how to do a metallic finish?

[Ah10201]

does anyone have a tried finish to make MDF and plywood look like metal? is there a paint of special finish or something?

thanks...

[mp]

For small pieces you can use armor coat metallic paint spray bombs. I don't know if it comes in cans.

[Mike Marlow]

I've never tried to do it with MDF, but getting a metallic finish should be quite straight forward, assuming you have some spray skills. Just buy the paint you want - either in spray cans or in liquid quantities for mixing in a spray gun. Get a primer that is compatible with the finish paint. Seal the MDF with a good sealer, prime it, sand it flat and spray your choice of metallic paint on it. What you end up with for a finish will be dependent upon your spray technique. Do a google search and you'll find a few discussions on this in this newsgroup. There's really no reason MDF should not paint up like any metal, assuming proper preparation first.

[Bruce]

For plastic model kits I used some stuff in a small tube (from arts & crafts store, can't remember the name/brand) that you would rub on and buff it to a "perfect" chrome or gold finish. It would work great on small stuff but probably too expensive to do more than a few sq. ft.

-Bruce

On Mon, 29 Nov 2004 11:33:52 -0700, Ah10201 wrote (in article ):

[Andy Dingley]

The blades on these

beech, given a coat of silver wax (try a craft / hobby shop). It works on MDF too.

[Bruce Barnett]

Rub 'n Buff

[makesawdust]

You can veneer heavy duty aluminum foil to MDF using spray adhesive. Buy the heaviest foil you can find, and spray both the foil and th substrate with the adhesive. Let the glue get tacky, then carefull affix the foil to the MDF. You'll only get one shot at this!

For a brushed-aluminum finish, lightly hand sand with 220 grit paper i circular motions. You'll need to protect the fragile aluminum with som type of finish coat like polyacrylic, or polyurathane.

I've built a number of clocks using this technique (including a floo clock that was 5 feet tall) and they turned out great.

Good luck

-- makesawdust

[kdz.96]

Formica has a metal laminate that you can order from any home supply depot. It is used for this purpose.

Ken

[tclapp]

Good seal with enamel undercoat. Then try automotive enamel with metallic flakes. If project is small even metallic model airplane metallic paint does a good job.

[J T]

Tue, Nov 30, 2004, 4:49pm (EST+5) [e-mail] (makesawdust) says: You can veneer heavy duty aluminum foil to MDF using spray adhesive.

Once knew a guy who did that to an Olds Cutlass. Wanted to "antique" it. The foil came out crinkled over every square inch. But, even it it had been flat, it still would have made a decent looking car look like crap.

Me, if I wanted wood to look metallic, I'd do it the standard way. Sprayed on automotive paint.

JOAT Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind dont matter, and those who matter dont mind.

- Dr Seuss

[sandman]

As does Wilsonart. Big dollars though and the edges are hard to file. There are two types that I use. One is solid metal, the other is a thin layer of metal on a phenolic back, like regular HPlam. The HPlam version doesn't telegraph substrate irregularities as badly as the solid metals.

Rob

[Andrew Barss]

Ah10201 wrote: : does anyone have a tried finish to make MDF and plywood look like metal? is : there a paint of special finish or something?

Try Hammerite spray paint, available at most places that sell spray paint. This gives a slightly textured, two-toned finish that looks exactly like the coating on heavy duty equipment like oscilloscopes. Good stuff, and cheap.

-- Andy Barss