Plywood and paint!

[Stug]

Hi, I'm just starting to convert a campervan. Plywood is obviously robust and easy to use but...
I want to paint most of it, with good prep and materials can I get it look 'not homemade'?
What should I expect, could I make it look like a plastered wall at home?
Thanks
Steve

 

[johnnyb]

depends on the ply and your finishing method! I actually prefer ply over mdf for finishing with a water based system. as for type of ply I'm using maple faced poplar which is amazing. but birch as also superb.
then I spray filler primer then I prefer water based pu pigmented lacquer.
try to use a system that needs little if any water adding to thin the paint. air assisted airless or just airless

 

[Jameshow]

I used a Wilko hi build primer on a recent project then a top coat. The primer flattened down really well.

 

[Stug]

Thanks guys.
So actual finish is as good as the time and materials you use?

 

[johnnyb]

materials are best hard. no use putting hard paint over soft material. pu is considerably tougher than acrylic. birch ply and pu paint would be really tough.(and a beautiful finish of course)
a finish completely lacking in grain requires a couple of coats of filler primer heavily sanded back at least.

 

[user 36896]

Use Poplar ply where you can, it is lightweight and on doing the whole build its important to keep the weight down.
very rewarding doing a conversion. I'm still using my 4th conversion a 2000 Lt35.

Good luck, Steve.

 

[Jameshow]

Use Poplar ply where you can, it is lightweight and on doing the whole build its important to keep the weight down.
very rewarding doing a conversion. I'm still using my 4th conversion a 2000 Lt35.

Good luck, Steve.

Nice conversion, great van before the electronics started going silly!!

 

[mwinfrance]

Poplar ply ( mostly from China PRC ) is also what is mostly available ATM, and is a reasonable price. Actually it is about the price that birch ply was a couple of years ago prior to Russia invading the Ukraine.Whereas Birch ply is since that ongoing event harder to get ATM, and is expensive ( compared with the 2 year ago price ) when available.

 

[AmericanCraftsmanship]

I did my van back in the states with plywood. I recommend bondo anywhere you need to fill. Everything is going to vibrate so putty won't work. My go to finish for ply is 2 coats of sanding sealer and 2-3 coats of an alkyd paint (think you call it eggshell here). I lived in it for 6 months traveling across US during lockdown. Paint still looked great when I sold it.