Turn a Chalk Board into a Dry Erase Board

McPhystal writes in about turning a chalk board into a dry erase board… –

I’m a teacher and have been trying to convert old classroom chalk boards to dry-erase. I’ve tried epoxy spray paint, Krylon, and many other types of paint. I found that the best thing to do is to use oil-based/HIGH GLOSS paint to resurface the board. Essentially, the HIGH-GLOSS paint has very little porosity and does not allow the surface to be penetrated by minor solvents such as Dry-Erase Markers. I would use the following steps for converting a chalkboard to a dry-erase board…

1. Prepare the surface with 400-Grade Sandpaper (you can use a lower number, but the surface will become increasingly coarse)
2. Thoroughly dust the surface WITHOUT water (water will make any imperfections swell up, and you will have to wait for the board to dry [about 24-hrs] and re-sand the area)
3. Apply a quality oil-based primer to the surface with a spray gun or aroller (allow full drying time as stated on paint can instructions).
4. Apply two coats of the HIGH-GLOSS paint with a spray gun or roller and make sure to follow the reapplication instructions.
5. Be patient. You need to give the paint about 2 weeks for the chemicals to bond well enough. It seems like a lot of work, but it’s actually quite cheap compared to a real dry-erase board.

Please keep in mind that this is for a permanent fix.

MAKE: Blog: $20 Dry erase board – Link.