# DIY Milk Paint -- Tips & Tricks?



## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

My last 4 projects have been finished in milk paint, some with multiple coats (paint history). The commercial stuff mixes up OK, but the DIY success rate has varied quite a bit. I'll show some examples below, but first I want to say that I know that milk paint can be variable and consistently less than homogenous in color when spread. My interest is in trying to reach the smoothest mix with the fewest curd grains remaining. I try to blend well with the electric mixer, but not sure when to stop the mixer. One batch, a red not shown, ended up very smooth yet foamed up enough that a 16oz container would shrink by ~20% volume by the next morning after the air bubbles settled out.

*QUESTIONS
What methods have you found to give you the best results?
The most consistent results?
Any Dos and/or Don'ts that are important?*

My Examples…...
Ochre Yellow-

1qt Fat Free milk at room temp, 
added 1/2c 5% vinegar for 24hr
Strained through cheesecloth 
Added 2oz Yellow Ochre + 1/4c Lime
Electric mixer
Results-Translucent Yellow Wash… Finished out very well









Turquoise Green

1qt Fat Free milk at room temp, 
added 1/2c 5% vinegar for 48hr
Strained through cheesecloth 
Added 4oz Turquoise Green + 1/4c Lime
Electric mixer
Results-Opaque color with several white curds showing. Somewhat gritty, but smoother than the Tan mix.









Off White/Tan

1/2gal Fat Free milk at COLD, 
added 1c. 9% vinegar for 48hr
Strained through cheesecloth 
Added 4oz Titanium White + 2oz Ochre Yellow + 1oz Burnt Umber
1/2c Lime
Electric mixer
Results-Translucent color with several white curds showing. Very fine curds but almost sandy in texture. This batch produced only about 50% as much paint as called for. Kurd development was off, and am thinking I either spent too much time stirring vinegar into milk, and/or used too high of strength vinegar.









Dark Red

Real Milk Paint Co. "Red" plus added small amount of burnt Umber and Burnt Sienna
Just add water
plus added small amount of burnt Umber and Burnt Sienna
Results-Very smooth mix with NO identifiable white curds showing









UPDATE 10-15-2013
Cat puked up dry food on 6-Board Chest top. Found this after it had dried. Cleaned up with damp sponge and it removed the "commercial" Real Milk Paint Co. paint (red) while NOT harming the DIY milk paint (tan) below. Notice that the First layer of milk paint (the tan DIY milk paint) is intact and the curds are now showing but not flaked off.










I find this to be an important discovery because it tells me that this company's commercial milk paint is made with powdered milk *that HAS NOT been curdled prior to mixing with Lime to form the milk paint*. The act of curdling the milk with vinegar makes for stronger binding curds, and thus a stronger and tougher paint that is more resistant the the environment. The *Real Milk Paint Company* product does NOT have that same level of toughness.


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## Tim457 (Jan 11, 2013)

Are you rinsing the curds after the vinegar step? If not, the acid in the vinegar will interfere with the base from the lime, and your last one has almost twice as much acid as the first two. Here's a good article from Lost Art Press blog. I thought the lime reacted with the milk protein casein to make the paint, but if I'm reading him right, he says it's just filler and borax is what helps. As he mentions, heating the milk makes the curds form a lot faster, same for when you make edible cheese. Is there a benefit to doing it cold?


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

*…Are you rinsing the curds after the vinegar step?..."*

Yep, at least three cycles of rinse water through a cheesecloth, before squeezing out the last of the water.

It was a mistake using cold milk. I realized that as soon as I poured the vinegar into the milk, but too late by then. So far I have read many instructional articles that emphasize using "warm" or at least "room temperature" milk. I think I have/had some mental block about warming milk since I kept associating milk with food and not making paint.

BTW, cold milk made for tiny kurds, then again I am also wondering about the vinegar catalyst to initiate the curdling… too much?... too strong?... too much stirring?

Looking for those who have already worked out many of these issues. Or maybe hear about some horror stories too, if ya'll can remember the details about making/doing the mix…


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## joeyinsouthaustin (Sep 22, 2012)

No advice.. but I am watching!!


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## distrbd (Sep 14, 2011)

Very much watching as well,never tried milk paint, though I have heard a lot about it lately.


