Painting MDF

[thund3rstruck]

 Ok, I'm got the majority of the construction completed and now I'd like to start painting the unit. I've had some bad experiences in the past trying to paint MDF so I'd like to ask the regulars here on how they did it.
 I've seen some MDF trim look as shiny as glass and other MDF that looks like smeared hobby paint. What would be the best approach to acheive that glossy, glass like finish? After the effort I put into designing and constructing the unit, I'd rather not ruin it with a poor paint job.

Thanks,
T3

[Stingray]

If you want it to look like glass you're going to need a good air compressor and a paint gun.

I have access to a professional body shop, so I used automotive paint products. I  gave mine about three coats of heavy build primer, I believe this product is called Featherfill. Then I block sanded the whole cab with 180 grit paper. I gave it another couple coats of some cheap enamel primer I had on hand. Block sand it again with 400 grit. Then I gave it three coats of black enamel frame paint with a good wollop of hardner.



-S

[Veinman]

Did you do all this while the cabinet was still in pieces?

[Stingray]

If you don't have access to paint spraying equiptment, here's another approach I've used. Get one of those small rollers that's about four inches long and maybe an inch and a half in diameter. Get the type that's for smooth surfaces. Give the cab two or three coats of Killz primer/ sealer. Lightly block sand it with some 400 grit. Then give it two or three coats of enamel, I prefer oil based, because it drys harder, but the downside is that you have to paint in a very clean area to keep crud from getting in the paint. You also have to wait a day between coats. Put your coats on lightly and go over the roller lines with a semi dry roller to help erase them. The result is a shiny, textured surface that's somewhat similar in appearance to the textured vinyl that some cabs are covered in at the factory. It's not a mirror like finish that you would get when you spray it, but it's a nice attractive surface in my opinion. I painted my NEO-GEO this way because I just didn't want to haul it to the shop.



I'm not sure I'd recomend doing this with black or very dark colors, but IMO the red turned out great. I would expect similar results with other bright colors.

-S

[Stingray]

Did you do all this while the cabinet was still in pieces?

Sorry, I missed this question. The cabinet was painted just as it looks in the picture.

-S

[thund3rstruck]

 Well this is a once in a lifetime kind of thing for me (personal therepy following my recent divorce...ha) so I'm taking my time and doing it right. I'd really like that high-gloss, glass-like finish so I think I'll purchase the necessary equipment to accomidate.

 Is this what I need in terms of the sprayer?
http://www.lowes.com/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=221115-28309-270G&lpage=none

 I think I need an air compressor as well, is this right? Can anyone share a link to a reasonably affordable one if this is required.

Thanks again,
T3

[IntruderAlert]

Another option would be to cover it with vinyl i guess

anybody know where to buy that stuff?

[thund3rstruck]

 I guess vinyl would provide the gloss and shine without the expense of purchasing both a power sprayer and a compressor.

According to Lucid's Arcade Flashback he used black contact paper.

Ace hardware sells some of this stuff.
http://www.acehardwareoutlet.com/productaddonsdetails.asp?id=63963&theSessionID=a3cdc9da9e7810777fbbdf58b55b9a07

[Veinman]

Did you do all this while the cabinet was still in pieces?

Sorry, I missed this question. The cabinet was painted just as it looks in the picture.

-S

I'm guessing you did some serious masking work if you sprayed it while assembled.

[Flinkly]

i think contact paper is a little too little.

[Flinkly]

Did you do all this while the cabinet was still in pieces?

Sorry, I missed this question. The cabinet was painted just as it looks in the picture.

-S

I'm guessing you did some serious masking work if you sprayed it while assembled.

what would he need to mask off?  it doesn't have anything in it like a monitor that could get overspray on it...

[Stingray]

i think contact paper is a little too little.  as for the hvlp gun and air compressor, for a one job thing, it's too much.  you might inquire at your local hardware stores and see if you can rent equipment.  then you wouldn't be out so much money when you got done.  if you did it this route, i'd do the primer with a roller, then sand, and then maybe even i coat of black and then sand.  then get the sprayer for the last one or two coats, so you don't pay so much to have the sprayer because you've done two or three days of spraying already.

Unless you want to sand the crap out of it, I'd recommend spraying everything for a nice finish. This is particularly true if you're going with black paint. Gloss black will highlight every tiny flaw that there is under the paint.

