Paint questions (finish, type, whats standard for OAM)?

[ivwshane]

I'm almost done with the construction of my cab (if it matters it's made of MDF) and before I head off to pick up some more things at the home improvement stores I figured I'd ask about paint to see if I can knock that out while I'm there.

What kind of finish did/do real arcade machines typically come with? Gloss, semi-gloss, lite-texture, flat? It seems like everyone here is going for the super smooth glass like finish but I don't remember seeing any shiny cabs when I was growing up.

I plan on spraying the paint on, I figured it's faster, uses less paint, and goes on more even. But what about the primer coat? Can I spray that too?

If I want something to stand up to abuse would I use some sort of enamel paint?

And lastly how much paint do you think I would need for an elsid sized arcade machine if I want to paint both the outside and inside?



Any links and examples welcome!

[Blanka]

Don't spray until the last layer. Spray uses more paint, and will make a mess. With a roller everything gets even spread on the surface.
Put regular white wood-glue (mix it 4:1 glue to water) on the saw-edges of MDF first, it will fill the porous sides to get smoother finish later.
Roll on prime, sand, repair, prime the repaired parts again, sand again, prime the repaired parts again, roll on 1 layer of final paint, sand, spray the last layer.
With high-gloss you see every glitch in the woodwork. Pick semi-gloss unless you are an absolute master in the woodwork and wood repair.

About the paint. Here in Europe I have good experience with Sigma S2U Satin. It is an alkyd paint with high scratch resistance. They also pre-colour the prime for better coverage. It is important to leave the cab alone for 2 days after each prime session and a whole week for each final lacquer session. Then the paint is fully hardened out and sanding goes way better. And leave it another week until you move it around the house. Bad for your patience, but worth it. Hang some wet clothes around the paint-area and paint the last layer (near) naked (unless you are the monkeytype, than some good sweaty nylon clothing will do) for best dust free performance.

[ivwshane]

So is semi-gloss or high gloss a standard paint finish for original arcade manufactures (OAM)?

[Blanka]

Guess paint was never used much. Most cabs are HP/melamine covered chipboard, which is matte mostly.

[thatitalian]

The Sigma paint you are mentioning, is it available in the UK? I can't seem to find it. If not, what paint (and possibly primer) would you suggest?

[thatitalian]

I thought I would bring this up again. I am at the stage of looking for paint and primmer. Could anyone suggest some that is available in the UK? I know that Blanka mentioned the Sigma paint, but that is not available in the UK.

I did see this interesting article though:
http://www.screwfix.com/talk/thread.jspa?threadID=87204&messageID=996053

Is this really true?

I plan on using Draper 43304 foam rollers with the Draper 43300 handles. Are these sufficient to get a good finish? Knievel mentioned using Nour Brand Ultra rollers as they are rounded at the ends but I can't get these in the UK.

Also, is it REALLY necessary to leave the primer for 2 days after each coat? If it needs to be done then I will do it!

Any help would be appreciated!