What Is The BEST Way To Paint MDF? - 9 Methods Tested
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ก.ค. 2024
- I put to the test 9 different methods for sealing and painting MDF. Let's see what is the best way to paint MDF edges!
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Methods Tested:
- Iron - amzn.to/3fX3Neb (Affiliate Link)
- Blowtorch - amzn.to/37ravoX (Affiliate Link)
- Edge Banding - amzn.to/3okMfvv (Affiliate Link)
- Wood Filler - amzn.to/2VtHJhU (Affiliate Link)
- Spackle/Polyfilla - amzn.to/3ohpo3W (Affiliate Link)
- Eggshell Paint - www.diy.com/departments/goodh...
- Acrylic Primer - amzn.to/39MBw9d (Affiliate Link)
- PVA Glue - amzn.to/2JzMxiT (Affiliate Link)
- MDF Sealer - amzn.to/2VrPpkC (Affiliate Link)
- Control - Just Paint - amzn.to/3g08HqF (Affiliate Link)
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Video Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
0:34 - Iron & Blowtorch Application
02:01 - Edge Banding Application
02:33 - Wood Filler Application
03:03 - Spackle/Pollyfilla Application
03:24 - Eggshell Paint Application
03:52 - Acrylic Primer Application
04:18 - PVA Glue Application
05:19 - MDF Sealer Application
05:43 - Just Paint Application
06:37 - Applying Top Coats
07:47 - Iron & Blowtorch Inspection
08:38 - Edge Banding Inspection
08:55 - Wood Filler Inspection
09:25 - Spackle/Pollyfilla Inspection
10:04 - Eggshell Paint Inspection
10:33 - Acrylic Primer Inspection
10:57 - PVA Glue Inspection
11:31 - MDF Sealer Inspection
11:54 - Just Paint Inspection
12:32 - The Final Verdict
12:45 - The Cheapest Method
14:19 - The Quickest Method
14:49 - The Quality Method
15:39 - The Methods I'll Use
16:27 - Outro - แนวปฏิบัติและการใช้ชีวิต
![Painting MDF Doors [video 407]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZIwNJGlVtwc/mqdefault.jpg)
Buddy you have taken alot of time helping us, I know I have learned alot and it will save me alot of time, so thanks Mate.
Thanks mate! Really glad you found it helpful 😊
A little surprised no one suggested shellac. Flows easily, fills well, creates a durable, painting surface, and it dries wicked fast. Thanks for sharing!
Yeah, I came here looking for that
Exactly mate 👍
Best presentation of MDF edge painting on TH-cam. Finally, a decent closeup, color and reflection to show what the surface really looks like. Now I will only use edge banding. THANK YOU.
Thanks mate! Really appreciate that. Glad its been of help 😊
My thoughts entirely. I’m about to build my own kitchen units and was leaning towards paintable edge banding. You’ve persuaded me this is the way to go for flat edges. Re the colour you chose, I think this was an excellent choice for showing both smoothness and defects. Well done.
This is a brilliant guide! fully thought through and will massively help many of us out! great content as always joe
Thanks Radha!!! 😊
Wow! That was a detailed study. Thanks for sharing!!
Thank you! Hope its of help 😊
Appreciate the time you spent on the test. Great job.
Great video with a lot of effort put in and very professionally presented. Thanks for saving us so much trial and error, mate! And adding the costs were brilliant. New subscriber just purely based on this video!!
Thank you Miranda! I'm really glad you found this video helpful :)
Hi Joe, great informative video, quick tip, when using iron on edging immediately after ironing, ie while it's still 'hot', rub it quite hard/firmly with a flat piece of wood 75 to 100 mm long until it cools, you will not see any immediate improvement but it 'sticks' much better and the edges are less prone to chipping if you catch them, hope this makes sense, tip was given me by a kitchen fitter mate who says that's the way they do kitchen worktops edging he called it 'burnishing' no idea if that's the correct term btw, it does indeed seem to work well, try it after all you've nothing to lose and it costs nothing apart from a little extra time
What a lot of effort you've put in here - thanks!
