Oil on part and paint on the other.....question

[Greg Dekeyser]

Noob here....

I'm building myself an entertainment center (an easy build just to get some basics skills).....

the top and face of the entertainment center are pine

the structure an shelves are MDF

I'd like to finish the the pine section with a clear finish ....leaning towards tung oil

the MDF I want to paint black.

ideally going for the color scheme seen on the table in the top section of this photo i found online:

http://www.realmilkpaint.com/images/gal-kelly.jpg




MY QUESTION .....do I assemble the whole thing and then try to mask off while doing the various finishes? (and should I do a certain one before the other?)

or should I paint it first and then attach the pine top and face pieces and then finish them with the oil

or something else?

I have the structure built and am ready to go to the next step....I just don't know what step that is :)

see...told ya it was noob-ish

[Scott Holmes]

When you say "Tung Oil" what specifically are you talking about?

There are a half a dozen products with tung oil in the name; some are pure tung oil (terrible finish by itself); others are wiping varnish that are not even made from tung oil still others are oil/varnish blends.

[Prashun Patel]

The bottom pix you post appear to be done in Milk Paint. This is a different animal than regular paint. Given that you've already built it, here's what I suggest:

Finish the pine sections first. Since they will be clear, you don't want to get any paint on them. You should mask off the mdf, but it's not the end of the world if some finish gets on it. Once primed, the MDF will accept the paint just fine.

Once the pine is topcoated, let it dry, then mask it with painters tape. The best way to get a pretty smooth finish on mdf is to use a foam roller. You can get a skinny trim roller from HD which will work fine.

Use an oil based or shellac based primer on the mdf - especially on the exposed ends. Sand it smooth with 150g once dry. Then use an alkyd enamel paint for the topcoat. Latex is a bad choice on horizontal shelf surfaces because it heavy items can stick to it and peel it.

Finish as many of the pieces disassembled as possible.

Beware the MDF will get dings and nicks and will sag more than solid stock, so plan yr spans and loads accordingly.

[Greg Dekeyser]

When you say "Tung Oil" what specifically are you talking about?

There are a half a dozen products with tung oil in the name; some are pure tung oil (terrible finish by itself); others are wiping varnish that are not even made from tung oil still others are oil/varnish blends.


I was going to use this stuff since I had it leftover from redoing a rifle stock

http://www.formbys.com/products/tung_oil.cfm




The bottom pix you post appear to be done in Milk Paint. This is a different animal than regular paint. Given that you've already built it, here's what I suggest:

Finish the pine sections first. Since they will be clear, you don't want to get any paint on them. You should mask off the mdf, but it's not the end of the world if some finish gets on it. Once primed, the MDF will accept the paint just fine.

Once the pine is topcoated, let it dry, then mask it with painters tape. The best way to get a pretty smooth finish on mdf is to use a foam roller. You can get a skinny trim roller from HD which will work fine.

Use an oil based or shellac based primer on the mdf - especially on the exposed ends. Sand it smooth with 150g once dry. Then use an alkyd enamel paint for the topcoat. Latex is a bad choice on horizontal shelf surfaces because it heavy items can stick to it and peel it.

Finish as many of the pieces disassembled as possible.

Beware the MDF will get dings and nicks and will sag more than solid stock, so plan yr spans and loads accordingly.


thanks for the input....I was looking at Rustoleum which is, as it turns out, a alkyd enamel paint you recommend. I used it in the past for my homemade bed frame (nothing fancy) and it held up really well.


thanks for the input! gotta learn somehow!