George_N":20zth2ml said:
I've already decided on frameless cabinets made from melamine faced chipboard for simplicity of construction but I'm not sure about the doors. Slab doors would also offer relatively simple construction..cut panel to size and add edge profile at the router table (when I get it finished)... ...Will I be able to get a smooth enough surface on the edges of the MDF for a paint finish?
Yes, certainly. The trick is to completely seal the severed fibres at the edge. One dodge I use is to use drywall jointing compound - smear it thinly over the edges and let it dry (15 to 30 minutes), then sand off with something like an abrasive net (what they sell for sanding plaster). Next seal the entire surface of your doors with MDF sealant - Rustin's make and acrylic MDF sealant, but they are all much of a muchness. This will raise the grain, so sand off (denib) lightly (120 to 180 grit or use an abrasive finishing pad - rather like pan scourer, only finer) and give it a second coat. Denib again then paint to finish.
George_N":20zth2ml said:
How easy is it for a DIYer to get a smooth, durable finish with either the polyesters or regular paint?
I'd forget polyesters. As Jake pointed out they are a spray-only finish, especially as the more durable varieties are two-pack - which requires breathing gear and a properly set-up spray booth/extraction system. You can, however, get a pretty good finish with paints, rollers and brushes provided you use a good quality paint and take care to denib and flat-off between coats (400grit or so wet and dry or abrasive finishing pad - use soapy water as the lubricant). Remember that more thin coats are better than one or two thick ones.
What you can't achieve without spraying is the extremely deep, high gloss finish favoured by some kitchen designers - on MDF that requires at least two seal coats, one undercoat, two or three coats of matt solid colour and finally two to six coats of clear gloss lacquer. Between coats you need to buff out using an automotive buffing machine with a sponge mop and an auto buffing compound such as Farecla. I've done a couple of pianos this way and it was a heck of a lot of work! The best gloss is really from acrylic or polyester, but for durability a 2k (2-pack) polyurethane is generally better - you just can't get an ultra-high gloss in it. I did quote a potential customer for doing a job this way last summer (she wanted a particularly virulent bright red colour) and she had to sit down when I told her the estimated price - it wasn't a lot cheaper than having solid acrylic slab doors :shock: Needless to say she didn't opt to go that way.
Jake - sorry, but no hand rubbing - you simply can't get the quality of finish you need. It's quite a performance even with a body buffer! And if the sprayer is leaving swirl marks then he's cutting corners - you wouldn't get away with that on a Roller (car), would you?
For anyone wanting the high gloss look there are a couple of good door makers doing a limited range (styles/colours) in vinyl wrapped MDF (and a lot of people doing a much more h*lf-*rs*d job of it) - even going that way is difficult as there are a lot of problems overcoing orange-peeling in the glue process. I did ma in law's kitchen in a high gloss white that way last year, so got a few brownie points there! Another alternative is to us MF-MDF with a high gloss finish - quite a few companies do a whitebut for a range of colours you'll need to find a Polyrey (French company) stockist.
Scrit