Designing a girls bed

[Deleted member 174758]

Sealing MDF cut edges isn't difficult, just time consuming. Sand the MDF working through the grits up to about P240 or better still P320 grit. The finer you sand the stuff the less the grain should raise when you apply the finish. If possible use a non water-based sealant if you can. I've used all sorts of stuff from oil-based undercoat to clear sanding sealer (basically blond dewaxed shellac flakes dissolved in methylated spirits - Zinnser BIN is quite similar). The first coat should be diluted with the appropriate solvent. Once it's dry denib it with a fine sanding paper and give it a second coat. Three coats should suffice. You can even use good quality spackle (drywall jointing compound), but like any water-based compound it will raise the grain of the MDF quite a lot and require a lot more work flatting back between coats

 

[LostInTheUnderflow]

Ok some potentially dumb questions.

Sand and seal only the exposed fibers (cut or routed). Is that correct.

if so http://www.homedepot.com/p/Zinsser-1-qt-Clear-Shellac-Traditional-Finish-and-Sealer-00304H/100203332 should be sufficient for the coverage that I need.

Thin with alcohol for the first coat?

After that prime all wood and paint?

Thanks.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Sand and seal only the exposed fibers (cut or routed). Is that correct.

Normally its the routed and sawn edges which give the most trouble, so yes. The flat surfaces I'd just give a single coat of thinned primer to seal it (just like painting a mist coat onto a plastered wall, really) then flat back to take off any nibs.

if so http://www.homedepot.com/p/Zinsser-1-qt-Clear-Shellac-Traditional-Finish-and-Sealer-00304H/100203332 should be sufficient for the coverage that I need.

Yes. Best done outdoors if you can because it really smells!

Thin with alcohol for the first coat?
After that prime all wood and paint?

Yes.

I know it sounds a bit of a faff, but taking a bit more time, especially over the edges, makes the world of difference to the end result

 

[LostInTheUnderflow]

Thanks.
Here is my issue:.
I made a tracksaw type jig which made my straight line cuts quite straight.
The first wasn't done this way and needs to be filled in a few places.
Even the good cuts may need to be "finished" when the bed is completed in the bedroom.
So I suppose all I can do is my best outside with individual panels, then combine them in the bedroom and finish them off. Possibly need to fill seal sand again in the bedroom.

Paint (majority outside) and finishing inside was going to be this:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Rust-Ole...l-Purpose-Spray-Paint-6-Pack-249119/202058700
and this
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Rust-Ole...PIPHorizontal1_rr-_-202058700-_-202058702-_-N

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Possibly need to fill seal sand again in the bedroom.

If the gaps are where panels meet it may be worth considering using decorators caulk (flexible acrylic caulk) in those joints. At least it smoothes out easily and it paints well. Where visible edges are poor you may want to consider making yourself-up a sanding board to smooth out the edge. They're basically a 4in wide piece on 3/4in MDF or plywood with a length of sandpaper roll glued on top with contact adhesive (or even PVA/rubber glue/aliphatic resin). To keep the plot square to the surface and get a true right angle edge you might want to add a fence, which could be as simple as a piece of 2 x 1in batten screwed onto the face:

Untitled

• Deleted member 174758
• 22 Dec 2014
• 1

The grey part is supposed to represent where the sanding paper has been glued. Hope it makes sense

As this is a childs bed, make sure that you take off any arrisses (sharp corners) by sanding them or by using a bearing-guided round-over cutter in a router or trim router (laminate trimmer). The tech is nice, but 80 grit sand paper followed by 120 grit will do almost as well

 

[LostInTheUnderflow]

Thanks for your help.

 

[LostInTheUnderflow]

Some pictures of the finished bed.

https://plus.google.com/106039842798021013612/posts/5SRnwhHusFW

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

linky no worky

 

[LostInTheUnderflow]

Try again:
//www.diynot.com/network/LostInTheUnderflow/albums/24101

 

[Deleted member 174758]

What's the customer's verdict? That's the most important thing!