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Decorating Defects - their cause and cure

Shrivelling, Alligatoring, etc

This defect is due to the application of a coat of paint or varnish which has skin-dried, probably through the addition of an excess of driers or of driers of the wrong type, or possibly owing to the application of too thick a coat.
Many gloss paints which dry perfectly satisfactorily when put on in reasonably thin coats tend to shrivel when they are applied thickly, the top surface drying before the under portion has time to oxidise, with the result that distortion takes place in the paint film after it has set.
Shrivelling is not usually accompanied by cracking of the paint film, though this may follow.
When this defect occurs, the most satisfactory procedure is to remove the existing finish and repaint.

Silkiness of Enamel or Varnish

Silkiness may be described as the appearance, on the enamel or varnish film, of fine parallel ribs or lines. It is due either to the fact that the material has not been allowed to mature long enough after manufacture, or has been applied in cold, damp weather when the evaporation of the thinner tends to be irregular, and thus interferes with the formation of a smooth and even film.
The most effective remedy is to rub down and recoat.
A finish producing this effect may sometimes be rectified by gently heating in a water bath and applying with just the chill off.