# Do you use MDF in paint grade work?



## Loren (May 30, 2008)

MDF has many good qualities, but it seems to me a lot 
of work to paint it well, with all the sanding to get good
adhesion and filling of profiled edges.

I know some cabinetmakers love to make paint grade
panels and cases from MDF but I just don't see the 
benefit when the labor of a nice paint job is figured
into the cost of doing the job.

Maybe I'm off base. I've done some jobs in MDF that
were faux finished by painters and at the end of the
day I didn't think it looked all that great in relation to
the amount of labor the finisher had to do.

What's your point of view?


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## Doss (Mar 14, 2012)

Personally, I like using it. I spray finishes on (even with a rattlecan) and it looks great. I will say that it does seem to soak up a lot of paint at first. I make sure it has a thick coat of primer on it since that usually doesn't soak in as much. On the edges, I usually attach wood caps (face frames or similar) since they are more durable and don't soak up as much paint. I swear the edges of MDF are like a sponge.

I think some people like myself use it because you can get a nice lacquer or smooth finish on it with relatively little work. Some woods show their grain no matter what when you paint them (unless you put sometimes 10 or more coats on it).


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## NiteWalker (May 7, 2011)

I like MDF for things like drill press tables or router tables, where flatness is important. Formica laminate on both sides makes for a very nice surface.

For paint grade projects I like poplar if they won't be handled, soft maple if they will.


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## canadianchips (Mar 12, 2010)

I avoid MDF as much as I can.
Cons:
I HATE working with all that dust glued together.
Hard on saw blades.
Heavy as "H" 
Special screws need to make it work .
I Intentially put a higher number on a bid if I have to use it !
Pros:
I do see a CNC router shop using it, it is probably the same stability throughout the entire sheet.(No voids)
Cost ?


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

We all know MDF is cheaper than cabinet ply per square foot
due to lack of grain direction alone.

Cost is different from price.

By cost I mean the cost of dealing with the finishing schedule
which in my opinion is a PITA compared to ply and solid woods
in paint grade work. Obviously it's the right material for some
appearances, but I will not pretend a spray painted finish looks
good if it is less than perfect on MDF, which means time and
labor in prep… and then, the irony, the finish looks like what 
you get on the cheap cabs from Home Depot.


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## dbray45 (Oct 19, 2010)

I don't use MDF except for jigs, I have used hard board.


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

Do you have a spray booth Jonathon?


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## blackcherry (Dec 7, 2007)

Not a big fan of MDF and will avoid at all cost, it dusty , heavy and hard on blades.


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## knotscott (Feb 27, 2009)

Several years ago I built a fairly large pair of speakers from MDF with the intention of retailing them at high end audio stores. I wanted a combination of visible painted surface and wood, and quickly discovered that the exotic wood look I wanted was extremely expensive. There was a local artisan who was willing to give MDF a painted "wood look" that I actually liked quite a bit….it was reasonably affordable, consistent, and "greener" than using real exotic wood or veneer. I think the paint job came out great and has up beautifully over the years.


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## Doss (Mar 14, 2012)

I must paint different than some of you guys because I have no problems getting a smooth finish.

It does create a lot of dust (and the dust definitely is worse to breathe in). It does make things really heavy.

Also, I don't use it for anything that is going to see a lot of movement, have long spans, or require the strength of the material to factor heavily into the strength of the joint (or fastener grip).


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

Is it still easy for you to spray MDF with pre-cat in your present shop?

If there's something I'm missing that would make better finishes
available to me at higher speeds without dedicating a lot of 
square footage to finishing I'm all ears.


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## thehammer (Jan 31, 2009)

I Love MDF for what I do with it. I have no problems getting any finish I want. I use the ultralite because the regular stuff is too heavy. As far as being hard on blades, that's about as untrue as saying easy off oven cleaner to clean your saw blades is hard on the blades. There are alot of exotic woods that have negative aspects to using them but we put up with it because, well, it's exotic. When I use to work in a shop and we did alot of veneering, MDF was the material of choice for a reason. You can't beat it's stability.

Loren, what shop did you work at in Los Angeles? I worked at about 6 over the span of about 20 years or so.

John


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

I'm self-taught and always run my own jobs and owned
my own equipment, John.


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## BelleCityWW (May 28, 2007)

I made this Colonial Style Pulpit out of 3/4" MDF (Painted) and Oak. As others have mentioned IT IS HEAVY!




























John


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## rrdesigns (Sep 4, 2009)

Not a fan of MDF. In fact, I hate it. If I need paint grade, I reach for the poplar. Or if it is for a cabinet back, for instance, hardboard.


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## WoodSpanker (Feb 10, 2009)

I know I am a little late, but here is my 2 cents…. I will use it only with the client's say so. If the client doesn't care, then I go to town with it. But many clients, particularly the ones who have a bunch of $$$ want all hard wood, all the time. So I leave it up to the buyer.


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## renners (Apr 9, 2010)

I have seen jobs made of mdf that were ruined by the painters not treating the cut ends and profiles properly. I've also had my share of finishing difficulties using wb paints, even though specifically formulated for mdf (grain flecks raising). 
I still prefer to use mdf in painted jobs where the stability and cost make it an ideal choice. I have recently started to seal with Zinsser sealer/primer which takes care of the fleck raising problem.


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## Doss (Mar 14, 2012)

I guess it matters how you apply it as well. I use spray and hit it with a primer first. I treat it like painting a car, several really light passes. That keeps a lot of the issues at bay.

I think it really depends on the person's budget in the end. I know poplar isn't that much more per unit, but if you're building something big, that little extra adds up.


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