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

Thanks for the interest in this folks. This is beginning to look like a lost art. No wonder all the "commercial" companies selling milk paint are trying to keep the best recipe and material list a secret! No one can be as smart as those folks from "hundreds of years ago". Just trust us and buy our stuff. *;-)*

From what I have figured out thus far, milk paint is basically the same or equivalent to covering with a calcite/concrete mixture, and is very hard. All of the pieces I have finished this way have rather bullet-proof coverings, much harder than the pine they are covering. Some look better than others, but all are very durable.


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## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

favorited. Thanks for the information Mike.


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## distrbd (Sep 14, 2011)

LV sells them but the powder form is mixed with water,I always wanted to try and see if I could get a "vintage" look with milk paint.

http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=70940&cat=1,190,42942

http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=65208&cat=1,190,42942


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

Thanks Ken. 
I have seen/read about the links you have shared. My commercial product experience comes from "The Real Milk Paint" company, and it appears to be a powdered skim milk product, yet it works well. What I can say is that making your own, using either 2% or Fat Free milk will cut the final cost of the milk paint by at least 60% or more. That being said, there is a definite technique to making milk paint but it is NOT rocket science. It just takes a willingness to either make mistakes and throw those mistakes away, OR "go with the flow" when mistakes in mixing/blending/kurdling occur and make adjustments in your expectations. I have a number of outside benches that are weathered and will readily accept less than perfect milk paint mixtures… *;-)*

I think much of the "vintage" look one can get from milk paint is from using just the limited basic colors and to NOT use the more modern vibrant colors that are available. Just my 2-cents for the rustic goals that I find interesting. I am looking for a classic look, hopefully without the modern artsy flavor found in so many newer homes, if you know what I mean. NOT saying that is bad, just not what I am seeking…


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## distrbd (Sep 14, 2011)

I think much of the "vintage" look one can get from milk paint is from using just the limited basic colors and to NOT use the more modern vibrant colors that are available.

That makes a lot of sense Mike,I'm after the pale red or yellow and it seems I can achieve that with milk paint more than any other type.
Thanks for the tip.


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## cutworm (Oct 2, 2010)

Just did this with milk paint. Sort of. My daughter wanted blue - green. So I got a bag of the blue powder milk paint and a can of what GF call milk paint in green and mixed them. Probably won't do that again. But I guess it came out ok. Added a little white glaze at her request and then clear acrylic. In reading the MSDS the GF milk paint appears to be acrylic paint.


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## distrbd (Sep 14, 2011)

Nice color you came up with on that cabinet.


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

Cutworm, from their own website GF admits that their "milk" paint is actually 100% acrylic. I guess it is a GF marketing thing. I am sure it is good paint. It should be, at $25/qt. A quart of DIY milk paint w/pigment can be made for under $10, and maybe <$8. And from everything I have read/researched about real milk paint, is that it lasts nearly forever. After all, that is what is on the Pyramids in Egypt, and much older Quaker, Amish, and Shaker furniture. To me, it is fun to throw DIY paint into the WW-ing mix, kind of like adding hand tools… **

BTW, here is what I use when making DIY milk paint:


2% or Fat Free milk


Garden/Horticultural Hydrated Lime (bought mine at HD). Buy the smallest bag you can as it will still be more than a lifetime's supply of lime.


Master's Touch Acrylic Pigment/Paint from Hobby Lobby. About $4/120ml or $7/250ml tubes. Pick your colors, but make sure you by larger (500ml or so) of Titanium White for mixing lighter colors of your chosen paints. And a small tube of Black wouldn't hurt as well.


Burnt Umber and Burnt Sienna are brownish colors that are used to make darker glazes, though I have also darkened other colors when mixing as well. Glaze is a mixture of Turpentine, BLO, the two pigments mentioned, plus a 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of Japan Dyer (from HD again). NOTE-My mistake but I got away with it, was using these Acrylic pigments with the oil based mixers. The pigment likes to separate and requires some heavy mixing constantly, and on occasion you will pick up a chunk of pigment on your application rag and smear on the piece you are glazing. This flaw can be used to your advantage, but it would probably be better to pick up the Burnt Umber and Sienna in the oil-based variety (located right next to the acrylics at HL.










MY NEXT MOVE: Today I am going to express my very non-existent artistic ability and paint some old world emblems and 'stuff on my new 6-board chest/bench (the 'tan' one above) using just the Acrylic paints listed above. Hoping to start with a simple version the old Shaker "Tree of Life". We'll see how that goes… After all that art 'stuff, I am hoping to final coat with Amber Shellac.


