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Joe's unfortunate experience with a water based putty brings me to the question of what is the best filler for MDO edges? (I havn't got as far as HDU yet)
I've heard some use just paintable silicone caulk, some use hot glue, others Dap.....
I've used paintable wood filler and the caulking but both seemed to stay a bit sticky, not very sandable in my opinion...time will tell if my finished wood signs around here are going to hold up.
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We use West Systems epoxy mixed with lots of their fairing compound,(make it thick so it doesn't run). Apply it to the edges- get itin the voids. Wait 5 hours and it should sand easily. then vacuum it, blow it off with a compressor, if you have one, then tack it. We put primer on the edges each time we paint the faces (3 coats primer followed by 2 coats one shot. Our oldest signs- 9 years old - the edges are still fully intack.
Diane
-------------------- Ernie Balch Balch Signs 1045 Raymond Rd Malta, NY 518-885-9899 Posts: 405 | From: Malta, NY | Registered: Jan 2003
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Hi A. long time.. I always used west like Ernie does..and with either sawdust or micro spheres for filler. I dont use much MDO any more..But on a tip from Rob Larkham..I switched to tite-bond II its a water base wood adhesive...he swears by it its a lot faster n easier n cheaper than west. DOnt have any results....as to how well it holds up Whitey is good.....she would love for you to come for a visit
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Mikey....bet it's already gettin' hot out east! Is the firefleas out and about? I miss them fleas....I was painting out at a friend's house on the edge of her pond....bullfrogs were singing...I remembered your wonderful frog pond!!
My 2 freebee southwest tickets expire in Sept...gotta go SOMEWHERE soon!!!
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Dap for MDO, but we hardly use MDO anymore. West is good too, a lot harder to get real smooth because of the sanding, but probably the most permanent solution for a highly finished edge outdoors (I've still seen it separate though, after a few years on the edges of MDO). Our biggest need these days is filling the cellular texture on the edges of PVC. A couple coats of high build primer will do, and that Coastal Enterprises filler (FSC360?). Still looking for something INSTANT that can be wiped on, set with a heat gun or something, and painted immediately.
SONGPAINTER Original Sign Music by Sign People NOW AVAILABLE on CD and the proceeds go to Letterville's favorite charity! Click Here for Sound Clips! Posts: 1974 | From: Orleans, MA, Cape Cod, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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1. lightly sand the edges to round them over (or, better yet, use a router with a 1/8" rounded bit). Fill BIG gaps/voids with dap if you have to. 2. apply TiteBond II wood glue. wait an hour for glue to dry. 3. sand lightly (or not, depending on the edge). 4. paint.
I dont worry about trying to make the edges of MDO look super smooth -- unless its a sandwhich board sign that people are going to see up close and handle.
I do worry that the edges are sealed against the weather, and the TiteBond II does that as well as any of the other products.
if you want the edges to look perfect... then put a frame on it, or use something other than MDO.
I don't have any MDO signs that have been up 10 years, so I don't know if the Titebond lasts that long... but I expect it will. All you really need to do is create a smooth rounded over surface for the topcoat enamel to bond to. i think its the enamel that is really giving you the protection. (that's why rounding over the sharp edges is important.).
I know others feel differently... i'm just not willing to put that much time into a piece of plywood.
-------------------- :: Scooter Marriner :: :: Coyote Signs :: :: Oakland, CA :: :: still a beginner :: :: Posts: 1356 | From: Oakland (and San Francisco) | Registered: Mar 2001
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The best for sealing MDO edges (that I've discovered yet) is LAQUER BASED sanding sealer. I sop it on w. a foam brush, and by the time I've gone around the panel ONCE, it's dry enough for a second coat. It really soaks in (as intended - natch).
Then, I fill any voids (using a popsickle stick) w. 5 minute epoxy mixed w. sawdust. This also drys very fast and NEVER falls out. You can also use "Bondo" or (as a last resort) clear silicone from a tube.
After all this, I coat the board w.OIL based primer.
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well i have been using glazin putty which is a bondo product it dispenses easily , smooths and fills 3/16 voids or less with a plastic applicator , and sands faster and cleaner than bondo. its what finish auto body people use . plus its a single part product doenst require mixin i always blue tape the finished edge first.
-------------------- sam kinnear stick um up signs redmond wa Posts: 93 | From: redmond wa | Registered: Jun 2003
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I just finished four 8' x 2' panels using Bondo on the edges. It can be a mess, but man that stuff holds and sands nice. I have one MDO sign that's been up for 8 years and the edges still look half-way decent.
I'd like to try some of Rosemary's Pelucid. That sounds like a nice alternative.
Rosemary: How do you sell that? By the pint, quart, gallon?
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Hi Adrianne, Up here in the Northwest, I use Bondo. I Lay it on with my index finger, then sand it smooth. Got to be careful though, splinters! But I don't put it on the bare wood, I put it on after the sign's first coat of primer. I'm a three coat girl.
-------------------- Signs by Alicia Jennings (Mudflap Girl) Tacoma, WA Since 1987 Have Lipstick, will travel. Posts: 3935 | From: Tacoma, WA. U.S.A. | Registered: Dec 1999
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Juicy Fruit Gum - ever looked at the bottom of a forty year old desk.
-------------------- “Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?” -Winnie the Pooh & A.A. Milne
Kelly Thorson Kel-T-Grafix 801 Main St. Holdfast, SK S0G 2H0 ktg@sasktel.net Posts: 5496 | From: Penzance, Saskatchewan | Registered: May 2002
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Hi, Greg! Dad's not a merchant anymore so I'm not supposed to talk about it here, but he said he'll email you this morning. You can read about it on our website though.
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For the everday sign I've been pleased with the results of two coats of Titebond II before priming. For the special jobs, we use a two part penetrating epoxy made for marine applications by Smith & Co.
-------------------- The SignShop Mendocino, California
Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity. — Charles Mingus Posts: 6806 | From: Mendocino, CA. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Ive been using wood filler for years with good results. Looked at a sign I did 9 years ago and the edges are still in good shape, and so is the sign. I apply it with my fingers and then sand smooth in a couple of hours.
-------------------- Maker of fine signs and other creative stuff. Located at 109 N. Cumberland ave. Harlan, Ky. 40831 606-837-0242 Posts: 4172 | From: Ages-Brookside, Ky. Up the Holler... | Registered: Jul 1999
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