Also, my test panel is drying right now and I can already tell it's not coming out like I had hoped. I still have 2 more top coats and the poly to add though so maybe I'm being a bit pessimistic...
Yes! Lets start talking paint. As you may have noticed, both you and I have been asking lots of paint questions. I've painted 6 cabinets now and I've tried several different methods and I never could get that "arcade" finish I wanted. (Shiny and smooth). I'm curious to hear how your method works.
Thanks for the kind words!
As for my test panel, it looks a lot better right now. Here's what I've done so far (it's not finished):
1. Sanded MDF with 150 grit sandpaper
2. Rolled on first coat of primer (OIL BASED - a water-based primer will soak into the MDF and ruin it)
3. Sanded with 150 grit sandpaper
4. Rolled on second coat of primer
5. Sanded with 220 grit sandpaper
6. Rolled on first coat of paint (Behr - latex, water-based - it's OK to apply after the MDF is sealed)
7. Sanded with 220 grit sandpaper
8. Rolled on second coat of paint
At this point I was completely unhappy with how it was coming out. I had multiple particles/hairs in the paint (probably from a bad roller) and there was an unmistakable "orange peel" texture all over the place that you could feel and worse yet see. I decided to change up my strategy:
9. Sanded with 220 grit sandpaper
10. Using a FOAM BRUSH I applied a third coat of paint.
11. Applied first coat of poly (Minwax) using a foam brush.
This isn't perfect but it looks much much better than the "orange peel" thing I had going on. There is still a very slight "brushed" look on it but it is not that noticable (of course I notice it because I'm anal). I'm going to apply 3 more coats of poly with the foam brush sanding in between with 220 grit and then 600 before the last coat. I'm hoping the extra coats of poly will get rid of any brush marks. I'll post some pics of the final panel when I'm finished.
If you have any tips or something works better for you I'd love to hear it!
spriggy - thanks for the follow up! I'm going to try your method next if I don't lie how mine comes out. I think the roller is the key to the whole process...