Wax vs. dust, Paint vs. dust

[framemaker]

Perfectly smooth can be a real pain, but if the base is totally flat, as in gesso smooth, then diluted paint can be brushed on to give a pretty flat finish. If you started off with a gesso frame (I mean Frinton type gesso) then the white primer from halfords gives an easy dead matt finish (as Prospero already said), or use the appliance white gloss on top. But to be honest I think spraying can be just as frustrating as brushing, maybe even more so.

Just done half a dozen of these box frames in a white dead matt finish. A gesso base (sprayed) then a couple of coats of sprayed acrylic primer undercoat. You could then spray on a sealer or finish with wax but these have been left totally matt. I would not say this looks like a factory or pre-finished frame, just a solid and very smooth look.

[CalicoFraming]

Nice job! This is pretty much exactly the frame I've been struggling with. Spraying looked like a very promising option but I found it very difficult to get a good finish - I'm going to put this down to lack of experience. In the end I brushed, sanded, brushed, sanded, etc. , finishing with a very dilute coat of vinyl matt and then waxed. Was pretty pleased with it until the wax showed up all the imperfections!

This has been a horrible job, but I've learnt a lot, so in a way quite pleased.

Thanks for all the invaluable advice guys.

Calico