varnish for oil paint

[grahamg]

Hi all,

This might be slightly off-topic, but hopefully you can help me. I've just painted a couple of previously painted table lamps with some little greene oil paint that I added some powdered pigment to. It's not adhered wonderfully well - it scratches off quite easily. Can anyone recommend a good varnish I could put on top? My favourite wax finish varnish isn't suitable over oil paint, so I'm not quite sure what to use. Shellac? Oil-based varnish?

Also, I've tried, as an experiment to paint a lampshade with the same oil paint. Presumably, once it's totally dry, it shouldn't be any more (in)flammable than any other paint? I assume the flammable thing is the oil which evaporates on drying?...

Looking forward to your collective wisdom!

Graham

[prospero]

Whatever varnish you put on will not make the paint stick better. You need a special primer to form a solid base that the paint will grip onto. Or use a paint designed to stick to whatever material the lamp are made of. If it's a ceramic then Owatrol ESP is supposed to be the magic primer. Doesn't work too well of picture frames though.....