posted
I've never worked with MDO and followed a recommendation to paint my piece with oil base paint. I bought rustoleum (sign will be outside) and a small roller. The paint surface is not as smooth as I'd like and the MDO is sucking the stuff up esp. on the cut ends. Also the paint seems to be "pooling" the the outer edges and leaving little dimplings (best way to describe them). I am starting to feel I should've asked first before trying. Any advice is great!!!
-------------------- signs Posts: 535 | From: pa | Registered: Dec 1998
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posted
Camille, where have you been? A member of the board since 1998 and only 14 posts? Join on in more often. This is the cheapest Letterhead meet, or instructioanl forum you'll ever find.
Anyway... here's my method. Its only one method amoung many, but when I choose to do MDO they really last.
I fill all the voids in the edges with epoxy putty. Bondo works good too, but I've never had great luck with caulk. Then I round over the edges. A palm sander makes short work of this step. If you don't, the paint will creep away from the sharp edge, leaving it way too thin to last very long. I like to sand the face of the MDO while I sand the edges smooth. It helps the primer to bite into the board better. Then I tack cloth the whole sheet. You can also wipe it down with a cloth moistened with paint thinner to get all the dust off.
My favorite primer is Ronan Fast Dry Block Out White. 2 coats on the face and back, 3 coats on the edges. Lightly sand & tack between coats.
Two coats of Lettering Enamel and its ready for vinyl or painted letters.
Now, your bumpy problem.
For an ultra smooth finish, if you can't spray, I thin down the first coat of primer at least 25% paint thinner to get it thin and soak into the MDO surface. Sand lightly between all coats.
With each coat of paint, (and remember, not TOO thick) when it is coated out, I'll dry my roller some by rolling it out in old magazines, let the paint gas out for about 10 mintes to let some of the solvents rise to the top, then roll ever so lightly across all those bubbles you made laying down the paint. If you hear the paint popping and making new bubbles, your paint is too thick. Dry your roller some more and go over those areas again.
One more thing, the seamless or spiral seam yellow foam rollers will put down a smoother finish than the grey rollers with the seam running straight from end to end. That straight seam sticks up above the rest of the roller a bit and leaves a thin line every time it touches the board.
posted
Dave, I guess that does look pretty sad (14 posts)! I promise to do better. Printed out the resident application yesterday in fact! Thanks for your great advice!!!!!!!!
-------------------- signs Posts: 535 | From: pa | Registered: Dec 1998
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