Painting mdf (1 Viewer)

[RonnieT]

I originally planned on using melamine for my in wall shelves that housed my tv, components, and dvds. I was going to get 3/4" white melamine. We (wife) wants to have white shelves and white trim so I thought purchasing melamine would cut down on painting/staining anything else that we would buy. Plus I've heard that is what others are using. Now, I've called my local lumberyard and asked them if they had it. They (Carter Lumber) said they had showerboard (basically same stuff I thought) in 3/4" thick sheets for $10.99. I thought great...good price and 5 minute drive from my house. I went up there this weekend and said I needed 6 sheets and they told me they didn't have any. Wtf?? So I went out to my other lumber yard and they didn't have anything either. So now, I was thinking of getting mdf and painting it white. Can this be accomplished?? mdf at home depot is $13 while the melamine is $25. Do you think buying the melamine from hd for $12 extra dollars is worth the time and paint for the mdf?

Sorry for long post. I'm a little upset with these damn lumber yards.

 

[MikeWh]

I have painted MDF alllll ovvvvver my HT. Check my HT icon, if you want to see. I love the stuff and use it for many cabinetry projects. In fact, my whole front wall of my HT is surfaced with 1/2" MDF, including the recessed cabinets. Also, I made 3 countertops, 3 lighted poster boxes, a huge wall sconce, rounded hand rails (see first page of my HT site), and all of my door trim and base moulding out of MDF.

The surface of MDF is perfect for painting (flat/even, yet still retains a very slight "tooth"). I prefer an oil-based primer and paint, although latex performs well, too. The edges route well and paint well, too... far better than melamine. Most people edge-band (laminate) melamine boards to finish them, as they don't take paint well. In fact, the melamine at your home improvement store is usually sold with one edge banded, so it'll be the edge facing out of the cabinet.

On the flip-side: melamine is used for shelving and cabinets because the laminate surface is extremely hard and durable, at least compared to paint. If you will be moving things all over a painted MDF board, you'll eventually wind up with scratches. My MDF countertops are finished with several coats of a glossy black oil. It's held up very well, but then again, I'm not moving things all over the surface.

 

[Mark McGill]

It helps to use two coats of primer. The MDF does soak it up pretty well. Good Luck

 

[RonnieT]

I have painted MDF alllll ovvvvver my HT. Check my HT icon, if you want to see. I love the stuff and use it for many cabinetry projects. In fact, my whole front wall of my HT is surfaced with 1/2" MDF, including the recessed cabinets.

that's good to hear. although I can't see your site here at work. I'll try at home. I'm anxious to see what you've done to it. Like I said, i'll be using it for dvd shelf, tv shelf and component rack. Scratches, if any, will be at a minimum. If the 1/2" mdf can support a component, then I will be looking good. Thanks Mike, you've made my day.

If you could be more specific on the paint you used, that would be great.

 

[MikeWh]

Krylon High Gloss Black Polyurethane Oil Enamel (KDQ6203).

It looks a lot like Japanese black lacquer, but is a lot more resistant to scratches and cleaning chemicals (and is a lot easier to apply, if you don't have spray equipment). I REALLY like its performance (application, leveling, etc.), and its surface hardness is very good, after about a month or two. I used it throughout the back part of my HT (countertops, refrigerator face, a large wall sconce, and these poster marquees). I usually get it at Wal-Mart.

I prime most MDF projects with Kilz (also available at Wal-Mart).

To see pics of the poster boxes, see:
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...97#post1478897
(and later posts of mine in that thread)

 

[RonnieT]

Krylon High Gloss Black Polyurethane Oil Enamel (KDQ6203).

Your countertop looks great. I wonder if it would look that good in white. I could see if the wife wants another color from the color cards. Anyways, I've been messing around with quicktime and can't get into your site. Is there anyway I can see your pics without using quicktime? If not, I'll keep trying. Thanks again.

 

[MikeWh]

Thanks. I'm sure their white poly oil will work well.

re:quicktime-- take a look at the plugin help on the top of that page. The number one problem reported is the "Windows Media Player" issue, which requires a manual d/l and install from Apple's web site.

I have a bunch of pics, but haven't pulled them together for the Web. I'm remodelling the room soon, so I'll try and pull them together during that process.

 

[RonnieT]

re:quicktime-- take a look at the plugin help on the top of that page. The number one problem reported is the "Windows Media Player" issue, which requires a manual d/l and install from Apple's web site.

I finally got it to work. I had to uninstall my original, then manually d/l and install. Then a quick reboot and I was in business. Simple and effective.
I'll be using 6 1/2" 4x8 sheets of mdf so how much paint and primer do you think I should get? And how much did it cost? I can't seem to find a price from anyone who sells it on the internet.

 

[MikeWh]

About 1-1/2 years ago (last time I purchased it), only one of the local Lowes stores sold 1/2" MDF. None of the other Lowes nor the Home Depots stocked it... only 3/4". Did you find 1/2" in your area?

As far as the paint and primer:
I bought both at Wal-Mart. I don't recall specific prices, but I would expect a quart to run about $8. I can't remember coverage for the primer or paint... check the can. You'll have a maximum of 192 sq.ft. According to the Kilz site, I think the "Kilz Original" coverage is 370 sq.ft. per gallon, so you'll need about 2 quarts.

