I'm interested in this too, for MDF. Given how it's been coming adrift, it seems inevitable that gradually all my vinyl wrap will peel off onto the floor.... then I'd like to prepare and paint the doors
Hi all,
Looking for some tips please. I am looking at refreshing our kitchen and I am thinking of making some new doors. Not sure other than polyurethane paint what would be best. I used poly on an old kitchen a few years back and it came up magic. This time though I'm trying to think of another paint (if it exists) that is hard wearing, high gloss finish that will spray on and adhere well to either MDF or Malamine board. If there is such a paint what would it be? I know I can try and source more polyurethane paint but I
have moved since the last time I bought it and it's not as easy for me now so trying to think of other alternatives.... Pretty sure Bunnings would not have anything that suits this purpose?
Any help much appreciated.
Thanks
Geoff
I'm interested in this too, for MDF. Given how it's been coming adrift, it seems inevitable that gradually all my vinyl wrap will peel off onto the floor.... then I'd like to prepare and paint the doors
Automotive 2 pack paint.
Cabinet manufacturing suppliers also sell 2 pack paint, some of them made by the same manufacturers as auto paint but it is easier to find an auto paint supplier.
Mirotone is a big supplier for cabinetry.
https://www.mirotone.com/
That's what I did first time round. Our old kitchen we had installed brand new in 2001 by 2010 it was looking crap where the vacuum laminate had cracked in a few places and peeled off the bottom of the doors around every heat affected part. Structurally it was still perfect son I decided to heat gun off of the laminate and spray with a gloss white polyurethane, and I was so impressed with the result, the wife absolutely loved it. It looked so glossy and new, and cleaning was so much easier that the laminate.
Cheer mate.
Do you know if MDF can be sprayed with that paint?
I was quite surprised but it was only really stick so I cleaned them all with acetone and the end result was like a very smooth sealed piece of MDF. I cannot remember what the stuff was called but I used a primer that I could also sand down a tad Ronan ultra smooth finish and then finished off with a gloss white polyurethane paint. They looked so awesome.
Check for yourself.
The glossy finish is straight off the gun and is easy if the prep work has been done. Prep is dependant on the condition of the doors, if you are starting with MDF the surface is good, any cuts and edge needs a bit of work, the more intricate the design the more work will be involved.
If doing it again would definitely use 2 pack as there is no extra work in using it.
That looks awesome mate. I have no experience with the acrylic but just going off videos I've watched in the past about how much after sanding had to be done to achieve a glossier finish.
Was the material you used MDF, and also did you make those doors yourself, or was it a current kitchen you just sprayed to freshen up?
Thanks
Acrylic can be sprayed to get a high gloss off the gun, to get a perfect mirror flat finish for high end auto work you colour sand and buff. For kitchen cabinets a good finish off the gun is enough.
That was a second hand ebay kitchen, the panel doors were solid pine. All the end panels were brand new MDF you can see one on the end of the island, there were also some full height end panels for the pantry and fridge.
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I make the doors from MRMDF either from a moulding I get made or for a shaker style where I just put a 6mm border onto a 12mm panel to size.
I line them with liner laminate using contact adhesive. Gives a hard wearing internal surface and makes painting easier, as there is only one side to do
I just spray a good quality oil based enamel over two coats of oil based primer. Sanding in between and tack cloths are important. I use the maroon 3M scourers between coats.
Whatever you do, if you are going to use MDF and acrylic/waterbased paint then you need to seal the edges with something oil based or they will look rubbish.
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And.....your point is.....what exactly?
That's awesome, gotta be happy with that! Looks like it fit like a glove too.
I just think that kitchens can be so expensive and so over priced that I really want to tackle this one on my own again and save as much coin as I can.
I am looking at making the doors and end panels myself and just taking my time, get it all done to suit then paint them all in the booth at work.
Dave, thanks for the reply.