Awesome video thank you! Saving us a lot of time, effort, money and disappointment. Very smart comparison.
Thanks for this fantastic video! I’m painting large speaker cabinets made with mdf that have rounded edges on all sides. I want an absolutely smooth finish so I did the edges with red Bondo spot glazing putty from a tube and thought it would fill the pits. I sanded it down to the profile of the wood, then applied it again and sanded so almost all of the Bondo was gone, just bits of red remained. It looked smooth, but when I applied Minwax sanding sealer to the whole cabinets, the remaining pits in the edges showed up. Maybe topcoat will cover but to be sure the pits are gone, I plan to put your wood filler on and maybe a little putty in the bigger pits and sand it before the topcoat. In short, Bondo did not work well for me in this application as it really did not fill the pits as I thought it would. Maybe it needed sanding sealer to be laid down first. Anyway, thanks for a fine, concise, cheerful and very interesting and informative video! Subscribed!
LOVED YOUR vid ive just made an cross cut sled ,fences were made from MDF youve gave me some great tips on a finnish im looking for .thanks for the time you took tyo made this .👍👍👍
Thanks David! I'm really glad you've found it helpful. Can't beat a good cross cut sled! :)
Thanks for taking the time to do all these options. Looked a bit like a myth busters episode !!
Hats off to you for doing the hard yards most of us really couldn't be bothered doing,
and probably just sticking to the same method we've always used and complained about! 😆😉
Good on ya mate.👍🏽
Cheers Bill! I really hope its of help to people 😊
Great video, that saved me a lot of time! Edge banding for sure!
Thank you your video is very helpful. I’m going for wood filler.
Great video, really like the information. I'm planning to make something from mdf soon so its really helpful to know the results
Cheers mate! Hope its helped you decide what to use on your project
I love all the work you put in to this. I found it very useful. I would give it 4 out of five stars. Only because I am curious about the edge banding and the face of the piece. Can you see any glue line or separation once the face is painted. Food for thought. Thanks so much.
Great video, im just about to start my first project using mdf and I really needed to know what was the best finish possible I could get on the edge, this video was perfect
Thanks Neil! Really glad it was of help 🙏😊
Thanks for your efforts. I have some speaker boxes I will be finishing over the winter. With quite a lot of chamfered mdf. Wood filler will be the one for me.
Glad its been of help mate ❤️
Niceone mate, great video. Loads of info
Fair play, for a Pakistani (I'm going off your accent, please forgive me if I'm wrong!!!) your English is excellent! Don't quit the subtitles just yet, though! 😘😘
I think he's from Birmingham
Great video pal. Really thorough and informative.
Thanks Al! Hope it’s of use to people 🤞
Good review Joe I will not say anything about the colour 👍 great video thanks for your honesty and time and remember stay safe and make more great videos. 🍺🍺👍👍😷
Thanks Brian! Haha I really should have gone with magenta 😂 Hope you’re keeping well mate
Thank you for a great video :) I just made my first furniture out of mdf and your video just saved me a headache.
This was great Joe 😊 Brilliant reference for the future and saved us all a load of time and effort 😊 Blessings from us all here ॐ
Thanks mate! Hope its of use to people 😊
Really useful Joe, just finished ripping 9 sheets of MDF down, which now need finishing, that helps tremendously.👍👍
Thanks mate! Glad its been of help. Hope the finishing goes quickly 😊
Thanks for this. Takes the guess work out . Great Job
Glad it was of help 🙏
Very informative!
Thank you!
Thanks Barbara! Glad it was of help 😊
Great video! I'm a professional painter based in Canada, its very common to get factory primed MDF which a carpenter will then cut and leave a rough edge. We found the best solution is to use acrylic latex caulk (e.g DAP alex plus) on those rough edges for a nice smooth finish and very quick dry times. For any bare MDF we will always set up racks and pre-spray prior to the carpenter installing and making cuts, then follow up with DAP on the rough edges, with an additional coat when they're installed. I may just have to take a look into the edge banding after watching your video since that does create a nice finish.
