Woodworking at another level

[Nova]

If you didn't notice Keith is mentioned in the article.

[B A R R Y]

Spray cans! I've done many a guitar, speaker enclosure, or other smaller item with spray bombs. Lot's of nice colors, and clear coats for top coating at any decent auto parts store.

Actually it is, but you'll sand and rub a lot more. You also might need to wait longer before rubbing. The flip side is that you'll have a thicker layer to rub, before you accidentally rub through. For flat surfaces, use a cork or wood sanding block. For the edges and gentle curves, a felt block is good. Edges can be done with "tadpole" sanders or foam (pink or blue insulation) blocks.

A neat trick on edges is to rout them, apply a thin coat of filler or heavy coat of seal coat, then do another pass with the router.

The priming of the overall piece and filling of the edges follow the same theory. You'll apply the product and sand most of it off, repeating until you have a glass-smooth surface.

It fills the MDF. Other suggestions for sandable fillers that work well for me include drywall spackle, modeller's "spot putty", or many coats of shellac. Glue will fill, but it's difficult to sand.

Keep in mind during early experiments that an off-white, silver, or machine gray will be a bit more forgiving with the final finish. Black isn't the best choice on your first panel.

Once you're rubbing out color and clear coats, for a super gloss, you can go up into the 1000-2000 grit sandpaper range, and finish with automotive rubbing compounds.

The fun part of this is the lack of a downside. If you accidentally rub through a paint coat, spray another on and continue! The raw material is literally throw-away, it's not like you're ruining a rare exotic wood if you screw up.

Have a good time!

[B A R R Y]

Now you're thinking!

[Pat Barber]

I been wanting to try some of these type finishes but never got a good reason...

Have you ever d> Pat Barber wrote:

[B A R R Y]

Sorry, haven't tried it.

GF makes some good stuff, though.