MDO Painting…rid me of the pitts!

MDOverload | Posted in Finishing on June 6, 2000 03:33am

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Read an article in FW on Mouldings made with MDF…It cuts smooth and easy just like the article said. What the article didnt say was how to finish.
I sealed w/shellaced sanded primed and painted….and got pits on the surface that was routered. I used sanding sealer primed and painted….Pits. Any help on obtaining a Smooth finish on the cut surface of MDF?

Replies

Jed_C. | Jun 06, 2000 03:33pm | #1
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A glob of drywall compound applied by finger will do the job of filling the surface of MDF. Slop it on, smush it in, let it dry, sand it down. Then seal it with shellac or a good solvent-based primer, and use solvent-based paint for the finish coats. Water-based finishes and latex paint are no good because the fibers absorb the water and swell up--the same problem you get with "raised grain" on lumber.

PS--Just to be sure you're not confusing the two, MDO (medium density overlay) has a plywood core. It's an exterior-grade product for paint-grade work. It's not the same as MDF (medium density fiberboard).