Any suggestions for finishing jigs made of MDF

My sled is made from MDF and the only thing I put on it is minwax. I only do the top, bottom and the slides (which are oak). I wish I had more suggestions for you.

Steffen

-- Steffen

I usually just slop on some poly or danish oil, just something to prevent glue sticking to it.

-- I am always doing that which I can not do, in order that I may learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso

I just seal it to paint it, and then only the edges. I mix some carpenters glue in water and paint it on. Other than that, what happens, happens. I hadn’t thought about poly or Danish oil as I figured it would just soak it up forever. Good tip, Damian. I’ll have to try it.

-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)

I just use 2 or 3 coats of paste wax-wait until each coat is fully dry, then buff until is shines.

Or, the second method I use is a general varnish, thinned with mineral spirit (30%) 12 hours between coats – 3 coats – after 3 weeks it is a really hard – long lasting finish.

It really does depend on the application – I never make my jigs look like works of art – they are normally a LOW TECH sollutions.

-- Tony - All things are possible, just some things are more difficult than others! - SKYPE: Heron2005 (http://www.poydatjatuolit.fi)

Thanks, I was asking because I did the suck up poly forever trick on the edges of a commercial table saw sled (LOL, I own a Dubby, a story for another day). I’m planning to build the shooting boards on the Lie-Nielson web site and thought it would be nice to make them durable. I think may try the varnish method Tony suggests.

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

I use two spray coats of shellac.

-- http://foldingrule.blogspot.com

Assuming your using your HLVP rig David. Hmmm another thing to add to the someday list. : ^ )

-- We must guard our enthusiasm as we would our life - James Krenov

Well you could just wipe on the shellac too. I don’t suppose that chalkboard paint would be a good thing to use? At least you could mark it up and not worry about it.

-- Bill, Turlock California, http://www.brookswoodworks.com

I would think that you’d want something to soak into the fibers of the MDF and protect it. I’d think that Tony’s choice would do a great job.

-- Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com

I agree karson…Tony’s sounds like a winner. I just bought some to make a couple jigs I need and I don’t want to make them twice.

-- Bob, Carver Massachusetts, Sawdust Maker http://www.capecodbaychallenge.org

Wayne, to add to Tony’s comment and others above. Matthew Teague mentions in his router table project in his Shop Projects book, to coat the MDF in Shellac and then a few coats of wax. I would imagine the wax would go on top of a coat of wax much easier than the bare surface of MDF. It sounds like a seal coat more or less. I offer this up not having done it myself but from the standpoint that it makes sense.

- Jeff

-- Jeff, St. Paul, MN