"Sealing cut MDF" Topic

Hi all,

I have MDF "semi" flats.

link

While usually MDF has the flat shiny surface, because these are laser cut, especially on the backs, the untreated MDF is exposed. It goes hairy if I use acrylics on it.

The ones in the photos were undercoated with a spray. That will be difficult now.

Will anyone advise of how to undercoat.

Cheers.

Use a Wood Sealer, from DIY/hardware stores. It is usually water based, easy clean up. Once it dries, <30 minutes, the MDF can be sanded, or painted. It makes a huge improvement on using the MDF. Cheers!

MDF can be sealed with watered down PVA.

I've used simply clear gloss spray paint with good results.

The shiny surface of MDF is not any sort of additional material but the result of the manufacturing process. It isn't much less porous than the cut sides.

What you need is not a sealant but a primer (OK, most actually do both jobs) so that future coats of paint adhere well.

The burned edges are often the most difficult to get paint to adhere to but spray auto primer usually adheres well and any wood primer/sealer (usually acrylic these days – but not the same resin as used in modelling paints). I find artists gesso very useful as a sealing coat on almost anything but it hasn't always covered well on laser cut MDF edges.

You could try one of the better craft paints and see if that works for you, it has done for me quite often but doesn't always work.

I use laser-cut MDF bases, exclusively. Gonna have to try sealing the edges by painting them with PVA Glue. Thanks for the useful tip! Always paint the edges green, but it always gets absorbed making them blotchy.

I may base my future figures, first, then apply automotive gray primer. Not sure, but that shouldn't be an issue for me. Cheers!