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What primer/sealer to use for MDF?


oranjeboom

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Have read mixed reviews about water-based primers and as I have a large-ish mdf sheet to paint I'd like to get it right first time. I know a few here have used Rustns MDF sealer. I would have thought an oil-based primer would have been better than water-based? I really don't want the 5.5m  length bulging/splitting!

 

Any tips @Onoff? Think you have experimented with the TS stuff?

 

Final coat needs to match plastered matt white wall as best as possible, so was simply going to seal the MDF, then use Dulux Diamond white Matt.

 

TIA!

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If you are painting it with water based final coat then use a water based primer. I wouldn't bother with a special MDF primer, I've used Leyland trade acrylic and its been great, but go thinly and use two coats if needed and a light sand before your topcoat

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Used both the TS and No Nonsense water based specific MDF primers before with no issue.

 

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Just the other day I had to knock up a quick MDF shelf for the daughter and couldn't find any MDF primer. Found this old but unopened tin and though it had an oil slick on top it soon mixed in. Seemed watery but it was in fact bang on. Applied with a foam roller. Great coverage. Took longer to dry of course than the water based ones.

 

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Have regulations about solvent emissions led to a swing towards water based paints?

 

When I asked a similar question about sealing OSB sheet no one identified a solvent sealer and in the end I used half a can of solvent based garage floor concrete sealer left over from 5 years ago.

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The main difference between using a water-based paint and a solvent-based one is drying time.  I've very successfully primed and painted MDF with cheap water-based paint, all it needs is enough time to dry between coats, plus a bit of sanding (which is needed if using solvent-based paint).  Patience is key, just allow maybe three times longer for the paint to dry and harden fully.

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11 hours ago, oranjeboom said:

 

And now I want a paint sprayer......

 

Go for it, and reckon to use the back of some panels for practice first. The length of that playlist is a hint at the possible learning curve.

 

Not sure how it would work with the solvent based stuff, but if it is a £40 one then you can probably afford to throw it away for the potential cost saving on some sealer and the experience ... if it all goes horribly wrong. 

 

I have even more respect for Peter Millard given that he showed how, when he dove straight in with the high end powerful one with no mask  or gloves or anything, he ended up with the inside of his workshop looking like an igloo. ?

 

Ferdinand

Edited by Ferdinand
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