banasikdrummer Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 I'm getting ready to build the box for my new 15" TC-2000 and was wondering how to finish the box. I've heard that with MDF, that I have two choices: veneer or paint. I haven't decided if I want a black box or if I'd rather have wood grain, so I have a question or two for each. If I go with veneer, what kind of dealers would carry that? Also, as a substitute for veneer, is wood grain contact paper a possibility? If I paint the box, what kind of paint should I use? And is the MDF going to soak up the paint, making me put coat after coat on it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheEAR Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 I can speak about painting as I always did paint my DIY cabinets. I used a latex paint (black semi gloss),first apply a thin coat...let it dry over night...another thin coat...let it dry overnight...and so on for five to six coats. If you are handy with a quality roller(yes a roller) you can geta great finish. What is negative is the time,it may take a week of coat...dry and repeat.Or you can get spray paints...very toxic that do a better job ...much quicker. MDF will soak paint,apply thin coats.Thick coats leave smears and make the job....frustrating.Taking the time with thin coats = joy of a job well done and you can proudly display your work. [] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
banasikdrummer Posted June 11, 2007 Author Share Posted June 11, 2007 What is negative is the time,it may take a week of coat...dry and repeat.Or you can get spray paints...very toxic that do a better job ...much quicker. Will spray paint yield a result similar if I applied five or six coats of that latex paint, or is it worth the extra money to buy a bunch of the latex paint? And if I went with latex paint, is there some sort of a sealer that I could put on the MDF before painting it so that I'd only need one coat? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christjared Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 To get a good result from the spray paint what you need to do is sand the box down, start with like an 80 grit and move up to like 300 or so. Make sure that the entire box is smooth and not too many sanding scratches in it. Then what you want to do is find a primer that will cover most of the sanding scratches. I think Duplicolor makes one that should work well, I can't remember what it is for sure. Then with the primer spray on a thin coat, and repeat that as many times till the wood is completely covered. If there are still some sanding marks take a higher numbered sand paper and sand those out. Once you have a smooth primed surface, start rattle can'in it up. What ever color you want to use is ok. JC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
banasikdrummer Posted June 11, 2007 Author Share Posted June 11, 2007 If I didn't sand the box first, would the resulting paint job be crap? I mean...the MDF comes pretty smooth to start with... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay481985 Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 sand, seal the ends, and then prime and paint. Best way to paint is using a spray gun. Thin coats veneer is very difficult to do with method of contact cement, an easier approach is with a titebond type glue method. veneer needs to be very very smooth too to get adequate results. You can use the vinyl that simulates wood or black sheen and that is probably the easiest to work with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christjared Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 Best way to paint is using a spray gun. Thin coats I believe this to be true also, but if you dont have a paint gun just use the ol rattle can. Even though MDF is smooth to begin with you will need to sand and prime it because there are fine little pits in the wood, that when painted the paint will soak into those pits and leave your paint job looking very ruff. JC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay481985 Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 make sure to hit it with 400 grit sandpaper between coats to break the surface and remove any contaiminates that built up while drying Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
banasikdrummer Posted June 11, 2007 Author Share Posted June 11, 2007 Well hopefully I'll be able to get the wood tomorrow and cut it all out by Wednesday night. Then with assembly, priming, and painting, hopefully my beast will be ready for its debut in my bedroom by the weekend. I don't think the 2K is happy sitting in its cardboard box, listening to my puny 6" try to do the job... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
banasikdrummer Posted June 11, 2007 Author Share Posted June 11, 2007 And even though this doesn't have to do with finishing, I figured I should ask...will screws and construction adhesive be ample to hold the box together and keep a seal, or should I further seal it with silicon sealer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrWho Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 Liquid nails will be more than strong enough to hold the cabinet together and it kinda works like a caulk too, sealing things up very well. As far as finishing the cabinet.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael hurd Posted June 11, 2007 Share Posted June 11, 2007 Don't go near the box with silicone if you want to put any paint or anything on it at all.... forget that plan. Acrylic Latex caulking yes. Silicone NO...... definate NO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
banasikdrummer Posted June 12, 2007 Author Share Posted June 12, 2007 Dr. Who...call me slow....but I have no idea what your reference to finishing the cabinet is. As for you, Mike...would sealing be recommended in addition to the liquid nails? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrWho Posted June 12, 2007 Share Posted June 12, 2007 No, sealing will not be needed in addition to liquid nails. As far as the finish....just burn all the wood. It'll turn a nice glossy black and be extremely smooth if you do it right [8-)] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
banasikdrummer Posted June 12, 2007 Author Share Posted June 12, 2007 As far as the finish....just burn all the wood. It'll turn a nice glossy black and be extremely smooth if you do it right [8-)] I'm worried about the "doing it right" portion of that advice, haha. Hopefully the paint will work out good enough for me. I'm sure the black paint will cover up lots of imperfections, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay481985 Posted June 12, 2007 Share Posted June 12, 2007 silicon caulk also releases urea (that is why it smells like piss) which in the case of foam surrouns will eat them if not properly air dried (though the tcsounds is rubber surrounds, its still not a good idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MatrixDweller Posted June 12, 2007 Share Posted June 12, 2007 Self adhesive wood veneer is actually pretty easy to apply. I'm talking about the kind that you use an iron to apply. First sand the MDF so it's a little rough and not so shiny smooth. Next cut the veneer to fit leaving a little extra around the edges. Now heat up the iron and iron it on being careful not to leave the iron in one place too long. Do one surface at a time and wait until it's cool. Use of a rubber roller can help to smooth it out. Use a (really) sharp knife or veneer edge cutting tool to trim the excess off. Of course you will still need to fine sand, stain and lacquer the veneer. It will look tremendously rich when finished compared to painted MDF. You could use exotic veneer to really class things up. You can also make designs by using different types of wood but that might be getting a little too advanced. The only other thing that would come close would be to give the MDF a piano black type finish. To do that: Prime the MDF with several light coats, apply several coats of flat black enamel paint, then apply many coats of high gloss urethane, lightly sanding in between coats, to ensure a glassy smooth finish. The urethane really gives off some fumes so make sure you have adequate ventilation and wear an appropriate mask. One of the tricks to getting a smooth finish is to ensure there is no dust. You can easily make a paining tent out of plastic drop sheet or vapor barrier and some coat hangers. Never sand your project in the tent of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay481985 Posted June 12, 2007 Share Posted June 12, 2007 I always thought you would want to use glossy enamel paint? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MatrixDweller Posted June 12, 2007 Share Posted June 12, 2007 The high gloss comes from the urethane. It probably wouldn't matter if you used gloss or flat paint but my opinion would be that the urethane would stick better to flat. Flat paint is also a bit easier to work with in my opinion. The effect of adding many coats of urethane would almost be like covering the painted MDF with a sheet of glass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
banasikdrummer Posted June 12, 2007 Author Share Posted June 12, 2007 I thought about veneering the MDF for a while, but in addition to not being able to pick any up from local hardware stores, I don't think the sub would look as nice in a wood grain finished box. I think going with a straight coat of flat back will work out to compliment the sub. I'm pretty sure this is going to be tucked away behind a bed until I move out anyway, then I'll be building a sonosub, so this finish isn't going to be displayed to everyone that comes into my house. Thanks to everyone that helped out, though. Even though I think I've rushed through my surround sound system, this forum has definitely been a big help over the last two or three months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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