Krylon White Semi-gloss is KDQ6201. Not sure about its coverage, but I'd figure 1-2 coats, depending on how well the priming was done. You can always go by more (or return an unopened can).

Soooo... 2 quarts of Kilz, plus (I'm guessing here) a gallon of oil poly.... that's about $35-40 in paint.

BTW-- For you or others considering melamine: You can buy it in common shelf widths, which makes it easier to handle/cut and does not require edge-banding, if only the one finished edge will be seen. If you buy a whole sheet, you'll need to buy the white banding strips, as well. Additionally, many people find it extremely difficult to cut laminates without producing some chipping. A special laminate blade (or a triple-chip or ATB (alternate top bevel) blade) is recommended. They have more teeth per inch and are specially designed for laminates and vaneers. Here's a page that explains some of the problems:
http://www.homeimages.com/cutting.htm

 

[RonnieT]

Krylon White Semi-gloss is KDQ6201

Where did you find this code from?

As far as cutting the mdf is concerned. I was going to use a blade with a lot of teeth. I assume I can use this as a "special" blade is not required...correct?

Also, would you recommend edging the side that will be seen with strips of spare mdf? If so, how do you "hide" the transition between the two peices? Can the sides be painted well enough to avoid edging?

I'm sorry for all the questions Mike but you've been a huge help. Thank you. I owe you one.

 

[MikeWh]

I'm sorry for all the questions Mike but you've been a huge help. Thank you. I owe you one.

Absolutely no problem. It's not the first time I've rambled on here. Anything to help other HTFers.

 

[Shervin]

if you want white shelves made out of very solid particle board check ikea out, they are quite afforable and you don't have to do anything except anchor them to a wall.

 

[RonnieT]

I regularly round-over MDF (by routing it), which exposes more of the edge fibers...

Mike, I was planning on using a roundover bit for the edges. Do you recommend any certain radius size? I was thinking of using 3/8"R...as this size comes with a set that I was looking at buying. The set is a set of 15 that comes with various bits, including a 1/2" straight bit that i'll use for my dado cuts. I'll be purchasing the set on ebay. New carbide bits with storage box for about $16.

 

[MikeWh]

Do you recommend any certain radius size? I was thinking of using 3/8"R...

It all depends on the type of "reveal" or edge profile you are trying to obtain for a particular purpose. For shelving, you might not want to route the edges at all-- Traditional case shelving is usually square-cut; e.g., melamine is almost always used in a squared profile with edge-banding. For the shelves that I made, I just "eased" the edges (a very slight roundover). I did it to reduce the chances of splintering on the edges of the hardwood pieces I applied to the faces of the shelves. Most people just sand the edges lightly to accomplish this. Otherwise, it's simply a matter of taste. I highly recommend you test the routing profile on some scraps, then simply choose what looks nice to you.

My countertops, on the other hand, received a full roundover... a full depth or near-full depth of a 3/8" bit is a nice profile for this purpose. Regardless--- it's all a matter of preference. And remember that a roundover bit can be set to different depths to create a different profile.

The price you indicated is EXCEPTIONAL, if the quality of the bits is decent. A single new bit will normally run in the range of $15-25!

BTW, my Number One Tip for successful routing is to not remove more wood than the motor and bit can safely handle in a single pass. It's even more important with plunge, groove, and dado-style cuts. You can really burn up a bit and the motor by putting too much stress on the router! Use multiple passes, with a progressivly deeper cut (or fuller profile).

 

[RonnieT]

For the shelves that I made, I just "eased" the edges (a very slight roundover).

This is what I'll probably do. I want something other than square and this seems fairly simple to accomplish.
I'll be cutting it this week and as soon as my bits arrive and I finish painting it, I'll try to post some pics.

 

[Torgny Nilsson]

I am going to install some shelving in MDF, probably painted white.

Sunset Magazine recently had an article on painting MDF. They recommended that you prime it, paint it with whatever paint you are using (with a roller, sponge, or spray) and then apply another coat of the same paint with a brush. They said that the brush leaves a slight grain in the paint, making the normally very flat MDF appear to be actual wood.

I have not yet tried it, but it seemed like good advice if you want the end result to look like painted fir, ash, etc.

 

[RonnieT]

Torgny,
Do you know if that article is available on the web??

 

[MikeWh]

They said that the brush leaves a slight grain in the paint, making the normally very flat MDF appear to be actual wood.

I usually use MDF because of the extreme flatness; however, I have used it once in a faux wood project, where I used a graining tool to simulate the natural wood look. One note about the brushing suggestion-- Remember that oil paint is usually preferred for a harder, flatter surface, where hiding the brush strokes is desired (oil levels well, since it dries so slowly and is less viscous). Latex is usually preferred for a graining effect, but it's not recommended for a high-wear surface or for one on which you'll place a heavy object.

 

[MikeWh]

Do you know if that article is available on the web??

http://www.sunset.com/sunset/

Accessible only to subscribers and AOL members, although there is a "Try It Free" options, too.