Stripping paint from mdf ?

[ricky101]

Hi,

We have some mdf speaker enclosures , about 16 x 12 x 10 "covered with oil based gloss paint and mdf sealer/primer.

Looking to veneer them so need to remove all the paint as advised the veneer glue will fail if used direct onto the paint.

Seems we could use sanding, at lot !, a heat gun or stripper / caustic soda but not sure if these would damage the surface of the mdf or leave too much residue.

Any advice please .

 

[Tigercubrider]

Good luck with that

Getting all the paint off will take ages, and may not work.
Caustic soda will be wet and md,f doesn't like damp so avoid that like the plague

Sanding using a wood block or similar will get a flatter finish but be careful on the corners or you will round them off. Possibly clamping or screwing a piece of gash wood to protect the corners might help

You may not need to remove all of the paint- what glue does the veneer take?

 

[ricky101]

Thanks, thats was what I was wondering , might be quicker and easier to make a new enclosure than messing with this one.

Another member into veneering said all the paint needs to be removed as any of the glues used may react with the paint in time and cause it to lift off, making an even bigger mess.

 

[Tigercubrider]

I would say that if your woodworking is up to it, either make new cabs or skin them with thin mdf then veneer