What is the fastest way to finish letters cut from MDF

[drodda]

I have cut many letters out of MDF to give to freinds and family. I am looking for the fastest way to make these look good and also be finished to hand out in the least amount of finish time. I thought some of you might be able to give me some tips that would speed up this long and extremely boring process of trying to hand paint 300 letters.

Dave

[billp]

Dave,
You could get a cheap HVLP gun and spray all of your letters in different water based metal coatings/colors (Brass,Bronze,Silver,etc)in a very short amount of time, and it would be a water based cleanup as well. I have even dipped MDF into the Sculpt Nouveau coatings....(www.sculptnouveau.com (http://www.sculptnouveau.com))
The stuff holds up beautifully outdoors, as long as you have sealed the MDF properly...
5997

[drodda]

Thanks for the reply Bill. The problem that I am running into is that the font that is used was old century and the centers such as in the "B" are very small and hard to spray into. I have tried dipping them but have not found a solution that levels out and dries nice for this. These will not be used outside so the weather proof is not an issue. Do you have a brand name of the water based colors that you are spraying? I have a very nice HVLP system and a cheap one also. So I can use either for this.

Thanks for the info,

Dave

[billp]

Dave,
Follow that link above and go to their "metal coatings" section. I use their "B" coatings and they work very well on just about anything you would want to work with...I'm using a Harbor Freight $40 HVLP which I can run under the faucet after each job...

[phil_o]

A friend suggested trying the Critter
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00006FRPJ/002-7758680-6462442?v=glance&n=228013
Does anyone have experience with this spray gun?

[drodda]

I have friends that use that critter to apply spray adhesive for upholstery. They also tell me that they use it for poly finishes. I had already bought a couple HVLP systems before I found out about this product so I have never tried it myself. The place where they bought theirs they paid a little over $50.00 also. so that price looks good too.

[itoolfred]

Dave,
I've done a ton of these letters and the guys who finish them for me do a nice job. I've tried all sorts of stuff and there really is no fast way to do them (and get a good finish). Basically I seal them with water based sanding sealer, then prime them with water based kilz, then sand them with a jet spindle sander, then put on final paint. Also, at Bill's recommendation (at the awfs show) I purchased some of the copper paint from sculpt and this stuff really is great, unfortunately, I get no call for the metal letters.
Fred

[edge-light@hotmail.com]

Hi there

Can some one advise me how much would be a
24" x 42" x 1" thick sign with V carved letters
cost me.

thanks
Pat

[bleeth]

Pat: There are a lot of variables at play here. Most of us charge rates based on time machining and finishing, cost of raw material, design time, etc. If you would like to either post more info and/or e-mail me I'll try to help you out. If you post your location you may get a response from someone working close to you.

Dave

[joe]

Dave R,

Here's how I go about it. Someone may even have a better way.

For MDF, and Trupan, which soak up lots of paint on the edges, it's necessary to seal them off. I brush on a couple of coats of shellac. Any sealer will do. Then I place the letters face down on pre-mask, any kind of maskant will do. I like using a roll 12" wide. This will keep paint off the faces. Apply color to the sides of the letters with a brush. Flip-em over, remove the mask and spray the finish coat. Shouldn't take much time.

Let me know how you do.

Joe
www.normansignco.com (http://www.normansignco.com)

[joe]

I'm sure everyone knows this, about spraying latex, but:

Acrylic Latex can be sprayed very nicely through a HVLP by adding a little Flow Control, along with a very small amount of water.

I turn the pressure all the way up and the pattern all the way down. It's amazing to me how the water to paint mixture changes the paint pattern. I try to spray the thickest fluid possible. Don't forget the Flow Control.

Joe
www.normansignco.com (http://www.normansignco.com)

[gus]

Just a note: I think joe is talking about something you add to the paint not something you add to the hardware :>) Flotrol and other such products make the stuff spray better. I have never been afraid to add more water than it says on the paint can. I also make sure if I use tap water that it does not have a high iron content. Can be a problem when you live on Minnesota's "Iron Range".