And regarding masking, I did cover up the back door opening and draped a couple sheets of masking paper over the monitor mounting area and let it hang down in front of the coin door opening. This was just to keep overspray out of the inside so the job would be a little neater. I don't think that qualifies as "serious masking" though. It took about five minutes and I used about four six foot lengths of 18 inch masking paper.

-S

[rdagger]

I bought a cheap HVLP paint sprayer for the inside areas on my cab.

[MrSaLTy]

Compressors that can be used for painting have to have a pretty hi CFM rating to keep up with the sprayer.  These are usually fairly expensive.  Most air attachments have a rating that tells you what the CFM rating is. You need a compressor that can provide that to 'keep up'.

[IntruderAlert]

M3talhead did a nice job with vinyl from Parts Express



Lot's of pics in his topic over here:
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,32169.0.html

[SOAPboy]

If you want it to look like glass you're going to need a good air compressor and a paint gun.

I have access to a professional body shop, so I used automotive paint products. I

[IntruderAlert]

that looks pretty good for being right out of a can

[Stingray]

that looks pretty good for being right out of a can

That picture is of my cab, which was not painted with rattlecan paint. I've heard people claim they can get the same results with rattlecans as with a compressor and a professional paint gun. I'll believe that when I see it. Rattlecans provide very inconsistant pressure, and they have a tiny spray pattern. Add that to the fact the paint inside is generally low quality with insufficient hardner, I consider this claim to be complete bullpoopie.

-S

[Wade]

I guess vinyl would provide the gloss and shine without the expense of purchasing both a power sprayer and a compressor.

According to Lucid's Arcade Flashback he used black contact paper.

Ace hardware sells some of this stuff.
http://www.acehardwareoutlet.com/productaddonsdetails.asp?id=63963&theSessionID=a3cdc9da9e7810777fbbdf58b55b9a07

I agree with using some sort of laminate, but Contact Paper is not durable, and not very sticky, and totally not suitable for a gaming cab, even in a home environment.  I'm surprised at how many people use it.

Wade

[psik0tik]

you dont have to buy an hvlp gun if your just using it to spray a cab..just buy one of those cheapy gravity feed guns. you can get them at walliemart for like 30 bucks. and as far as a compressor goes your not painting a car with it so as long as it has a fairly good sized tank on it it should be good enough. When you buy the paint find an auto body shop around town and see if theyll sell you some left over black gloss urethane or acrylic. Id say go for a clearcoat but that gets tricky.  Sometimes the body shop will just give you the paint (where i got mine from) And it comes out very glossy...i can see my face in it. As far as primer goes you can use the rattlecan stuff just make sure you sand good.

[Flinkly]

RENT THE EQUIPMENT!!!

it's more bang for the buck than any other idea.

[psik0tik]

I agree rent the equipment

[IntruderAlert]

How about Carbon Fiber?


http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=4526529721&category=46093

[thund3rstruck]

Thanks everyone for replying. I was real worried about painting MDF but after speaking to my father, who hates to paint wood, he talked me into staining the unit (after panelling it with some birchwood). I have to be honest, i think he was right... it looks incredible and I still have a lot of work to do.

[Timstuff]

I'm still curiouse about how I should go about painting my cab. I could rent the equipment like some of you said. But I'm not looking for a high gloss glass-like finish. I just want a nice smooth black surface for my cab that won't peel or chip off, and will take nicely to having vinyl side art applied to it. Basically, I want it to look like it came from an arcade, so a flatter looking paint job would be better for me.

[nostrebor]

<snip> When you buy the paint find an auto body shop around town and see if theyll sell you some left over black gloss urethane or acrylic. <snip>

I have not seen this statement in this thread yet so I'll make it. If you are going to use spray equipment and automotive finishes, PLEASE use the correct breathing mask and filters. Urethanes, Acrylics, Laquers, Enamels all have nasty effects on your lungs, Urethanes especially.

That is all.

[elvis]

Painting MDF has to be one of the easiest things around.  I'm not sure why it is bothering so many people.  MDF is nice and flat, and requires very little prep work compared to other timbers.

I personally don't use spray equipment because I find I spend most of my time preparing the gear and then cleaning up.  Plus as mentioned, you need to wear proper safety equipment, which bugs me too much to bother.

A roller works just fine.  Short pile mohair rollers are best for gloss.  Long pile rollers work well on satins and flats if you want that slightly textured appearance.

Don't use a brush unless you 100% have to (tight spaces, etc).  I find even the best brushes leave undesireable results compared to rollers and spray equipment.

