Any how to videos/ step by step instructions for sanding/ painting for dummies?

[marioxb]

So I know there is the sticky topic:
Are there "How to Videos" on arcade building?

but, none of it deals with the actual woodworking portion of the building. I have NEVER sanded or painted anything in my life (that came out good at least), and these are the main things I would like explained to me. What kind of sander? Manual? Power? What grit of sandpaper? What kind of paint?

I don't necessarily need videos, but a nice step-by-step walkthrough would be nice.

[rhys]

That would depend entirely on what exactly you are sanding/painting.  Plywood is a completely different beast from MDF, which is also completely different than OSB, and if it's plywood, it will depend on what wood is on the face.  Birch, oak, and pine are the most common.  Birch and pine can be treated pretty much the same, but oak is an entirely different story.

Most good plywood is pre-sanded and ready to paint (cheap pine plywood will need sanded), and MDF does not generally need sanded either.  It all depends on the surface quality of the material you are working with.  Both need painted with a wood sealer before the final paint color, or you'll go through WAY more paint than you expect, as the first coat or three will soak into the wood and not leave a good finish.  It also depends on what kind of paint you plan on using.  Water based paints are much easier to deal with than oil based, but are not generally as durable.

Also, don't skimp on paint brushes.  Yes, you can buy a giant pack of brushes for a few dollars at Harbor Freight or Dollar General, but they won't hold up as well and you won't get nearly as good a finish quality as with a good paintbrush.  Make sure you read the information on the paint can or talk to someone in the paint department where you will be purchasing the paint to make sure you get the correct type of brushes for the paint you will be using also.  Oil based paints can destroy a brush that isn't meant for use with them.

If you are going to use cheap pine plywood instead of good sanded birch faced plywood, you'll want a decent random orbit sander if you don't want to work your arms to death.  Start with maybe a 60-80 grit sandpaper to smooth out the worst of the rough patches.  Be careful to use light pressure and don't spend too long in one spot or you'll sand through the face layer, the layers are rather thin.  Let the sander do the work.  Then step up to a 120-160 grit to smooth out the surface, then a quick finish pass with a 300-400 grit.  When your finished, wipe the sanded faces down with a damp (not soaked and dripping) wrung out cloth to remove the sanding dust.  Make sure the face has dried before you start painting.

Follow the instructions on the can of sealant and apply that once the faces are clean and dry.  Depending on the sealent, you may need to hit the faces with the 300-400 grit sandpaper very lightly again after it has had ample time to dry before painting as they tend to lift the grain of the wood a bit.  Same routine, wipe down with a damp cloth to remove the sanding dust before continuing to paint.

Apply the paint with even brush strokes.  Make sure the brush doesn't get too dry, or you'll leave brush marks.  Also make sure you don't apply the paint too heavily or you will have puddles or runs.  You will likely need at least two coats to get a good finish.  Again, follow the instructions on your paint and make sure it has ample time to dry between coats. This is the part that takes practice.  You can read everything ever written about painting, but the only thing that will make you a good painter is practice.

Practice on scrap before you start on the real thing.  Never throw away scrap lumber, you never know when it will come in handy.

Also, don't be surprised if you get at least a dozen other opinions on how to prep and paint lumber.  Everyone has there own technique that works for them, and rarely do two people do it exactly the same way.

[ppv]

Thanks for that! And bookmarked for future ref.

[thatpurplestuff]

OND is famous for his perfect glassy paint jobs... he detailed his methods via Youtube vids in his project thread -> http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,88912.msg1302324.html#msg1302324

Just to give you a taste of how great he is at this, take a look at this image

[marioxb]

Very, very nice. I did forget to add, I would primarily be working on old existing cabinets. How can I tell what type of wood they are made out of? I guess I'd want to remove all the old paint first? Do I just sand the paint off or paint thinner/ something else?

Also, do I have to use a brush to paint? I don't think I would be good at that. Can I use a roller/ sprayer?

[rhys]

If it's a pre-painted cabinet, you'll need to use a fine grit sandpaper on it to rough the old paint up enough to allow the new paint to adhere.  No need to remove the old paint.  At that point it doesn't matter what kind of wood it is, as it's already been smoothed and sealed prior to the original paint.  I wouldn't recommend a roller, you won't like the results.  An HVLP sprayer would work well, even better finish than a brush, but that takes even more practice to do well.  With a sprayer, you generally have to thin the paint before you start, which is an art to do right in and of itself.  On top of that you have to get the coats just right or you'll end up with runs or an orange peel effect.  You shouldn't have any trouble finding tutorials on using an HVLP sprayer on YouTube though.

