[ctviggen]

Hi All,

My wife decided to paint the stairwell into the basement.  As part of this process, we took off the wood handrails.  I attached each one (of two) to a 2x4, then put the 2x4s into slots for the sawhorses I have.  This made them easy to paint with spray paint.

I sanded multiple times using different grits of sandpaper, then cleaned.  I painted with two coats of primer, with a light sanding with very fine grit paper between them, then several coats of silver, somewhat "sparkly" paint.  At that point, we lost power for 8 days (thanks, tropical storm no one was prepared for).

Anyway, after getting back power last night, I was thinking of adding some type of top coat to the handrails.

Is this a good or bad idea? 

If good, what do I use?  Polyurethane?

What technique do I use?  Eg, multiple coats with sanding between, like this:

https://www.hunker.com/13413104/putting-a-clear-coat-on-painted-wood

Thanks!

[Rusty Jefferson]

A clearcoat over the silver is a good look, it gives it depth. For housework like this I'd probably use a water based clearcoat as it won't yellow. Typical polyurethane will yellow. Industrial urethane will stay clear but is beyond the scope of the project. You should probably scuff the silver before overcoating.

[ctviggen]

Thanks, Rusty.  Sorry for my delay in responding -- have been so busy doing projects.

Anyway, I used a spray can of clear coat that my wife had for the railings.  The weird thing is that the can said nothing about covering paint....so I contacted them, and they took too long to get back to me.  The clear coat did dull the finish somewhat, but also did add a depth to it and also protected it.  My daughter had paint (she's been painting on canvasses lately) on her hands, which she got on the railings, and I was able to wash it off.

This is the end result:

[Rusty Jefferson]

Looks good. Painting that staircase has some hours in it.

[ctviggen]

My wife wanted something the kids could do, too. So they painted the risers.  We also clear coated them (using whatever the local paint store recommended).  And we used the same clear coat for the design on the landing. 

For the railing, I have these cheap sawhorses:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Stanley-22-in-Folding-Sawhorse-2-Pack-STST60952/203768844

Those grooves are for 2x4s.  We had brass hardware for the railings originally.  I had some 2x4s and I attached the brass hardware to the sides of the 2x4s.  I put plastic sheeting around and over the sawhorses, then put the railings into the slots.  This allowed me to paint the railings while attached to the 2x4s.  I put the railings so they stuck up above top of the 2x4s, so I could paint all sides.  The only detriment was I could not paint the bottom easily, but you don't see that anyway.

I sanded the railings with multiple grits of sand paper, then primed them with several coats of primer.  I let that dry then lightly sanded that and then added the silvery top coat (multiple ones). 

At that point, we had a storm come through and lost power for 8 days.  We lived on a generator. 

When the power finally came back on, I added the clear coat.  I forgot to lightly sand the top coat before the clear coat. 

We also replaced the hardware with the brushed nickle.

As for painting the stairwell, my wife did that and said it sucked.  I could see that, as it's difficult to paint while standing on the steps.  The ceiling and top parts of the walls were tough.