As for the actual painting:

Step 1: Decide what colour and finish (flat, satin, gloss, high gloss) you want.  No, really.  So many people by satin finish and complain it isn't shiny enough or too shiny.  Buying the right type of paint is just as important as the colour!

Step 2: Find out what types of paints (water, oil, plastics, etc) your colour is available in, which leads to...

Step 3: Find out what primer you need as an undercoat.  Any paint you buy will have a guide on the tin ("can" for the US readers) that will recommend a particular undercoat.  Water cleanup is by far the easiest.  You shouldn't have to venture far outside of water-cleanup paints unless you need a nice high-gloss black, or other dark colour.

With primer and paint purchased, on to the following...

Step 4: Prime.  One coat, nice and thin.  Better two thin coats than one thick one.  Sand between in you are after super smooth results, although it's not necessary if you are semi-competant and don't go leaving big gobs of paint everywhere.  I generally apply one undercoat on MDF; more if the timber I'm working with is particularly thirsty.

Step 5: Light sand, and then top coat.  Again, thin coats are better.  They dry better - no bubbles or wet beads.

Repeat step 5 until you are happy.  With some paints, you'll get away with 2 coats.  Some need 4 or more.  For gloss freaks, don't be afraid to put half a dozen on to get it just right, with VERY fine and even sanding in between.  Make sure there's no sanding dust or other particles on the surface pre-painting.  Anything that you paint over will stand out like a sore thumb.

Here's my cab using 85% gloss enamel, applied with a roller.  Just 2 coats and this baby was just peachy.

http://benchmark.mameworld.net/cab1/

Sure a spray would have given a much glossier finish, but I'm happy with the results considering the little effort (and cost) involved.

[Timstuff]

Hmm, those are some pretty nice results! Since I don't want so shiny a finish for mine though, I should go with flat black, right?

[pointdablame]

I wouldn't personally go with flat since it marks fairly easy, and is a lot harder to clean IMO.  If you don't want high gloss look at a satin finish.

[Veinman]

Flat paint does come in washable form now. I know since it's on almost every wall in my house.

[IntruderAlert]

that's a pretty amazing paintjob elvis!
.. hard to believe that was done with a roller

i might have to let you paint my car with a roller sometime

[spriggy]

As elvis stated, great things can be done with a roller.  I personally prefer the good quality foam rollers.

As long as you use the right application method, really nice finishes can be had.

Attached is my latest cab I painted with a foam roller.  As you can see at the top the slight 'orange peel' effect attributed to painting with this method.  I don't think it retracts from the look at all.

However, your lying to yourself if you think a roller can out-do a gun.

Each to it's own merits.  The pros and cons are obvious I would think.

 

[elvis]

Hmm, those are some pretty nice results! Since I don't want so shiny a finish for mine though, I should go with flat black, right?

That was 85% gloss.  Any decent tin of paint you buy should have the gloss level indicated on the side.  100% is perfect mirror finish (technically impossible).  0% is perfect flat (also technically impossible).

5% is about as low gloss as you can go.  But be warned, this stuff chips easily, and is turns very powdery over time.  I've used 5% gloss in my house on the walls, and like the non-shiny results it gives (no "specular highlights" in geek speek ).  However it does get scratch easily when kids bump into it with wooden and plastic toys.

Something flat or satin around the 10-30% range is still flat, yet might give you a little extra strength.  Enamel is one of the stronger paints, but again is high gloss, and needs turps cleanup (smelly, messy, and expensive).  Definitely look for a nice hard-wearing water cleanup.  A good hint: any exterior paints will always be tougher against bumps, knocks and spills than interior paints will be.

You should be able to get tester pots for around $5.  Grab one and paint a small peice of offcut MDF, and put it under the same lights you'll have your cab under.  It pays to do your research.

And finally... remmeber it's just paint.  If you don't like it, you can always re-paint it.

[str1der]

I would definetly use a foam roller. Th epaint I used on mine which I thought turned out great was Rustoleum Hammer Finish. It has just the right amount of gloss but adds just a bit of texture to the MDF.

[HoopstarsGarage]

Attached is my latest cab I painted with a foam roller.  As you can see at the top the slight 'orange peel' effect attributed to painting with this method.  I don't think it retracts from the look at all.

Actually looks really good..!!  Sort has a  formica type finish to it..

what level of gloss is this Spriggy?

[spriggy]

Actually looks really good..!!