I would HIGHLY recommend you practice quite a bit on scrap with a sprayer before even attempting to do something you want to keep.

[marioxb]

Thanks a lot! It seems that most people here are woodworking experts! I must have missed that class! I actually did take a semester of wood shop in high school, but hell if I remember anything or have any of the tools they had there!

How does everyone here know so much about so much?? I don't think I have ANY special skills. I am good in customer service... and everyone around me SEEMS to think I am a tech expert because I know how to hook up a VCR. But I can't program or anything like that. I AM good at following directions, so there's that..

[rhys]

I'm a jack of all trades with the tools to prove it.  My grandfather was a carpenter, my father an electrical engineer, my mother's a nurse.  By profession, I'm and IT guy (network engineer to be specific).  I also work on cars and motorcycles, my baby is a rare '76 Honda CB500T.  I can do circuit design as well as MCU programming.  I drove semi trucks for three years, was an EMT for two.  I've learned how to weld and blacksmith, make chainmail and leather armor, and I can build a house.  Oh, and I can knit, cross stitch, and am quite proficient with a sewing machine, my grandmother was a seamstress.  Never picked up crochet though....

And I'm only 35 

[Hoopz]

Here's a great guide.  Javeryh's stuff is incredibly well done.

This is basically what  I did:

1.  Sanded MDF with 600 grit to get it as smooth as possible
2.  Applied OIL-based primer - rolled on with a 4" foam roller (2 coats).  Sanding after the 2nd coat with 220 grit.
3.  Applied water-based pink paint - rolled on with a 4" foam roller (6 coats).  Sanding after the 2nd, 4th and 5th coats with 220 grit.
4.  Sprayed on 25 coats of lacquer straight from the can - no sanding.
5.  Wetsanded like crazy with 1500 grit - I spent 8 hours just on this step
6.  Applied rubbing compound with soft cotton rag (2 coats)
7.  Applied polish with soft cotton rag and buffer (2 coats)

HERE are a few good shots of the difference the rubbing compound/polish makes.

I did not have access to any spraying tools/materials, unfortunately.  The lacquer was easy to apply though - I did it all in one weekend since each coat dried in 20 minutes.  I couldn't get it perfect but the finish still looks 1,000,000 times better than leaving brushstrokes on there with ordinary paint, IMO.  It almost looks like it came from the factory or something.

[marioxb]

I'm a jack of all trades with the tools to prove it.  My grandfather was a carpenter, my father an electrical engineer, my mother's a nurse.  By profession, I'm and IT guy (network engineer to be specific).  I also work on cars and motorcycles, my baby is a rare '76 Honda CB500T.  I can do circuit design as well as MCU programming.  I drove semi trucks for three years, was an EMT for two.  I've learned how to weld and blacksmith, make chainmail and leather armor, and I can build a house.  Oh, and I can knit, cross stitch, and am quite proficient with a sewing machine, my grandmother was a seamstress.  Never picked up crochet though....

And I'm only 35 

Well, just, wow!

I'm 37, just got married for the first time 5 years ago. Have no children, bought our first house last year. That's all. No accomplishements other than those. I can hook up your Blu Ray player, figure out why the computer's not working (probably, after doing Google searches). I can change a tire, battery, oil, basic things like that. I know how to use a hand held drill (I guess), hammer, and other basic tools. That is all.

[rhys]

Been married 7 years the end of this month (thank you for the reminder!), have a daughter who will be 8 the end of December, and I've had my house for almost 5 years.  Gutted the bathroom right after I bought it, that was fun    House was built in '65, and the builder used expanded sheet steel covered in concrete as a tile backer.  Removed nearly half a ton of concrete from the walls around the tub before I could get it out.  Next major project is to gut the kitchen.  It's original to the house, still has whats left of the shag carpet    After that is gutting the basement and adding a bathroom down there.  Have to cut up the poured concrete floor to add drain plumbing and a sewage well and lift pump.

I tend to stay pretty busy, but I'm a little ADD too, so I bounce from one half finished project to the next alot....