painting my sub box

[Soler]

I recently built a subwoofer box out of 3/4 " MDF particle board...
Im gonna be painting it and was wondering what kind of paints/ clear coat i should use. I've never really done this sort of thing

[kboyts]

The type of paint is really a matter of prefrence. But one thing I can say is that the MDF will soak up alot of paint. Make sure that you use a couple good coats of primer on it first. One way to help make for a closer to auto body quality finish is to seal the outside of the box with a good coat of fiberglass resin before you do any type of painting on it. This will prevent the box from soaking up the paint as well as make a smoother surface for your finish. It will also seal any tiny leaks that the box may have to allow it to perform better.

[Soler]

yea i know how much mdf soaks up....thanks for the fiberglass resin idea, i was plannin on primein it but i will look into that
im currently sanding and filling uneven spots

[Soler]

okay im def. not gonna do the fiberglass resin thing, I found out i'd be sanding it for day if i wanted to paint it

[Soler]

PS
should i spray the primer on, roll it or hairystick it?

[kboyts]

Originally Posted by Soler

PS
should i spray the primer on, roll it or hairystick it?

spray will go on the smoothest

[kboyts]

Originally Posted by Soler

okay im def. not gonna do the fiberglass resin thing, I found out i'd be sanding it for day if i wanted to paint it

and actually if you are only using resin and not fiberglass mat it goes on very smoothly.

[heartless]

yup, just the resin - will nearly self level on a nice flat surface. to get it smooth faster you could pour it onto the box surface and use a body filler spreader to spread it out quickly.
sanding the stuff is a timing thing - too soon and you gum up your sandpaper real quick - too long and it is really hard to sand.
the resin/hardner mix is important - it cures by chemical reaction - not time/temperature. follow the directions on the can for mixing, but remember not to mix more than you can work with in say 10 minutes tops.

it really isnt that hard, just takes a little practice to get the mixing & use time figured out..

Good luck with the box project & be sure to post some pics of your work!