Thread: 2pack

if you want a good solid edge on MDF..forget tryung to fill it with anything other than the sanding sealer or undercoat.

if I am working on MDF....I will usually edge round because sharp edges in MDF are vunerable.

I will sand the edges reasonably well..then I will go arround the edges with sanding sealer or undercoat.....probaly two laps of the edges...yeh it will suck it up.....I'll the do one coat of the faces.......let it dry well

Sand again..then recoat the edges and then the faces.....if it is a flat piece and you have to turn it over to paint the other side...good do the edges both times.

the edges of mdf will choke up well with a few coats...and because the dege grain has absorbed a lot of finish it makes it tough and hard.

i've tried timbermate, variuos glues and such...the sealer or undercoat is the best and there are no compatability issues, nothing to flake off or come away and one homogenios finish product.

If you cant get a real regular mark free finish....top off with a spatter coat of the same product.....long distance brush flicking or such...but the best is lowering the air preasure in your spray gun till it spatters or orange peels...this way you can get a variety of finishes from satin to chunky spatter.

cheers



cheers

If you are after a basic colour, go to supercheap auto and get yourself some of the 3M quick dry enamel. Comes in 1 and 4 litre tins, rolls out nice and can be sprayed too. With MDF I'd go for 2 coats of primer if rolling, and 3 if spraying, with an extra coat on the edges with either method.

DO NOT USE 2PK if you have never sprayed before and do not have the right safety gear, I found this out the hard way after my auntie found me unconcious on her shed floor after using normal spray painting filters in my mask and a 'she'll be right attitude'!!!

Sand the primer with 400 between coats and 600 before colour goes on. I would not recomend sanding enamel between coats, but if you use arcrylic then you can hit it with 600-800 between coats if needed.

Just make sure you pay close attention to the cut edges of MDF, paint jobs will epic fail if not done right, once again found out the hard way having to strip back a few speaker boxes and start again.

90% of what I make is MDF based and the methods described ^^^ have served me well. Shout out if you need any more advice.