

[@helmihunin585]

Is the purpose of the red undercoat to achieve a warm black? I am planning on painting 30 x 7m raised garden beds black and want to streamline the process as much as possible. The black will help the beds warm up sooner and extend the growing season and assist with seed germination. But I also want it to look great. Do you think I should treat it with red underneath? Thanks so much for this fantastic video!

[@imwatchingyouppl1016]

This is so cool! Thanks for sharing!

[@michaelcima5772]

Excellent! I have to try this.

[@WoodAndShop]

Glad to hear it Michael!

[@InkyEnchantments]

Well, it won't work for the project I am working on, but I sure enjoyed the video and learning how to make real milk paint! Thank you (:

[@lillianburton362]

Thanks for doing this video.

[@WoodAndShop]

You're most welcome!

[@stekiboy]

Liked and subed! THANK YOU!

[@davidclark9086]

Very well made and informative video but I do have one question. Why red base coat as opposed to black base then top coat?

[@latetodagame1892]

Very coo!

[@beth12svist]

This was really nice and thorough - I've seen a number of "DIY milk paint" tutorials over the years, but this one has the sort of attention to detail and possible drawbacks and how to overcome them that the others don't. Thank you. So I feel more confident to ask... Do you know the amount of curds / quark you get out of this recipe? I'm Czech, and around here you can just buy quark in grocery shops. Even skim quark. It would also come a _lot_ cheaper than curdling a big amount of milk because inversely I can't buy whole galons of milk here. So I've long been pondering doing this and skipping the curdling process because I can, and that way I could also much more easily make a smaller batch for an experiment and just alter the amounts... if I knew what the amount of quark involved was. :-) So could you please give me a ballpark figure for that?

[@beth12svist]

P.S. Woodworking is a bit outside my usual experience but also something I've been low-key interested in for a while so I think you've just gained a new subscriber. I like your presentation style.

[@WoodAndShop]

Maybe a quart? I'd buy it if you can.

[@beth12svist]

@@WoodAndShop Thank you.

[@KateMondor]

Wonderful! I’m inspired! I wonder could you use this to paint walls? Plaster or wallpaper? I have this nagging thought in my mind that my house might just always smell slightly of cheese 🤭 Thanks for the video

[@WoodAndShop]

Yes, milk paint can be used to paint walls. But experiment on some scrap drywall, and do some research.

[@Tehcarp]

It wouldn't be right to seal drywall with.

[@WithMunchkins]

I missed the purpose of using the red paint under the black, does it give the black a multidimensional visual quality? I'd like to try making a slightly minty milk paint. To use on endtables, create the weathered beach bleached look🌊🐚

[@nc1132]

thank you so much for the class! can i also use it to paint walls?

[@pawpawsgirl09]

Can you use Mica powder for the pigments?

[@shirleyjohnson3397]

Cool! ThankU for sharing. One question though....does the chipping and cracking not occur when you make the milk paint from scratch? 😊

[@orangeamanda]

I am thinking of making milk paint for a project not just for the experience, but to use some of the milk we are getting in our school lunches, as we can't keep up with it. I have acid-based dyes for yarn. Would those work as a pigment? There is a certain satisfaction in using what we already have.

[@miknosilanooram]

In colonial times and before, did they use blood in the milk paint for the red color?

[@morsmb1]

Amazing

[@WoodAndShop]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@willow4191]

If you dehydrated it (at the stage before adding pigment) would it be the same as what you are buying? If so you could make and dry a large batch.

[@efrain7777able]

Love it!!!!😍😍😍

[@WoodAndShop]

Thanks!

[@IngeniousOutdoors]

Hollywood has been trying to recreate realistic looking fake blood for years and years. That red milk paint you just made takes the cake.

[@barbaraschwarzenbach2770]

I made the milk paint following your instructions on Sunday. It seemed to be a bit thicker than your mixture. I put it ins plastic container and put it in the refrigerator. I took it out today (1 1/2 days later) to start the painting process and it is has jelled. Is there a way to warm it up and thin it down to use? My thinking is to let it come to room temp and use an immersion blender to break it up. Any helpful comments out there?

[@sweetfemaleattitude]

Just wondering if there is a logic to the red undercoat? Is it just so it shows through for decorative reasons? :)

[@MostarBeauty]

That’s amazing. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Are the powders and sealer nontoxic?

[@BakerVS]

Could you also just buy the quark to skip the first steps? Thanks for the video!

[@debsanders2851]

So I'm curious to know why you painted The Bench red and then covered it up with the black? I assumed you were going to distress it a little more so that the red could pop through but that wasn't the case

[@W4ldgeist]

If someone lives in German speaking areas, you can just buy "Magerquark" in the super market. You don't have to go through the smelly process of making your own Quark.

[@alexandrahubner6736]

And it is much faster!