Thanks mate! I’ll have to look into DAP. Not heard of that before. Ideally a good balance between cost, time and quality is what I’m after haha
This is amazing bruv, thanks!!
would love guide like this on the best wood finishes, great video man
Cheers mate! Will have to look into that one 👍
Very informative Joe, thanks for sharing. Loving the new beard fella. Respec'
Haha Glad the video was of help mate! Now I just need to test how to fix a patchy beard 😂
Thank you!
Onya Joe, good recommendations mate & the beard suits you dude 🍻👍👍👍
Cheers mate! Took ages testing haha but worth it I think. I’m not sure about the beard 😂
Love your work, ,thanks mate.
Thank you for the research you have done, was fun thinking that will work that won't . As others have said MR MDF is the way to go but is expensive .90% of the time I have a moulded edge ,my go to is MDF primer Coat all edges 1 st then the flats then the edge again .sand . Cutting with sharp edges doesn't half help .Another good video I enjoyed it
Thanks mate! Glad you liked it 😊 I really need to try out some MRMDF for sure 👌
great video and will worth a look at
Thanks Danny!
Thank you so much for this seriously
Glad it was of help 😊
I use Gesso, canvas prep artists use for paintings. It’s a paint pigment, gypsum, chalk, and binder mix. Available in white or black. Dries fast, does not crack, sands super smooth, and multiple layers can be applies. With a few applications your edge can be as smooth as glass, and hard. And it does not cost much.
Thank you Joe
Cheers mate! 😊
from my expereince I found only 2 methods that give best result
-car body filler is the smoothest and can fill all wood grain in one go but it takes practice to apply it so you won't make way too thick layer that gonna cause you trouble when sanding it.
-acrylic primer , its easier to apply but requires multiple time to be put on surface until it fully fill the grain since it need multiple coat so it takes longer time until the surface is ready for actual paint.
MR mdf, works a treat and not much more expensive 😊
Excellent video !!!!!!! Many thanks !!!!!
Glad you found it helpful 😊
Please do more types of sealers. Love the costing part. Well done.
Thanks! I’ll have to compile a list of other options to try
Nice comparison!
Great comparison video mate. I've used the wood filler option for a bit now, i've found that if you apply 2 coats pretty thinly with a fine sanding in between and after it gives great results.
Thanks Paddy! I was really impressed with the wood filler method. It was silky smooth!
Hi, do you ise 2 part wood filler or ready-to-use?
sanding sealer is my go to
great vidéo ! great investigation ! :) thx
Well done mate, that must have kept you busy! I have another technique, I use cellulose sanding sealer, 2 or 3 coats with a brush, it dries quickly, soaks into the fibres and strengthens the edge, great for MDF mouldings.
Thanks mate! It took a while to get through them all and edit it together haha Never thought of sanding sealer 😅 gonna have to gibe it a try haha
Agree.
You could also have tried Shellac Sanding Sealer or Zinsser B-I-N, which is shellac based.
@@bitTorrenter I came here looking for shellac results
Good job.
A couple of things to note, do not use anything water based on MDF. Edges, drywall putty works well as an example. Use solvent base primer for your undercoat. For the paint, use Acrylic or Lacquered or oil based products. Obviously there are many options.
Excellent content. Just excellent!!!
Thanks mate! Really glad you liked the video 😊
thanks for this one,I have learned alot, hapy days re-Bob-uk...
Thanks Bob! Glad it was of help 😊
Have you tried vinyl sealer or 602 renner primer my friend?.... Anyway awesome job and thanks for taking the time to solve some issues that pro's and weekend warriors would encounter ...kudos bro!!🤟🏽
Great video, but I agree with some who say "water based" isn't the best method. Wood filler may be the best path for me. If I ever get around to it, I'm going to try the "tent waterproofing" ingredients someday - 5 parts mineral spirits to 1 part paintable silicone caulk (perhaps increase the percentage of paintable silicone caulk).
Pollyfilla makes a filler specially for mdf, which I've had great results with.
It does say it's for damaged mdf... Like filling cracks and whatnot... But that's what I use on the edges.
