Painting MDF?

[dmsuchy]

First off I know I can just do a search, but I'm lookin for any new or variations of old ways to prime and paint MDF. I'll be using a foam roller since I don't have any spraying equipment and will be lookin to paint the cabinet a royal blue color. What types of primer and paint should I be lookin for? THANKS

[MnMCaputo]

I used standard black primer from home depot, then got some oil based black gloss, did it all with cheap roller, looks great, i still need to sand it one more time with really high grit paper and put on one more coat.  just waiting for a warm front to come through so i can leave the windows open, as the oil based fumes can kill a few brain cells  

[neuromancer]

I've only painted a little MDF, but I used white interior/exterior primer with a high quality foam roller, and then the same roller with two thin coats of exterior semi-gloss paint.

I've used exactly the same process with a lot of plywood projects.

It comes out really nice, with a little texture, but no "tool marks".

Bob

[Wade]

First off I know I can just do a search, but I'm lookin for any new or variations of old ways to prime and paint MDF. I'll be using a foam roller since I don't have any spraying equipment and will be lookin to paint the cabinet a royal blue color. What types of primer and paint should I be lookin for? THANKS

My main cabinet is a similar color and MDF, and I primed it because I thought it was a good idea.  However I later discovered that for both blue, and black, priming is a waste of time and paint.  A couple of thin coats of blue or black with a foam roller works perfectly.  The priming just caused me to have to do more coats to get a uniform color and texture.

Wade

[dmsuchy]

Thanks for the tips guys! I'll hunt around for a brand name paint that will work the best.

[Jabba]

Thanks for the tips guys! I'll hunt around for a brand name paint that will work the best.

Just make sure it is not water based. Water based primer *may* cause the MDF to swell (by absorbing the water). Tell the paint guy you are priming MDF and he/she will get you the right stuff. At HD in Canada, it is called CIL Smart (in the picture, it is the can on the left).

http://www.garry.ca/images/Day22_PaintUsed.JPG

BTW: I used Black Tremclad Rust paint to give the cab a non-glossy look. Its the same stuff they use to paint BBQ's. Gives the cabinet a nice flat look. FYI. Its the can on the right. The can in the middle is high-gloss melamine. I did not like it as much as the flat paint.

[crashwg]

If you have access to a compressor Wal*Mart has a paint sprayer for $20.  I am actually thinking about picking one up myself for a couple projects I'm doing.  Not too sure as to how good quality it is but I don't see how it could do a bad job???

[fredster]

I agree. You should prime it and sand it first, that will help the final finish.

If you want the best results, spray it afterward.

If you want it shinny, then you should put some kind of poly acrylic or polyurethane, or even varnish over it afterward.

I like the flat too. Any imperfection in gloss looks bad.  But you can mix it up, have some parts shiny and others dull to get a contrast.

[neuromancer]

I agree. You should prime it and sand it first, that will help the final finish.

It seems like it would be easy to mess up MDF by sanding it. The paper part, that is...

Bob

[wj2k3]

You would actually be sanding the primer, not the MDF.

[crashwg]

I agree. You should prime it and sand it first, that will help the final finish.

It seems like it would be easy to mess up MDF by sanding it. The paper part, that is...

Bob

MDF is nothing but paper fibers so which part exactly are you talking about?

Sanding MDF is fine BTW and should be done before you apply the primer.  I recomend a random orbital sander.

[neuromancer]

I was thinking specifically of the paper laminate on the faces. It is very smooth as it is yet still has tooth, so why sand it? What grit do you use? I would understand sanding the edges if you had tool marks, but otherwise I don't see much point to that either.

I've read a variety of articles in magazines on painting MDF and I don't recall any of them mentioning sanding, but maybe I just didn't read close enough.

Bob

[Shape D.]

the paint will stick better if you sand it, don't use anything rough on it. a light grit will work fine.

[neuromancer]

I got to thinking about this a little more when I looked at the sheetrock in my house and realized that the paper coating on it is essentially the same as the paper coating on MDF.

Bob

[dmsuchy]

I don't think MDF has a paper covering like drywall, it's basicly very fine saw dust that is pressed together under huge pressure, which is why it has that weight to it.