Repairing Sharpie on milk paint

[Steven Forrest]

A bowl I made with a green milk paint exterior recently got a single mark with a black Sharpie pen. Any suggestions for how best to erase the mark without messing up the milk paint? Or painting over the mark and effectively blending the new and old painted surfaces?

 

[Tim Connell]

Alcohol will remove sharpie on smooth non porous surfaces, but I think you may have problems over milk paint.

I would take a scrap of wood the same as the bowl, sand it, paint it with milk paint and then use a sharpie on it. You can try alcohol, but my guess is it will really mess up the paint. Use that scrap to test if you can just paint over the sharpie and have it blend in, or if painting the whole bowl is needed for a uniform finish. Lots of fiddling around, but better on a test piece than experimenting on the bowl.

 

[R Henrickson]

Had the milk paint been sealed with some type of overcoat (oil finish, wax, etc)? Or is it still a raw milk paint surface? Depending on how many coats of milk paint are already on the piece, you may have trouble blending a patch, particularly if overcoated (milk paint might not adhere). If you are using true milk paint, it may well require several coats to hide the sharpie mark. A single coat of milk paint is not opaque. Probably best to sand back and redo the whole thing.

One other point comes to mind -- is it actually *true* milk paint? Mixed from powder and water, with casein or milk derivatives as ingredients? Or is it something like General Finishes' "Milk Paint" which is actually NOT milk paint at all. The ingredients listed on the can are essentially acrylic resin -- no hint of casein or any milk derivatives listed among components. It is an acrylic paint, not milk paint.

 

[Steve Tiedman]

Water can dilute Sharpie some. Unless you get 100% of it off, it may bleed through your next paint coat.

You could shellac seal the entire thing then apply milk paint again. Nobody would ever know...

 

[Hugh]

Steve,
If you painted it with a standard color, I would just mix up a small bit of milk paint and then paint over the spot.. If you mixed colors to end up with your color.....you will never match it.
Problem if you put an oil finish on the bowl as I do not think the new milk paint will like that.

What about sanding with some 400 grit and see how much of it comes off?
Just thinking her.
Let us know the results please.

 

[Tim Hunter]

“Repairing” will likely turn into “refinishing”

Tim

 

[Gord Cameron]

My 2 cents: Given that you will probably end up repainting the piece, there is nothing to lose by trying to remove the Sharpie mark. Give the piece a wipe with DNA or isopropyl alcohol, both of which are remarkably effective erasers of Sharpie marks. If the "milk paint" is really an acrylic paint in a milk paint colour and sheen (as most milk paints are), then you might get away with this. If the mark doesn't go away, it will at least be less noticeable and you should require fewer coats to repaint the piece.

 

[Kevin Jesequel]

I’ve done several pieces where I’ve put sandblast resist over milk paint. After blasting and removing the resist, I’ve used DNA to remove the adhesive residue without any effect to the milk paint (Old Fashioned brand).

 

[Steven Forrest]

Thanks, gang. It was real, "Old Fashioned" milk paint, not faux milk paint. As I recall, it has a couple of coats of polymerized tung oil over it. I like the suggestion to run a full test on a scrap piece first - dry milk paint, sharpie, then see what works, or what's necessary, before touching the bowl. Will report back.

In my favor, it's a single, standard color. Not in my favor, I have cut flutes into the paint, so repainting the whole thing isn't really an option.

Does anybody have any experience with Amodex stain remover?

The photo was taken before the mark was made.

 

[Steve Tiedman]

Can we get a photo of the mark on your bowl?

A couple coats of polymerized tung oil over the paint? Well, to me, that is very good news! To my thinking, the oil likely did not penetrate through the paint very much, and any oil after the first coat likely cured on the surface, albeit very thin because I'm guessing you oiled, waited, then wiped off. But, there is a chance you have a cured oil film under that Sharpie, not paint under that Sharpie. That cured oil is essentially plastic. Just very, very thin, at best.

I'm guessing Sharpie gave you the Amodex idea?

Help Center Sharpie

Google AI says Amodex,
"Amodex stain remover is a lanolin-based soap formula, containing no solvents, bleaches, or harsh abrasives. It is designed to be gentle yet effective on a variety of stains, including ink, grease, and food, and is safe for use on fabrics, upholstery, and even skin."

Lanolin is sheep's wool grease/wax. Completely natural if it grows on a sheep.

Other ideas to try at your own risk-

6 Fool-Proof Ways to Quickly Remove Sharpie From Any Surface (And They Actually Work)

Accidentally swipe a permanent marker on a beloved surface? Before you deem your surface as "ruined," check out these tips for ways to remove surface from any surface in your home.

www.thespruce.com

This article describes using acetone, and shows it on a wood plate, which I'm presuming has a surface finish on it.

Get some cotton balls and Q-Tips. I'd be tempted to lightly dab a Q-Tip into rubbing alcohol or acetone, lightly rub just on the marker for a second, then immediately blot (not wipe/rub) the surface with a cotton ball to remove the now wet ink, repeat as needed.

Good luck.

 

[Holmes Anderson]

What type of sealer do people like over milk paint to keep a flat sheen? I like the natural sheen of milk paint but whoa does it like to stain by absorbing oil.

 

[Gord Cameron]

What type of sealer do people like over milk paint to keep a flat sheen? I like the natural sheen of milk paint but whoa does it like to stain by absorbing oil.

When I want a truly flat sheen, I get one of the matt sealers that art supply places (or Amazon etc.) sell, such as AK Matte or Ultra Matte (acrylic) varnish. Painters put these sealers over their paintings when they are finished, to protect the surface without creating a reflective film. I find it to be practically invisible.

You can get woodworking varnishes that are really flat (like Saman Dead Flat Varnish), but I have only found them in larger sized containers than I could possibly use, whereas the art supply world seems to work with small sizes that match the few projects for which I need their products.