Q.     Where can I find a recipe for milk paint?

A.     Right here. There are a number of recipes out there - some are very simple and some are rather more complicated. Here are three quick ones.

    1. Slowly add hot water (not boiling) to instant, nonfat dry  milk in a  bucket you can live without. Add water or dry milk as needed to achieve a consistency of thick maple syrup. Tint this mixture with dry pigment from an art supply or paint store or tint with a small amount of acrylic paint. The dry pigments will produce more intense colors, the acrylics more of a pastel effect.

    2. More complicated but more durable - Add 1/2 cup of water to two cups of dehydrated lime. Stir vigorously and then let it sit overnight. Stir in a pint of cottage cheese and add enough skim milk to achieve the same consistency as the mix above. Get color by stirring in powdered pigments, slowly.

    3. Instead of going to all that trouble you could go right to the source and buy it ready made in just about any color from Real Milk Paint, DO Seiver Products, 618 California Rd., Quakerstown, PA 18951 , 800-339-9748 or go to www.realmilkpaint.com  for a look at what’s available.

Q.     I just bought an old wooden rocking chair that may be an antique. It is painted white and actually looks pretty good but if there is any way I would like to get it back to the original wood finish. I have seen painted pieces that were stripped where not all of the paint really came off or out of the wood and they don’t look good. I don’t want to strip this thing and then have to repaint it because it already has a decent paint job on it. Is there any way to tell if its going to strip clean before I start working?

A.     First, don’t be under the mistaken assumption that all older furniture originally had a clear finish on it. Some furniture was, and still is, factory painted and is not intended to be finished naturally. Usually the factories will select less than appearance grade lumber for pieces that will be painted. This lumber is structurally sound but may have sap streaks or stains in it making it less attractive than clear wood.

One of the best assurances that a piece will strip clean of paint is the presence of an old clear finish under the paint. This old finish will have sealed the wood pores from the paint and protected the wood. The paint is only on the surface of the old finish. Careful stripping will insure that the two layers do not mix and contaminate the wood with too much unwanted paint. Check for the old finish by carefully scraping through the paint layers with a sharp knife blade or razor blade. Don’t cut the paint, just scrape flat against it on a rung or leg.  You should be able to see each layer of paint and finish as you scrape it away. If you come to an old, dark layer, that’s the old finish and you should be able to strip it successfully. If you don’t find that old finish before you hit bare wood it means the piece was either painted raw or was stripped before it was painted. If  that is the case you will have your hands full getting all the paint off of and out of the wood and you may want to reconsider.

Q.     We just inherited some of my husband’s mother’s antique furniture. I’m glad to have it but unfortunately she was a heavy smoker and the furniture reeks. What, if anything can I do to clear the air?

A.     You have a long tough road ahead. It took a long time to impart that odor to the furniture and most likely it has permeated through the finish and into the wood itself. First - don’t use any wax or oil on the furniture. That only helps to seal in the smell. In fact you want to do just the opposite. Remove any wax or oil that might contain odor by wiping the pieces well with mineral spirits or naphtha. That will expose the bare finish. Then wipe that surface repeatedly over several days or weeks as required, with a dilute solution of ammonia, alternating with a dilute solution of vinegar. Don’t saturate the pieces, just wipe them down and let them dry good before you do it again. Fresh air will help. Put them in an open garage and let air circulate around them as they dry between wipings. Open all doors and remove drawers from the cases. Place some type of absorbent in the interiors such as charcoal briquettes, kitty litter or dry carpet deodorizer.

Don’t be in hurry. You can get rid of the smell but it takes a while.

      Fred Taylor's new book "HOW TO BE A FURNITURE DETECTIVE" is now available for $18.95 plus $2.00 S & H. Send check or money order for $20.95 to Fred Taylor, PO Box 215, Crystal River, FL 34423.