Finishing MDF

[BennyZero]

Morning,

I have a question that I think you may be able to help me with.

I have a large number of bedroom cabinets with new MDF doors that I would like to paint with a quality Satinwood finish:

http://www.dulux.co.uk/webapp/wcs/s...reId=10752&catalogId=10051&langId=-1&code=NDS

I put on one coat and it soaked into the MDF to a bit of a disappointing finish.

Do I persevere with more coats of the Satinwood paint?
Should I Sand it with a fine paper first?
Should I sand and use an MDF Primer to seal the surface?
Or does the first coat of satinwood seal the MDF?

Whats the best bet for a quality finish?

Cheers
BennyZero

 

[Scrit]

Hi Benny

MDF will absorb paper like blotting paper unless it is sealed first. The edges are particularly bad in that respect. What I do is to use an acrylic MDF primer (DFulux., Johnstones, etc) then give it 2 coats for flat surfaces or 3 to 5 coats for edges well flatted between coats as the primer will raise the grain (it is water-based). I suggest that you flat-off the existing painted surfaces, seal the edges 2 or 3 times with thinned paint and the surfaces once with thinned paint, allowing to dry and flatting between coats, then continue painting as normal. To flat you'll need fine sandpaper, 2220 grit or finer.

Scrit

 

[BennyZero]

Cheers Scrit. Thanks for the feedback.

Just to clarify, when you say ..

I suggest that you flat-off the existing painted surfaces, seal the edges 2 or 3 times with thinned paint and the surfaces once with thinned paint, allowing to dry and flatting between coats, then continue painting as normal.

.. are you suggesting that it is too late to use a primer? But that I can use thinned paint to seal the MDF.

Sorry to be a bit thick, but should I thin down the satinwood paint? Using water presumably? What sort of proportion?

Thanks for getting back to me
BennyZero

 

[Scrit]

Probably not, but if you've already started with a top coat I'd just continue with a thinned-down top coat. If it's a water-based paint (probable) then thinned 50/50 with ordinary water.

Scrit

 

[BennyZero]

Right. Thanks for that. I will give it a go and feedback as to the results.

Cheers

 

[hermes]

To flat you'll need fine sandpaper, 2220 grit or finer.

Scrit

Do you mean 220?

 

[Scrit]

Yes. My index finger has a ssssstutter

SSScrittt

 

[hermes]

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