Any advice on sanding/scraping/rubbing between coats of latex enamel? Surface is MDF primed with two coats of alkyd primer. <!—-> <!—-><!—->
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Replies
What is the project?
Steve,
Please do not laugh. It's a cat litter box for my wife's sewing room in the guise of a shaker blanket chest. She picked the colors from a similar chest she saw on the net and bought the paint at HD. (Now you can laugh....)
Now that is a "Blanket chest" that I would sure want to Cedar line ;~)Work Safe, Count to 10 when your done for the day !!
Bruce S.
Great. I would use a light touch with a card scraper to remove dust and fix other bobbles between coats, with a supper light scuff sanding just to increase adhesion. A couple of coats should be enough.
Steve,
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I think you may have pinpointed my problem. I have already tried sanding and scraping only to have the paint tear and peel up. You mentioned scuff sanding to improve adhesion between coats. My primer coats were scraped, sanded, and rubbed dead flat to remove brush marks. No scuff sanding. I guess dumb me was not thinking the process through. The latex is perched atop a super smooth finish. If surface tension is all that is bonding the latex film on top of the oil primer then I have screwed up again. I can however pat myself on the back for being consistent….
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At this point I am wondering if additional curing time between coats, say several days, would produce more acceptable results. I am going to try a worn gray Skotch-brite pad and see what happens. Will let you know. Thanks!
I don't think I would use latex paint for this.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
While I can't imagine the cat would care... I thought I was obsessive ;-)
I wonder if the cat would mind. After all, they have to look at it peeling after the ammonia goes to work.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
I don't think I would have used a waterborne or waterbased paint for this. As said, ammonia will dissolve latex paint and cat urine contains lots of ammonia. An oil based varnish or oil based paint would have been a better choice.Howie.........
Howie,
Thanks for the post. Too late now on the latex... however the paint is only for color. After all the decoration is complete I plan on spraying several clear coats of lacquer. Does this sound OK to you or would some other clear finish coat be a better choice?
Another issue is that oil paint develops a harder surface than latex. So it may resist the cat litter abrasion better. On the other hand, cats are so finicky about their surroundings, it might not go for that oil paint aroma. Maybe mix in a few tablespoons of fish liver oil? That oughtta keep kitty on the can for a long long time.
the shakers are, no doubt, spinning in their graves. sounds inventive though, how about posting a picture for us?
The Shakers undoubtedly did lots of spinning. Until reading your post I was unaware that they could take it with them….I will follow up with a picture… if I can get this stupid paint to behave.
For certain purposes, plastic cannot be improved upon.
Painted MDF and cat urine is an unreconcilable combination.
better to have used a shellac based primer.
Dries hard and fast on MDF. Oil base or latex base stuff on mdf has a real extended curing time.
Don't know the reason why.
Eric
Eric,
Alcohol.
Enjoyed your earlier post on painting kitchen cabinets.
-Jerry
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