Resistant MDF painting

[Stormrider]

I want my new CP painted black, no matter if it's bright, satin or mate. It's made of 19mm MDF. All the edges and corners are rounded. With my previous panel I didn't have a great experience. I take it to be painted with a gun. The result was good (kind of satin look) but the problem came later. After years of use, the part were my hands rest has become shiny, like polished as the result of my hands sliding. Now I'd like my new CP to have a better and more durable finish. I've heard about two-component paint, special exposi paint, etc. In any case, all know is that, before painting, I have to apply primer, better with gun, and then sand, and repeat the process. I've heard that, a better way to protect the paint, is to apply laquer afterwards, with which you also get a bright finish. Finally, a guy told me I could use metallic car paint and laquer, applied by professionals where cars are repaired and painted. I don't know, however, if this kind of paint is good for MDF. Also, initially I had in mind painting my panel with textured finish, but I'm afraid these kind of paints may be even less durable, am I wrong? So, what can you recommend me? Remember that my priority is that the paint looks as good as new after years of use, so it should be resistant to scratches, sweat, hands sliding, etc.

[sstorkel]

Well, nothing you can do at your house is going to be as durable as what a professional can do. That's for sure! They have access to expensive epoxy and  two-part finishes that are much more durable (and toxic) than anything sold over-the-counter.

That said, I wonder if it's worth the expense of having a professional do it. For $20-30 you could do it yourself. If it starts to look bad, spend another $20-30 and do it again... Or, make 2-3 CP tops and keep them in the closet. If the CP starts to look bad, just swap out the top.

Spray guns produce a very nice finish "off the gun". You can get the same results in your own garage by wet sanding the paint after it has dried.

If you're concerned about the paint looking good for a long time, you might check-out Consumer Reports paint reviews. One of the criteria they evaluate is whether the sheen of the paint changes after repeated scrubbings. Ultimately, any finish will wear out over time. Plan for it in advance and you won't be disappointed when it happens.

[IA1NY]

A bar top finish such as Envirotex Lite is what you are looking for.  It is a high gloss finish and says that no buffing is needed.  It's a two part finish and is very thick and scratch resistant.  It'll also make your CP look like it's encased in acrylic.  You might experiment on a test piece and see if buffing with fine steel wool or sandpaper will bring the sheen down if desired.  I know Highland Woodworking (www.highlandwoodworking.com) sells the stuff.  You might also find it locally or sold under another brand.

The other thing that you can do is to clearcoat your CP with lacquer or non-yellowing polyurethane.  Use several coats and let it dry well and sand between.  You can then build up a thick coat that is smooth, scratch and wear resistant.

[Ginsu Victim]

What's wrong with protecting it with plexiglass?

[Stormrider]

Plexiglass looks fine the first day but it's very prone to get scratches. They are very visible with a plain black background.

[javeryh]

You should cover it in black vinyl.  It goes on like a sticker and holds up quite well (so far).