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## joeyinsouthaustin (Sep 22, 2012)

*Mike* following this thread has been quite nice. I have been really pleased with the Mohawk brand of powdered pigments. I used them in my oak burn through veneer thread. These are not acrylic pigments and blend with a variety of things. They are ground Ultra fine. They are available online directly, in custom color blends, color matching, or in our area at Sherwin Williams. (very limited colors) I got mine a roosters and then met with the local and regional rep. Here is the PDS a LINK to the web site. Maybe this will help you get finer, less grainy results.


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## bold1 (May 5, 2013)

I have a recipe that was my Great- Grandfather's, but I've never tried it. For 100sq. ft. 1 qt. skimmed milk, 3 oz. lime, 3 oz. linseed or poppy oil, 1 1/2 lb. Whiting. Put lime into clean bucket add enough milk to slack the lime and add the oil a few drops at a time, stirring till all the oil is well mixed in. Add the rest of the milk and then the Whiting, sifting it into the mix a little at a time. Curded milk Can be used, but it can not be sour. Strain before using. This recipe calls for unslacked lime, like used in white coat plaster. Pigment replaces the Whiting for colors. If anyone tries this, let me know how it works.


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

Thanks Joey. Haven't used powdered pigments yet, just liquid acrylics. Biggest problems thus far, are the white milk kurds more so than the pigment not mixing. That said, I did notice at least some pigment granularity on my green cabinet, so powdered pigments may help with that at least. Looks like I really need to control my milk temp prior to kurdling. Plus, I am thinking that a warmer milk, less vinegar, and more kurdling time just might help some. That will be my next experiment.


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## cutworm (Oct 2, 2010)

Thanks Mike. Great information. And thanks for the info on Hobby Lobby. I have one close buy but never thought about painting supplies there.


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

OK, here is my first artwork using acrylic paints. It came out OK considering my rather low artistic aptitude, but the acrylic does feel a bit plastic like. Definitely NOT a milk paint. The actual milk paint feels and acts like a concrete barrier, protecting the wood from dent and ding. The acrylic does NOT seem to offer that kind of protection. At least that is my observation at this point.

Have not decided what, if any, to add next. Maybe trim the lid…

Shaker Tree of Life


















Boy! Primitive art is OK, but high art and I would never have worked out!... *;-)*


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## AngieO (Jul 9, 2012)

Interesting topic. I haven't used milk paint yet. Glad you posted this.


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## distrbd (Sep 14, 2011)

Well I know the stuff that LV sells is not exactly what Mike is experimenting with,Mike your way of making milk paint is more authentic than just buying the powder and mixing it with water.
Anyhow,that's what I did for now,I just ordered four different color of dry powder ,all I need is water ,I'm more interested in finding the "right look" for now.
Thank you for all the info ,great for reference in the future.


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

BUMP-FYI, I added a commercial milk paint example to the OP (at the end). This was painted over top of the "Tan" example above. The new above "red" example is the top of my 6-board chest that needs to be posted.


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## chrisstef (Mar 3, 2010)

Im just happy you found a use for fat free milk! Now that my son turned a year old the house is loaded with whole milk .. ohhh how ive missed you fatty delicious milk.

Jokes aside, im favoriting this thread. The cost of the bog box store milk paint is ridiculous but I really like the look it gives.


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## SCOTSMAN (Aug 1, 2008)

Dear friend thanks for bringing this topic up.
Phew I had no idea it was so fiddly and so much work, however I watch your post with interest.
Is the comercial stuff a problem, or to expensive, or too poor results, etc.I am afraid if it were a good product, I would aim for buying it ready to paint but then thats lazy old me LOL have fun seriously I would like to give this a try as milk paint is very nice on certain projects especially childrens toys and furniture. Alistair


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## ScubaSteve (Aug 17, 2013)

Hi Mike I'm following this with much interest now (having never tried it before, it looks/sounds fun).
To clean up the excess curds have you tried using a finer mesh or secondary filtration, like coffee filter? Also I'm curious if using rennet might collect more of the curds (at a warm temp). My guess is back in the day it was skimmed milk left overs from cheese/ butter making CHY-MAX M (is the best on the market I'm told $11/1oz, but you only use drops).


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

Alistair,
The commercial stuff is great, but at ~$12USD/pint or $45USD/gallon it is a we bit expensive. I can make a 1/2gal for about $12USD or less, and that includes the color of choice.

