Sanding mdf.

[lambeater]

Morning guys, just about finished a built in for a customer but need some mdf finishing advice. Cases are all prefinished maple ply but the door and drawer fronts are mdf (customer to paint these color of wall) I need to prime and fill the mdf edges smooth. Would like some advice on finishing technique to fill the edge grain. I have been told watered down white glue works well, any other quicker ideas?.

thx
Lambeater

 

[Chrisem]

Hi Lambeater, In my spray painting days, I used to fill MDF edges with a reasonably thick sealer prior to sanding before undercoat. The glue works very well, I've never thinned it though, squeeze it out along an edge, then spread over said edge with thumb or finger, leave to dry.

Chris

 

[jmbfestool]

I find  ( was tip from Windmill)  using emulsion water down is very good!  No need to use any filler on the end  you give it a coat with emulsion let it go off then its really easy to give it a sand and is dead smooth.  Using emulsion is like using water down glue but doesnt go as hard so easier to sand and you have giving it a coat of paint already.  I find spray painting it is MUCH quicker for the edges cus u can get more on so when you come to sanding you dont end up sanding it back down the the MDF exposing it again.

Ill take some pictures if you want got to do some spraying of units this joiner before me made **CRAP** DeanSocial will agree with me on that!

Dean Social is with me on the job helping me out and has seen the quality of work the other joiner had done! [unsure]

JMB

 

[tiralie]

I find that thinned 50/50 PVA glue works well, but if it's used at full strength some paints/primers don't adhere as well and chip off easier.
I really don't like to wait for the glue to fully dry before coating and since I am priming anyway my preference is to use a good primer/sealer and sand smooth. I add a second coat of primer if required.

Here is a cab made with MDF painted with BM Aspen White

[attachthumb=#]

 

[lambeater]

Thanks for the help guys, especially Chrisem from my old Province ;D, should be able to figure it out.
thx
Lambeater

 

[mastercabman]

I tried the 50/50 glue,sealer,etc,etc...  I now just sand the edge down to 220-320 and use a good primer.The best i have used is a vinyl primer from ML Campbell.

 

[Alan m]

iv used zinsser BIN as a primer . give it a bit of a sand first but not too much  then prime . it dries very fast as its schellacc (i think) bassed and is sanded easily. terable smell but worth it

 

[jtwood]

I have sanded and then used sealer (dewaxed) shellac to seal MDF with a lot of success.  Very easy.

 

[Daddy-o]

+1 & +2!

Spraying is not an option so I've always sealed the edges with a couple of coats of shellac and then primed with BIN before painting.

Just a tip. The last cabinet I did was black, so I had the BIN tinted. Worked like a charm!

Mike

 

[junk731]

I attended a spray school sponsored by ML Campbell 3 years ago and there recommendation was to sand the edges smooth with 320 grit. After first coat sand again with 320. I've been using this method since then and it works great with very little grain raise and no end grain pocking.

 

[Alan m]

+1 & +2!

Spraying is not an option so I've always sealed the edges with a couple of coats of shellac and then primed with BIN before painting.

Just a tip. The last cabinet I did was black, so I had the BIN tinted. Worked like a charm!

Mike

what did you tint the BIN with. iv had a few jobs where using BIN brightened the colour so more coats of finish coat were needed to cover the BIN. if i could tint it a bit , it would work a lot faster

 

[Deansocial]

i find it doesnt take long to sand it to a decent finish before priming then it furs up alot less. if sealing then sanding i find the next coat furs it up again

 

[Chrisem]

Chrisem from my old Province ;D

Where the Chiefs have just beaten the Crusaders, and dealt to the Blues the week before [thumbs up]    (sorry, OT)