The missus wants me to build her a counter for her latest enterprise. It's going to have a smooth curve as part of its form, and I was figuring that the easiest way to do that, would be to face the frame with bendy MDF. The counter top will obviously follow the curve of the main counter body, and I was reckoning on using perhaps 18mm MDF for that. Now she doesn't want a square edge facing the customers, which is not a problem, as I can put a profile on it by running the router round it. Now comes the tricky bit. How to put a finish on it that is attractive, and durable. The main counter body is not so much of a problem. Because it only curves in one plane, I have options such as laminating plastic sheet or machined stainless or whatever to it. But the counter top, which is probably going to need to be black, is another thing altogether, because with the profiled edge, it will curve in two planes, which precludes being able to use a flat laminating material of any description.
So, does anyone have any experience of producing a DIY high gloss hard finish on MDF for a reasonable price ? I don't mind having to do it in several stages with flatting back in between to get a sealed good smooth finish, but whatever I use has got to be hard and durable to stand up to being leaned on by customers, and be readily cleanable. Is there some kind of plastic finish paint or epoxy based paint or whatever that could be used for this ? Spray paint of some description maybe ? Or a spray or hand finished hard lacquer finish ? Or any other suggestions ? I'm open to ideas, and have got a few weeks in hand to think about it.
Cheers all
Arfa