It seems there are really two tasks that we are trying to accomplish, sealing the edge but also filling the pits making it smooth. I think a sealer followed by spackle, or spackle followed by sealer, would provide a better finish than all of these alone.
You should do a quick follow up trying this combo...
Great video though. Thanks for the research!!!
Great video mate
Cheers Jamie! 😊
Thanks 😊
Cheers Scott! 😊
On routed or patterned edge .. would edge banding still work ..
Yep - not surprised at the result although I dont think the edge banding really belonged in that selection - it is a different material applied to the edge of the MDF so I dunno.
I think it can fall into a similar category to the wood filler and pollyfila. Those 3 don’t really soak into the surface like the other options. I get what you mean though. I just took suggestions I was given and tested them out. Painting MDF edges in particular can take an age so I thought it was worth comparing them all
Thanks for satisfying my curiosity about MDF edging and how to seal it.
I use a sheet of 1200 x 900 x 19mm MDF as removable benchtops on two benches
I gave them 3 coats of linseed oi and it has been very good over at remaining flat over the years.
About the banding, I can't help but think I would have concerns about how well it would keep sticking to the furry surface over time.
Thanks mate! I haven’t used edge banding before so I can only go on others recommendations. From what I’ve heard, its really durable. Its used on MDF furniture and built in MDF units all the time
@@AverageJoesJoinery Thanks. there's nothing like experience to have faith in whether something works or not.
The only edge band I've used is retail DIY stuff. Plus, I've only used it on particle board on projects where it would not be important if it came a bit loose or started to peel away.
Thanks for that one Joe 👍 👍
Cheers mate! Hope its of help 😊
@@AverageJoesJoinery I'm sure it will be one day but I try to avoid too much wood work 👍 😁
Seal them with sanding sealer. Or edge banding. Then primer and paint.
I know I tagged you in Insta, but wanted to say thanks again on here. Great and informative vid. Thank you again!!
Appreciate the tag mate and really glad this video was of help 😊
There are few options that i can suggest for everyone that it's reading this.
I have tried every method that I've heard of ,but the best results without expensive sealer i had, is definitely with nitro base enamel (clear or mat)
First the most important thing is good prepared edge, you need edge without cutting marks so you need to sand those imperfections.
If you have deep marks ,sand it with 120 grit paper ,than proced to 240 grit .
Nitro enamel you can apply with brush or roller and even with hlpv cheap gun,i personally prefer brush . Apply one coat than wait for 10 to 15 minutes.
When its completely dry ,sand down the edge with 400 grit paper .You will have a great result with this method .
If you see small holes or any other imperfections,apply one more coat of nitro enamel . After it got dry ,sand again with 400 grit.
If you need any other help , I'm more than willing to help,contact me .
Stay strong as a community,stay strong as a family .💪
Really really informative. What method would be best to cover a large piece of mdf?
Thanks Ana! Glad it was of help. I think for large areas an acrylic primer is your best bet. Price, speed and finish makes it a great option
Ever tried a few coats of sanding sealer?
Good video mate. I have to say though some of those methods aren’t practical when you have any sort of routed edge. The only way I’ve gotten a nice edge is to use some sort of sponge sander to follow the routed shape and go up through the grits from 80 up to 180 before any paint or primer has been applied. Then with each additional coat, a gentle sand with 120g up to 240g.
Hey Joe, what about doing a combination. first the PVA twice and then the wood filler. I'm going to give it a go. I want it for mounting canvas board art pieces so it is only end grain that is seen.
Thats a good idea! I thought keeping the methods was the easiest to see how each differed but I’m sure a combination could work really well 👍
A light sand with 1200 grit between coats is helpful 🙂
Well Done!! I'm using CA glue. Very expensive and dangerous but very effective and fast. Thank you for sharing. Best regards. Arthur
Thanks mate! Can imagine CA glue being very expensive for large areas haha fast though for sure 👌
You would need astronomical amounts!
@@zeroy I know. I make last time table 1.2m long by 0.6m width. 18mm mdf. Used approx 30-45ml. But room needs to be very well ventilation and mask! gloves + eye protection.
