Finishing MDF

[Terryc]

Hi everyone, as a newbie, but someone who has been reading these messages for a long time, I would like to thank you all for a very informative site - and also for confusing me :? . I'm in the process of completing a kitchen refurb and have made the doors out of MDF (cheap I know, but in a years time when my better half gets fed up with them they won't be so expensive to replace) I'm now at the point of finishing them. Naturally, I thought I'd just spray paint on them - how wrong I was. This site has shown me that there is a little more to it than that, which is why I've said I'm confused. I mean what do I seal it with - Acrylic primer, MDF primer, dewaxed shellac, wallpaper paste etc.. What about the next coat(s) precat, postcat, cellulose etc. What I'm trying to achieve is a coloured finish, roughly 50% gloss that will be fairly hardwearing. I have a hvlp system so I will be spraying. Can anyone can point me in the right direction?
Many thanks
Terryc

 

[DaveL]

Hi Terryc,

Welcome to the forum.

The only MDF I have finished was for workshop use, the frame for my cyclone and thats painted with Smoothrite, not a lot of help really, hopefully someone will be a long with some guide lines for you soon. :roll:

 

[Newbie_Neil]

Hi Terry

Welcome to the forum.

Someone will be along soon to advise you.

Cheers
Neil

 

[houtslager]

well done on getting a HVLP set up, the best IMHO is to use water based finishes.
To date the best material I have found is SIGMA paints S2U/CONTURA range.Full colour range availabe and dries quickly too.
Use primer on all open edges first. I tend to get ALL pieces lined up, start at 1 end of the line and by the time I have finished trhe line the first edges are ready for de-nibbing.
Keep to the same system throughout, so you know where you left off if you have to leave the job for any reason. DAMHIKT
Ok, now all open edges are coated 2/3 times ,so they well sealed , a light rub down on remaining surfaces, and then coat these up in the primer, 1st coat and finally the top coat.
Be careful to avoid fish eye/orange peel , a thorough de-nibbing between coats. Oh make sure you have a form of extraction and heating where you'll be spraying.HVLP does make a lot LESS mist, but its still present.

All the best, HS

 

[Terryc]

Hi HS

Many thanks for the reply, can you answer a few more questions for me:

What primer do you use? Where can you get these paints, my area seems to be devoid of paint suppliers unless you want automotive products.

Finally, DAMHIKT, ... err ... can you explain, I'm a little ancient for this, still haven't mastered phone text messages yet.

Regards Terry

PS Thanks to Neil and Dave for welcoming me to the forum.

 

[Roger]

Don't Ask Me How I Know That :lol:

Just a quick way of writing common phrases in forum messages! You'll get used to them :roll:

 

[seaco]

Hi Terryc

Welcome to the forum I painted my own MDF kitchen and I used a cellulose based paint that I purchased from a local kitchen supplier. I don't know what it was called but it worked very well...

Sorry I can't help with the name but a tip I did get from him was to use several say 75mm x 75mm off cuts of MDF and to put a couple of 50mm tacks through I used an 18guage air nailer. This is to rest the doord etc. on while painting lets you get a good coverage on the edges and saves picking up bits from the bench...

Hope this helps a bit...

Lee

 

[engineer one]

in america a number of finishers suggest using car primer to
close up the pores on mdf, mainly because you can spray it so that
when it hits the mdf it is almost dry. makes it easier to cover the
edges, also body filler is useful to ensure the edges are clean.

so my advice is first coat, almost dry quite thin car primer,
making sure that you get a good coat over the edges.
second coat also primer, slightly thicker. see what it looks like,
de nib, then start with first colour coat. make sure you do the
edges first they are where the runs and paint seepage will be.
then run that thinnish colour coat on the main surfaces.
build up over at least 3 coats, then decide what finish you actually
want,ie gloss matt, eggshell etc.

paul :wink:

 

[houtslager]

Well after a number of years in AMsterdam I came across a paint, that is for
woodworkwers/painters - it is called "lak plamuur"or in plain English paint filler.It is simerler in character to Grain Filler for the Polishing trade, goes on thick with either a brush or spray. When fully hardened its then sanded back and then ready for the first coat of paint.
In many ways its simerler to what Engineer one said -

using car primer to
close up the pores on mdf,

Try it, it does work pretty good.

Have fun there

all the best HS

 

[spadge]

Hi,

This might be slightly off topic (and you have probably finished them by now!) but I know a local maker of hand made (and very expensive) kitchens and bedrooms who sells a lot of painted stuff because its very fashionable at the moment. The frames are made of something like tulipwood and the panels are MDF. They get spray primed and the first coats of finish are sprayed but the final coats are always applied by brush. Apparantly customers don't like too perfect a finish, they like to see a few brush marks so they can tell it's been hand made.

So that's our excuses sorted out for any dodgy finishing!

 

[Anonymous]

We paint MDF all the time and after much experimentation I would suggest that AC paint is the way to go. (Acid Catylist)

A couple of coats of white AC primer followed by a coat of paint will give a superb finish.

I use Morrells Woodfinishes www.morrells-woodfinishes.com. They have a stockist in Hull who should be able to help.

I can give you specific product numbers if you contact me direct

 

[George_N]

Dunk, the link to Morrells doesn't seem to be working.

 

[Anonymous]

That's a bit of a mystery - try
www.morrells-woodfinishes.com/distributors.htm

If the link won't work then just enter it into the address box - it just worked for me!

Dunk

 

[George_N]

Yep, that worked ok for me this time thanks; and there is a branch fairly close to me too

 

[Nick W]

The problem with the original link is that it ends with a dot.

.com.