Steve,
Yep I have tried finer mesh, but then you get a very wet and thin mixture because you can't get the water wrung out. What I have NOT tried yet, is using warmed fat free milk when I add the vinegar for curdling. Plus I think I want to try and go lighter on the amount of vinegar as well. It will probably take longer to curdle, but maybe that would help.

I am convinced that the secret to the commercial milk paint is the flash drying process that creates the powdered milk that then can be ground very fine while dry. I do not have that ability, so I use an electric mixer to blend the curds, Lime, and pigment in the bowl. On one batch that I did get very smooth, I had whipped the paint so much that I got two pints. However, by the next morning, the remaining pint had lost about 20% of its volume from the whipped air settling out of the paint. This paint covered very well though and I am very happy with those results.


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## Tim457 (Jan 11, 2013)

The extra whipped version doesn't sound like a problem. Maybe if you make it in a big enough batch the mixer paddles will be submerged the whole time and won't pull air into the mixture. Or a taller, narrower container might do the same.

Also, if you've got a problem with a thin mixture, strain it through some tightliy woven cotton cloth like muslin. That's what I do with yogurt to make greek yogurt. Plop some in the middle, pull up the corners and tie string around it to make a bag then hang that for an hour or as long as you need.


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

*"...Plop some in the middle, pull up the corners and tie string around it to make a bag then hang that for an hour or as long as you need…."*

That may be an option. I admit that I have not let curd drain for an hour at a time, or more. Maybe it is my knee-jerk reaction that keeps thinking of these curds a "food" and NOT "paint" per say.

That said, I still think there may be something about breaking those larger curds up mechanically, since the Lime failed to do so. Still wondering about that aspect of it.


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## Tim457 (Jan 11, 2013)

Yeah my first thought was a food mill, and i didn't think you'd like that idea. I think you can get vintage ones with a pretty fine mesh. Nonfat dry milk powder was the other, but that's not all that cheap. Drying might affect the paint's binding strength too.


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

My cats seem to be helping me "learn" more about milk paint products… After all cats love milk right?... *;-)*

My cat puked up dry food on 6-Board Chest top. Found this after it had dried. Cleaned up with damp sponge and it removed the "commercial" Real Milk Paint Co. paint (red) while NOT harming the DIY milk paint below. Notice that the First layer of milk paint (the tan DIY milk paint) is intact and the curds are now showing but not flaked off.










I find this to be an important discovery because it tells me that this company's commercial milk paint is made with powdered milk that HAS NOT be curdled prior to mixing with Lime to form the milk paint. The act of curdling the milk with vinegar makes for stronger binding curds, and thus a stronger and tougher paint that is more resistant the the environment. The *Real Milk Paint Company* commercial product does NOT have the same level of toughness as DIY.

FWIW, I updated the OP to note this post, since it appears to be worthwhile noting the difference between DIY and commercial milk paints.


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## joeyinsouthaustin (Sep 22, 2012)

Bad cat… good info. Do you think the top coat "absorbed" the brunt of the damage… or is this really the milk paint is tougher. I can believe the latter.. considering all that goes into a commercial product, and the home recipe, in terms of shipping, shelf life, and liability. Have you tried unpasteurized milk yet? The results could be amazing.. In our area you might find some hippy/hipster selling it. All in all I personally hope I soon have a bit a free time to try homemade milk paint out..


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

Joey,
In making your own, you need either fat-free or at most 2% milk to curdle. With whole milk, the fat gets in the way and apparently lowers the resulting paint's ability to adhere. Curdling is an important step in the process. There are receipts out there that use whole milk and/or uncurdled milk, but it appears that I (or the cat has) have discovered why those receipts are not as good.

From "Earth Pigments" website
*Making Paint*
For this recipe we are using fresh milk that will be turned to curds with the addition of vinegar (or lemon juice). By curdling to create Quark, the milk protein is concentrated within the curds making a stronger paint. In addition it will not be prone to mold as milk paints created from fresh milk can be.

Then, when I go to the "Real Milk Paint Company" site, the information is carefully incomplete, leading the customer to have to 'trust' the company for the real stuff. NO mention of curdling the milk or actual milk paint receipts, just references about "milk proteins", but not how to get or create them. The more I looked for information the less useful information I actually found at this site. NOTE-milk paint is thousands of years old, so that information is out there, but just not at this company's website. That is MY opinion at least.