Krylon high gloss spray paint covers pretty well
I feel like the best way is Wood Filler > Primer > Paint. You should be able to get automotive quality finishes this way.
I've worked with MDF a ton, the strange thing is I've never had to paint it. I've always covered it with a texture coat, carpet, leather, or vinyl. It's always been in a vehicle of some sort. I wonder if you couldn't sand it with a very high grit to basically seal the pores. That stuff does soak up whatever you put on it, even glue. It's also brutal on your bits and blades.
The common feature of most of the poorer results is that they are water based, which the MDF soaks up like a sponge. My go to is Zinsser BIN, which is made from Shellac and Methylated Spirit based so doesn’t react with the MDF in the same way, a couple of quick coats plus a quick sand in between gives excellent results for me. There is a great video on the Charlie DIYte channel, about painting MDF with Zinsser BIN.
BIN is my go to for this aswell. its expensive but goes a long way. it dries really fast and sands really well. the beauty is that by the time i finish painting the edges on a few doors i can sand the first one and recoat.
Thanks mate! Zinsser has been recommended a lot now Haha wished I’d known about it before. I’ll have to get some and try it out
Yep, I came here looking for shellac results.
I’ve considered the 13oz can of the shellac based BIN Primer spray is $20.98 USD or the quart is $23.98 USD. For me, I don’t see the need for the expense since I have edge banding and don’t have a lot of MDF to seal.
What I use also, fast and inexpensive and sometimes I use acrlic
Great video Joe, very useful. One question, standard B&Q mdf or mrmdf? I’ll only use mrmdf now as a much better finish although it does take a fair bit of time to achieve. You should check out GID’s videos, he spray paints but seems to get an excellent finish. Keep up the good work, always enjoy your videos
Thanks Steve! I just used standard MDF from B&Q. It’s what most people have access too plus its cheaper haha I need to try some moisture resistant stuff though. I really want to get a sprayer too haha I think a hvlp sprayer would be my best bet
@@AverageJoesJoinery the diference is crazy. even cheap mdf to good mdf is a huge diference, go to MRmdf and yu will be shocked. you can go better again and go to hydrofugo its MR but also higher density for routing ect
Also, in terms of determining cost, it might be better to do cost per 10cm or 10cm of mdf, as opposed to per 100ml of paint, glue etc etc. Just a thought :)
I did think of costing by area instead but I wasn’t confident with how accurate my measurements would be. I’d still have to measure the quantity of liquid used to cover that area
Cheers
Gid from the channel Gid Joiner tends to use MRMDF (moisture resistant) and typically finishes with a polyurethane paint he sprays on. He looks to get a very good finish.
I’ll have to check it out mate. I know Moisture resistant mdf is the way to go really but its pricey and not really what most people use.
@@AverageJoesJoinery Very true.
I would have liked the finish coat to be put on with a roller as apposed to sprayed,would have been thicker and maybe better results,could use the other edge of the mdf pieces if you get bored,haha.
Hi Joe . Which make of edge banding did you use . I have tried some from B&Q and is rubbish it lifts and peels off after a short time . Cheers mate . Bill
Hi Bill, I used the cheapest stuff from Amazon. I think it’s Woodpress brand. I can’t comment on how it holds up long term though. I was really just testing its finish
Do you only use 240 grit then paint or do you use any other grit before painting? Please I need to know thanks in advance
I sand to 240 grit before painting and then I use 240 grit between coats too. Hope that helps 😊
Your polyfiller recommendation could have been better. Must use fine surface filler version, apply either with finger or knife. Can sand back and then a quick 1200 wet’n’dry (wet). Leave to dry again it’s ready to be primed.
Did you sand the MDF before painting? If so to what # grit 220 grit or 400 grit? I use straight woodglue which works okay. I don't water it down because it takes longer to dry.
Yes mate, they were all sanded to 240 grit before anything was applied. I’ve always found anything more than 120 is excessive because it just furs up after you apply a liquid anyway haha
Great comparisons Joe, one thing I've noticed is that the mrmdf is so much easier to paint and acrylic primer works great with it. It's the same price for the mrmdf as well in Hull so I should imagine it's the same where you are, but they only sell it in timber merchants not diy stores.