[@W4ldgeist]

@@alexandrahubner6736 As I've learned now, if you add 2/3rs the amount of hydrated lime to the quark, you get casein glue. A very tough, water proof wood glue :D

[@overwallmoonclaw2108]

What do you use if you don't have cheese cloth and lime

[@billaguirre]

can you blend it for smostness?

[@notimportant3932]

welp. wish i saw this before buying all that milk paint powder. thanks for the instructions

[@rebeccafranz3040]

just came across milk paint for the first time..ever. Also been watching other techniques for using nature found "color pigments"..flowers, rocks..etc. I was wondering if you have ever tried these types of pigments, and what kind of results did you get?

[@guillnadeau]

Has anyone ever tried drying the base to turn it into a fine powder to create a base that could be preserved longer? I'm wondering if it would be possible to make it into a powder and simply add water and the desired pigment to make small batch quickly. I'm very interested in this technique, but I would only be doing small projects with it, and it would be time-consuming to make a batch every time, with a lot of waste. Are there any preservation methods? Thank's 🦊

[@suchandradasi]

what if you put no pigment in it? would it be white?

[@ronmetz9172]

Have a question about the 2% milk. They didn’t have 2% milk back in the day. They had full fat whole milk. You said in a comment full fat milk causes problems getting the mixture to work. How did they get it to work?

[@musclvr377]

I wonder if they used buttermilk or the runoff from making butter?

[@catherineb2463]

Thank you I hope I have the correct lime I got it from the hardware and now worried it’s the wrong one Will soon find out I guess

[@JohanLarssonKiruna]

Why would you use two different colors? Is it to fake age and that it has been repainted? Or does it change the tone of the black in some way?

[@perokraljic7247]

Tnx for this video. I have only two questions - is the lime in 25 kilos bag for plaster good for this and is the color pigment for epoxy good for this or need to be earth pigment?

[@xoBillie]

If I were to use less water in making the paint (in order to have a thicker consistency for painting) do you think a chippy appearance could be achieved? I’ve been watching lots of videos on how to create the crackle/chippy look with milk paint and the consistency is much, much thicker than what you’ve demonstrated here. The powdered/pre-made chalk paints are just pricey so I started researching recipes to make my own and stumbled across your video. Thank you for your time in making this tutorial. I learned quite a bit!

[@musclvr377]

I'd make your own chalk paint using calcium carbonate or plaster of Paris and look up videos on chippy finishes. :)

[@shoutatthesky]

What is the purpose of doing a layer of a different colour first?

[@KJ7JHN]

Hi, I'm thinking of using this to paint my interior walls. Do you notice if the end product smells like sour milk? I realize the lactose and bacteria are removed, but odor is produce from sugar and protein. I'm really excited to try this, what are your oppinions?

[@tammyblount2525]

Where can I find milk paint at

[@thanaahassan7928]

Can we get the ingredients written? It will be more easy for me beside watching the video. Thank you

[@jrk1666]

thats my fav cheese

[@EndlessSims3]

Powder milk? And What dose hydrated lime do?

[@angelamundie2630]

Will use this to paint a cake stand, I assume it’s food safe can you advise a food safe sealing for this thanks?

[@angelamundie2630]

Ps will be painting this white

[@JamesSmith-su3oz]

First thankyou for posting. I think you covered the subject well. One thing tho, is two diffrent pigments required? or the fade/ used to red the look you were after and was that (two pigment) used in what time frame?

[@WoodAndShop]

Two colors are not required unless you want to rub through to the bottom color.

[@robertcornelius3514]

You say it will accept most finishes. Which finishes will it not accept?

[@ryanoconnor7957]

I tried this but when it's dry the pigment very easily rubs off on my hand when I touch it. How do I make the paint more sticky? I tried adding more base to the pigment but it just becomes watery

[@ectedadams]

I've made casein milk paint by dissolving the curd in ammonia. It's a thicker consistency that can be used as glue or for impasto painting techniques. I assume it can be diluted to a thinner consistency.

[@WoodAndShop]

Cool Ted, I'll have to look into it.

[@enricotornotti2883]

Milk with cream or without?

[@magicattic]

the minute you said to let the milk sit with vinegar I thought, oh ok, so "milk" paint is actually "cheese" paint.

[@wendystolz1903]

Is this paint non toxic. I want to paint a rolling pin that I intend to use.

[@scmarinemom24]

What was the point of painting it red then covering it up with black?

[@Nurse_Lucy]

Same question

[@WoodAndShop]

To rub through the red undercoat. You'll see at the last part of the video.

[@user-rs8no1rk8d]

Is it non toxic?

[@chrisgriffith1573]

Holy crap that is an involved process just to coat a bench! The "Separation" you mention is the sheen of the milk paint forming a surface layer, much like most enamel paints do- and once cured, you'll find that they resist most any watery liquid going onto them briefly. Sanding or a prewash of a slightly acidic solution will alleviate this from happening or, you can do what you did, and just keep brushing it till it adheres consistently into the surface! Many paints do this, I have encountered it many times on certain paint brands.