Spray Painting MDF (QuestionsCompressor, Gun, Paint

[Elso]

Hi There,
I am a newbie when it comes to painting, I had experience of painting Car Body Filler on resin before with decent results and using aerosol spray primer and paint, but I was thinking about moving to a compressor this time.

I need to paint 5 boxes (about 1.5mt x 50cm x 10cm each) for an artwork I am preparing; they will have to be painted Black, Matte.
The MDF will be sealed with PVC glue and water and then levelled with some car body filler.

My questions are:
- As I cannot use 2pack (don't have a respirator nor a big garage where to spray or extractor), what type of paint should I use? And where should I buy it from?

- Will I be able to spray primer and paint with a compressor, such as this one i.e.?
Quality Portable V-Twin Pump Compressor, Sealey SAC5030VE (50 Litre, 3hp, 11.6cfm Displacement)
would this be enough for this type of job or should I buy a smaller/bigger one?

- Gun.... any suggestion?

Despite I would like this job to be made nicely, I don't plan to use the compressor too often in the future, or to go pro, hence I should go for a smaller?

I am also considering doing everything with aerosols, it's just that I feel it'd be much easier with the compressor.

What do you think?

Many thanks in advance for your help and time

Best

Elso

 

[kbdiy]

Whatever you do, don't seal the wood with glue (I assume you mean PVA?) if you ever want paint to stick to it.

 

[Elso]

Thanks, I was thinking about using MDF primer twice to seal the edges. Would that work?

 

[joe-90]

You want a HVLP spray kit. You can get them quite cheaply.

http://www.sealantsandtoolsdirect.c..._P25746.html?gclid=CPaXy_rMqbkCFVDItAodkmgA-w

 

[virgilns]

I've done some mdf free floating shelves and on my second mdf bathroom cabinet (wel set of cabinets) ..as you say, the biggest issue is the edges or anywhere where you open the face of the panel.

I used a wood primer and top coat from movac that's intended for spraying. Its really good stuff, but not sure it's available to the public. But a decent primer and topcoat should be fine. I sprayed some dulux colour match stuff the other week and it went on no differently.

Your compressor choice is spot on...mines a 3hp, 50l and I use a sata 1000brp with a 1.8mm nozzle. Certainly don't want anything smaller nozzle wise as you'd have to thin the paint too much and it'll raise the fibres in the mdf more. The rule of thumb is the thicker the paint, the bigger the nozzle...thin celulose on a small area, 1mm nozzle, wood based paint around a 2mm give or take...

You also need a filter to take out the oil and air in the air...mine was about 40qyid from axminster or screwfix a few years back, but I winder how effective it is. I've had a few little spots of contamination on some glass work I've just done, so might need a better one.

Biggest headache when spraying mdf is you spray it...it gets wet, it raises the fibres (goes all bumpy) it dries, you rub it down respray it and the fibres come up again!

Best thing I found other than using a two pack I've recently tried which makes a big difference, but not easily diyable as you say, it to put on a very very light coat, almost a mist, let that dry (minutes) and then sand as lightly as you can, then recoat, getting heavier with each coat until you get no fibers show through when you sand, then one more coat of primer, light flatting, then top coat.

You need a fast drying paint and if water based, keep the temperature high and a good draft going to dry the paint. I painted a cot I made with the same stuff and primed It outside hung on the garden line...dried really well, then used a big pedestal fan to move the air past it when doing the top coat. Water based paint needs moving air to dry...
Its possible to get a perfect finiscorset. its a lot of prep. Edges are just more painting and sanding, painting and Sanding...i Used 240 grit and a bit of 180, no corser

Mdf is great stuff, and I have some very strong storages boxes I can't beleive are still in one piece, that have so much weight in them, but it's rubbish at taking knocks...corners WILL chip if you knock them...think of it as touch paper mache

A compressor is probably one of the most useful tools you can have if you have the space, and if you are arty then you can run an airbrush off it later...nail guns and staple guns, ..and when your girlfriend gets Lilly pollen in her silk top, just blow it off through from the back of the fabric...to her it's THE most useful thing I own!.

They are noisy though.....