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Hey Heads, Back in May of 2001 there was a thread here about MDF for exterior applications. Now while most folks posted a resounding "For God's sake NO!!!" there were a few posts that reflected the availability of a mysterious "exterior grade" MDF. Has anyone had any experience with the stuff here in the states? Good, Bad, Indifferent?
-------------------- Jon Androsky Posts: 438 | From: Williamsport, PA | Registered: Mar 2002
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I bet this thread throws its ugly head towards MEDEX !!!!
-------------------- John Smith Kings Bay Signs (Retired) Kissimmee, Florida Posts: 817 | From: Central Florida - The Sunshine State | Registered: Jan 2000
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I think I may have been the one who originally posted that query last year. I use MDF for interior dimensional signs because it's readily available to me here in the middle of the prairies but I still wouldn't dare use it for exterior use due to advice here and because I've seen what happens to MDF outside. I knew another signmaker who used something called "Rangerboard" which was supposed to be a water resistant MDF but in his golf course bench back application it failed in a few months but of coarse golf courses get pretty saturated.
However, a few issues back there was an interesting article in SignCraft featuring a company in Britain who I believe used MDF estensively for painted and dimensional exterior signs. I believe that Britain is pretty wet climate so I am very curious as to how they avoid moisture damage to the substrate or whether the MDF available there is a better quality possibly made with some sort of moisture proofing.
Someone suggested using Thompson's water seal to waterproof MDF and I have been meaning on experimenting with it. I do know that two coats of Pellucid did not completely seal the edges of an unpainted MDF cut-out letter that I then dropped into a bucket of water as an experiment. Maybe another coat or two over primer and paint would have made a diference. But comes a time that too many coats becomes a little too labour intensive and impractical.
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If you go back about 5 or 6 issues of Signcraft, there were profiles of of two signmakers who used quite a bit of MDF for exterior signs. One was from England and the other from Ireland. Some really outstanding work, too. There must be a few Brits or Micks lurking out there that must know something about this product that us Yanks don't. Alright, you guys.........the gig's up.........it's time to spill the beans. We're waiting....................................
-------------------- Mike"Spud"Kelly zipperhead design Westminster, MA Posts: 367 | From: Westminster, MA | Registered: Mar 2001
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Its called Medite or Green MDF, the fella in Signcraft that uses it is called Paul Rafferty and I have met him and seen some of signs that he makes out of Medite. Yes Marty it is wet here, i think somedays the best way to describe the climate is crap.
The way to prepare this stuff is 2 coats of exterior primer/undercoat then 2 coats exterior grade gloss colour, back and front, all paints are oil based and are specific for exterior use decorators paint i.e. house paint.
-------------------- Steve Broughton Alpha Grafix Signs Lowfields Road Benington, Boston Lincolnshire, England Posts: 315 | From: Boston, Lincolnshire, England | Registered: Aug 2001
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HA! I knew I wasn't nuts!(well ok, maybe just a little) Spud and Steve went right where I was going with this. I kept seeing all these MDF signs from the UK in Signcraft, so I'm thinking "what do those blokes across the pond know that we don't?"
I do agree with the american masses though, Medex is complete gash.
The reason I'm asking about this is that I'm looking at a job for about 150 to 200 tiny signs for a pet memorial (This fire hydrant in loving memory of Fluffy and Flopflop....no lie) and they want the edges beveled. Now I don't feel like filling in voids on the edges of 200 chunks of beveled MDO and I think there is way to much traffic for HDU, lots of kids, dogs, that sort of thing, I dont think ¾"HDU would last a week.
-------------------- Jon Androsky Posts: 438 | From: Williamsport, PA | Registered: Mar 2002
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