Painting 101

Ken,
You might try a search in the DIY Forum

 

Ken, this is the “Tweaking, Connections and Accessories” forum. We’ll be happy to tell you haw to paint your interconnects or power conditioner that super-gloss black, but not your MDF.

As Paul mentioned – try the DIY and Advanced Projects forum.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

Try this website if you want a step by step explanation:

http://www.pc-workshop.net/articles/...int101-1.shtml

this is on a computer case but the process is similar. I'm finishing a subwoofer right now using pretty much this process. Its a lot of work but (i hope) its worth it.

A few things that I will recommend are:

1.) Use a 50/50 yellow glue/water mixture to seal the MDF. I've tried sanding sealer before, it doesn't work well on the end grain. Put it on evenly with any brush (cheap foam ones are fine). Make sure you have any gaps filled with wood filler that has been sanded down before sealing. After sealing you need to get it really flat. I'd do any serious leveling with 60 grit BEFORE you seal, after the seal is dry do 150->220->400, then prime. You're going to have to put on several layers of primer, be patient. By the time you're done priming you should be able to wet sand it down with 400 grit until its totally flat without going through the primer. If you go through, its OK, prime that area and sand again.

2.) Use Duplicolor lacquer when you paint, they have a different nozzle than the plasti-kote brand, which is listed in the article. I used both and the Duplicolor is MUCH, MUCH easier to use and puts on a much more even coat with less overspray. Remember, the better job you do of getting the primer flat the less paint you will have to use. Primer is cheaper, make you're mistakes before painting. Once you can sand the paint layer totally smooth with a 600 wet sand you'll be in good shape.

Otherwise follow the directions in the article.

 

Advice?? Take your time and do it right the first time.

Good luck!

 

paint, sand, paint, sand, paint, sand, paint, sand, paint, sand, paint, sand, paint, sand, paint, sand, paint, sand paint, sand, paint, sand, paint, sand, paint

repeat

 

OR, if you don't want to invest those hours of labor, you can order WilsonArt laminate that emulates a piano-gloss lacquer finish. Check with your local WilsonArt distributor. Formica may have the same thing also. Specify their 01 gloss finish:
http://www.wilsonart.com/design/finish/finishes.asp

Dan, regarding your following post,I know about the rounded edges thing - always round over my cabinet front vertical edges. My point here is that not many people are willing to put in the hours it takes to get a perfect surface and paint job that piano gloss lacquer finish requires.

 

While that is true, Hank, the most impressive part of a piano black finish is the wonderfully seemless mirror shine across ROUNDED edges. VERY hard to do that with a laminate.


- Dan

 

mmmmmmm...seamless...

 

I'm in the process of doing my flexy. By hand, definitely by hand. Because the palm sanders are orbital they are ok for a quick rough sand down but if you want a really smooth flat surface you just cant beat by hand. If there is even the remotest of chances of the sand paper getting clogged with an orbital they'll gouge up your surface. On the raw MDF this isn't too much of a problem but once you undercoat you'll want to do it by hand. You don't discover this gouging until you are a few coats in of undercoat and by then it's a bit annoying to go back over it with putty.

I.e wet sand by hand is best for flattest smoothest finish - even at the early undercoat stages. Even avoid a brush in my opinion. Spraying takes forever to seal but if you want flat, really flat, you cant beat wet sanding between sprays.

 

ken,

i'll repeat it, but take your time, and sand, sand, sand. if you want a true piano like finish, you'll need to spend a long time sanding the mdf to get it super smooth. then you need to do the primer, sand, primer, sand thing. Make sure you give the primer enough time to dry before the next coat.

same with the lacquer paint, make sure you give it ample time to dry and practice spraying it on, if you get runs in the paint at this stage it's a headache to fix them.

this will definately test your patience as getting that type of finish takes time

 

Ken,

Yes, on my WWW link (Top of each post)

It has gone further than this, I'm putting it together tomorrow after one more coat of clear. By the end I was down to 1200grit wet sands. You'll notice I used a roller with black enamel paint for a base coat. Worked ok but if I had my time over again I would have been spraying from the start.

I would agree with Minhg too, sand the MDF till is shiny, I mean shiny! and the coating of paints are then fairly straight forward, paint, sand, etc.

Cheers
Rod

 

Actually: fill, sand, fill, sand, prime, sand, prime, sand, prime, sand, prime, sand, paint, sand, paint, sand, paint, sand, paint, sand, paint, sand, paint, sand, paint, sand, paint, sand, paint, sand paint, sand, paint, sand, paint, sand, paint

You could also consider hauling it down to an auto body shop and seing if they'll do it for you.

 

Find a primer surfacer with high solids, it should turn into dust easily when sanded. Spray a black primer first then light color primer. When you sand the black will start to show. the black spots are the high spots. Like everyone already stated, The job will only be as good as the sanding. See if you can rent a turbine hvlp in your area. Spray is the only way to go.