I’ve never used mrmdf because its almost twice the price where I’ve seen it haha will have to give it a try at some point though 😅
@@AverageJoesJoinery bloody hell, well if your ever in Hull mate😂
@@karlpopewoodcraft I know right haha 😅 I’ll have to bring a van 🤣
@@AverageJoesJoinery probably because I live right on the docks where it comes in. 😊
@@karlpopewoodcraft I better bring a boat instead then 😂
sand with 220 then roll on paint but over lap.edge banding will peal off over time.
Check also epoxy resin and poliurethane laquer.
Epoxy resin takes an age to dry unfortunately. I haven't tried painting over it either so not sure how paint would adhere to it. Will have to see about the polyurethane lacquer, I use it on solid but never tried on MDF :)
@@AverageJoesJoinery Epoxy need up to 24hours and surface is totally sealed. OFC you need to sand it before painting but im sure that you know that.
Sometimes we have a two ways:
fast or good :) Nice test anyway!
Anyway I recommend wood filler:)
I was really impressed with the quality of finish the wood filler gave. Quick too!
To remove the pitting wont come from using just paint or primer to get a perfect finish you would need a combination of primer and filler possibly a high build primer
Cheers Simon! Pitting was a real issue thats for sure. Interesting to see the comparisons though
@@AverageJoesJoinery personally I prime fill and prime then paint sanding between coats, awkward molded areas that aren't flat I brush on the filler and sand easier
I noticed that you didn't try an oil based primer and gloss paint on top, sand smooth, one coat of primer, two coats of paint, scuff sand between all coats. Using oil based primer should avoid the MDF swelling
Will have to give that a try mate 👍 Thank you 🙏
Why nobody test thin epoxy resin?
pity you didnt test BIN primer. its amazing . expensive but well worth it
I hadn’t heard of it until I’d completed the testing haha might have to do another test
Due to the unneeded background music, my brain is gritting in attempting to watch this like teeth grit in the cold.
Need a version without the constant music.
Should of used a roller and paint instead of spray paint. Normal paint would help fill in the pits and stuff. Spray paint doesn’t unless you spray it heavy then it would have runs on the sides. Good idea, bad application. It also has to do with the quality of paint you use. Good quality paint will fill in the pits. If using a brush on a vertical surface after applying the paint make all the brush strokes horizontal and they fill themselves in without leaving brush strokes. Unless you try to put three coats on at one time. Goes to the painters skill, technique, and paint quality.
Bondo beats all of these applications by a longshot.
I felt the 2 part wood filler was a good option. It’s basically bondo designed for woodworking applications
Why not just use MR MDF?
Well my suggestion was basically a complete bust 😝 unless you want it black and furry 😆
It felt really smooth... until I added the paint haha I was hoping it would work just for cool shots of burning future projects 😂
If you really must use MDF for painted projects here is the best recipe for a decent finish.
Dependent on how the material was cut go through the grits to 240. Make sure you sand it well don't wave a bit of abrasive past it and call it done. Then apply one coat to the face and two to the edges of Zinseer Bin. Sand again to 240 grit and you should end up with a perfect surface to commence priming and topcoating. Zinseer Bin is a spirit based product and will dry quickly totally sealing the very porous MDF.
Ideally instead of trying to put lipstick on a pig use MR MDF for painted furniture. This way you only need to sand to 240 and then proceed with any paint system you desire, plus it is denser and more appropriate for furniture or painted pieces for the home. Acrylic primers and eggshell topcoats will give you a really nice finish if you are willing to apply multiple coats and sand in between each one (240 grit between primer coats and 320grit between topcoats).
Paint finish is all about the preparation and sanding is something that takes time and patience but there is no paint system that will cover up poor prep.
I have built fitted furniture for years and many of those pieces have been from MR MDF. I now spray all my pieces but back in the day I started by finishing by hand with a brush and roller.
I really need to give this a try 👌
@@AverageJoesJoinery Get hold of some MR MDF you will find it a revelation in comparison with MDF. Good luck.