So bottom line Joey is, YES… Go the DIY route and use an electric mixer after you have curdled your milk curds and to mix the Lime. Be skimpy on any added water… The tendency is to make it too thin in the beginning.


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## HarveyDunn (Aug 29, 2013)

Hi all, very interesting thread.

I was wondering how long shop-made milk paint will last. I have some store-bought milk paint (the powdered kind) and the colors are lovely but it only keeps for 48 hours or so after being mixed. I do not always work that fast!

Also, any thoughts about a good topcoat? I really like the look of the paint itself after two or three coats, so I'd like to change it as little as possible. It is OK if it darkens a bit but I don't want to impart gloss. I tried Watco but I got haze. I don't need a ton of protection - just enough to ward off finger prints and the occasional waterspot.


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

Hi Harvey,
In answer to "How long will shop-made milk paint last?" that all depends:

 As a liquid, it will sour just like any other milk product, so ~48hours…
 Dry, several thousand years in the right environment (think Pyramids)

Top coat?

 I use a glaze. Burnt Umber and Burnt Sienna are brownish colors that are used to make darker glazes. Glaze is a mixture of Turpentine, BLO, the two pigments mentioned, plus a 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of Japan Dyer (from Home Depot). The Japan Dryer helps everything dry and get hard. Also match the acrylic/oil-based paints with the correct task (oil based pigments for making the glaze and water based acrylics for dying the milk paint). You rub most of this off before it dries, leaving just hints of it in cracks and corners, etc.

Six months down the road, I am now seeing that even the store bought stuff is getting more durable, BUT the homemade milk paint is now far superior in hardness, finish, and is polishing up well with nothing more than wiping/cleaning with a damp paper towel. I will most definitely stay with homemade from now on. BTW, I buy my acrylics at Hobby Lobby or Michaels.


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

UPDATE: 

 +2-1/2yr later, the DIY milk paint does NOT "bleed" when wiped with a damp cloth while cleaning. 
 The commercial milk paint continues to "bleed" when wiped with a damp cloth(though not as much as the paint ages).


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## Kirk650 (May 8, 2016)

I just buy the milk paint sold at Woodcraft. Never spoils. I have some that must be 3 years old. Good stuff.


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## Retep (Feb 28, 2018)

Hello Mike,
Great info and great examples. I love the color and the grain of the first piece.

I could not find HYDRATED LIME at any of the garden centers. Where I did find it was at my local BRICK YARD, where I spend far more time than at garden centers.

-LINSEED OIL? A cabinet-making book I have from Fine Homebuilding has a milk paint recipe containing linseed oil. Could you explain why you do not use it. I mixed up an experimental batch and the way it yellowed the color was pretty bad. (Perhaps I already have my answer.)

-MIX HAD NO COLOR. Skim milk+ lime+ linseed oil had no color, but was clear. Your first piece and my first failure persuaded me to try your method. 
HOW DOES ONE MAKE THIS PAINT WHITE? WHITING (chalk)?

-WILL YOUR PAINT GO ON OVER PRIMED MATERIAL? Some of the info I have gotten from 'milk paint companies', is that milk paint will pull primer off the wood as it dries, therefore the surface must NOT be primed. As nearly all moulding nowadays comes primed, this is an issue.
-CAN YOUR PAINT BE USED ON SHEETROCK? I'm guessing that you have never used it on sheetrock, but I thought I'd ask.

-ANY CHANCE OF GETTING YOUR GLAZE RECIPE?

Thank you for the response if you're still there; thanks for the good info if you're not,
Pete


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

> Hello Mike,
> Great info and great examples. I love the color and the grain of the first piece.
> 
> I could not find HYDRATED LIME at any of the garden centers. Where I did find it was at my local BRICK YARD, where I spend far more time than at garden centers.
> ...


RE Linseed Oil: 
The quick answer is NO. I suspect that the Linseed oil is a shortcut methodology, and perhaps not available at the time…_

No color? THAT is the best part about it, IMO.

To me, the best part about milk paint is the variability of the consistency from batch to batch. Sure, you can make each and every coat as opaque as the dead of night, but do you want to do that ALL OF THE TIME? Your choice, plan ahead…

The very BEST piece of advice that I can offer, is that if you go back to true traditional milk paints, there was always a unique variation from batch to batch. SOoo… don't over-think what you are doing and somewhat go-with-the-flow and see what happens. Find out what you are comfortable with and ignore the WORLD, AKA Internet detractors… Have fun, this is what those original painters actually got as results…


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