Mate they look tops. I like the looks of the doors, that's one thing I was wondering if I should maybe look at routing some sort of profiles in the middle to give them some character, or just go boring old square edged panel doors. The paint job come up a treat too.
Can you please share the laminate you cover the inside of your MDF with please? I was considering buying some malamine coated MDF sheets from Mr ply and wood but they are something like a $150 a sheet. But I was wondering what I could do for the inside of the MDF if I just painted the outer face of the door.
Thanks
Thanks Phil.
I called Evic paints today and spoke with a paint tech and suggested a polyester Primer for the raw MDF with 2 passes on the edges, and then I could paint their polyurethane paint over the top.
I'd love to save the cleaning hassle of the gear and just go with acrylic but after using the polyurethane paint last time it just looked so bloody great.
Have you approached a cut to size service for melamine mdf, give them your panel sizes and they have the software to calculate the least waste and supply. It's what I would do. e.g complete a order form with Bill's Boards at Chatswood and they will quote you, go for satin white, I believe that is a typical request for those who paint their own.
Bills Board Factory
Thanks mate, but I am going to do it myself. Will give me something to look forward to, keep busy on the weekend and probably give me most satisfaction. I also live in Port Stephens so I'm a little far away from Sydney now days. Thanks for the info and suggestion though.
I get sheets 3m x 1400 I think they are from Contact Atlam Designer Laminates at (08) 9418 4384 or Email atlam@westnet.com.au
They just call it "liner laminate" and the last two I bought were just $55.00 each. I like it as it's quite a heavy quality and has a really nice smooth finish. You'll need access to a trim router with the 12.5 degree (?) bit that sets your glued edge just ever so slightly back from the MDF edge. You do need to mask the inside of the doors when painting, but a good edge is not super critical as you can always just scrape/clean the tiny bits off if you need to.
The challenge with buying the melamine covered sheets is getting paint to stick. The doors in the bottom pic were constructed from 4 pieces of 19mm x 90mm wide fancy moulding, mitred in the corners, biscuited and then a 9mm panel was glued and dropped into a rebate from the back. Then I lined them. The glass ones I trimmed off the rebate, made a new one then cut the glass to size and fixed in with a timber bead I made.
And.....your point is.....what exactly?
For the edges I just used a coat of spray putty which is the old school stuff that I had lying around, the modern high fill primers do the same thing. Works a treat on cut MDF.
If you manage your work area and the equipment there is no difference in the cleanup for any paint in HVLP equipment whether it be water, acrylic, enamel, or 2 pack in my experience. Have not used polyurethane for spraying but doubt it would be any different.
Nothing wrong with square edged, I don't consider them boring, depends on the style of the kitchen you are after and the rest of the house design.
Here are two of the latest ones I did, square edged for that contemporary look which is what I was after.
The doors are 18mm Birch Ply, edged banded then coated with water based Porters products, easy as for a flawless finish, the clear coat is the best product I have ever used, once cured it is impervious to any cleaning products, and very hard wearing.
The black was easier to use than the white.
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Mieux vaut prévenir que guérir
Some beautiful work there Metrix, some inspiring stuff. I love the way you have colour matched and the designs
The kitchen will look a lot nicer once I put blackbutt on the floor instead of those horrid cold, hard to clean slippery ass tiles (you may gather I hate these tiles), repaint the ceiling, curtains and a skylight or two.
Below is a closeup of the vanity, it has a oak veneer, the porters products don't disguise the grain like regular paint can.
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Mieux vaut prévenir que guérir
Cabinetmaker here. Preparation is critical. Priming and edge sealing will help but ultimately it boils down to painting skill. Yes, it takes skill, regardless of method. Many pro painters fail cabinet shops. We're constantly rejecting work and doing it ourselves. With each method mentioned a premium finish can be achieved if you put in time, carefully and gently sanding between coats, identify blobs or pale spots and remedy it. If spraying then thinning paint properly, spraying evenly, smooth hand movements, and ideally in an area that has air flow to minimise overspray landing on your work.