How to Paint MDF Edges - Explained in 2 minutes!

Probably the most common question I get asked on here is how to paint MDF edges or MDF end grain as it commonly gets called. What's the secret? Very simplar, sand the edges AFTER you've primed them. The primer will raise the grain of the edges and once it's dry you should be able to sand it to a super-smooth finish. I use acrylic primer undercoat and, in this instance, Dulux Satinwood top coat.
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[@thewoodworker1703]

Short and sweet 👍🏻 sick of seeing 15 min videos for a minute of worthy content. Straight to the point 👍🏻

[@GosforthHandyman]

👍🛠

[@madidibushman]

Like other comments...what i really apreciate is you comin straight to the point and not blabbering on to enjoy the limelight. Well done 👍👍👍

[@netsxer]

God damn that was STRAIGHT TO THE BLOODY POINT! Love it, thank you so much!

[@markconnaughton8234]

Seen other videos that drone on and on and.....Life is too short, thank you Genius!

[@simonking3949]

The best video on how to paint mdf, straight to the point, no unwanted narrative like the rest. Thank you.

[@davidmoore220]

Best 2 minutes of my life..

[@easterlake]

That's pretty sad

[@robertodavanzo5711]

Finally....short and sweet explanation...good job friend

[@littlehero8145]

Best video yet on how to paint MDF edges. Much thanks for posting this.

[@ksp1278]

I saw the length of the video and thought it couldn't possibly be you that made this. lol. Excellent tip. Many thanks.

[@GosforthHandyman]

Ha ha - it happens every now and then! 👍😂

[@MrBigMalT]

Simplest but most genius tip I think I’ve ever seen on any woodwork video! Nice one 😊

[@jameskass4415]

"Paint then sand." Awesome, thanks for this tip, simple and effective, have used it multiple times. Your videos are informative and time-saving. Kudos!

[@robbutler6036]

Well prime, then sand. Or did I miss something?

[@karagray3741]

Thanks for the advice. Was just about to sand a load of raw mdf edges. You’ve just saved me a load of hassle. Will prime first now.

[@angelolivas6260]

Did it Work?

[@howardbecdove9780]

...... and that is exactly what I needed to know. Just for the record, I love the waffle, especially in the podcasts. Not everything has to be a sound bite and I enjoy being part of your social experiment.

[@GosforthHandyman]

👍😀

[@SpaceMike3]

Noice. This is the first video I didn't have to skip through to find what I wanted. Good man

[@PINKALIMBA]

Great video. Save us time and straight to the point. I love it!

[@markburley3418]

Nicely done. Straight forward & sensible

[@Clambert91]

Its like you read my mind! I have had a bunch of issues trying to figure out how to get the best edge! Thanks for the tip!

[@szmitek30]

Omg I spend lots of time to sand it before painting with different sand paper,I don't have experience with mdf just moved to Europe from USA and here in Europe the system is different I mean in USA is more wood ,thank you for the tip

[@iestynjones5796]

These tips in a flash are great. Thanks.

[@GosforthHandyman]

👍😀

[@maxpower1363]

This video made me subscribe, so many times I’ve made something out of mdf and painted the edge again and again and it still looks like a hot turd, cheers I’m having a crack at this tomorrow with a changing table for our baby. Thanks again for the hot tip 🤙

[@benoitlheureux64]

Crisp, useful how-to - thanks!

[@ram-ham]

Thank you! I've been trying to figure out what material to use for a reading nook and feared painting mdf to look good. This tip has removed my fears.

[@RB-xg2vz]

Perfect timing - glad I saved this for later 🎉

[@smiffy008b]

Good tip , short and sweet .

[@GosforthHandyman]

👍🛠

[@gsuandre5579]

You earn a subscriber, right to the point, perfect video. Thank you.

[@_pjd]

I like channels that are 'to the point' and this one is. Sub.

[@zenku41]

Wow thank you for making it so quick and clear, best video tutorial ever

[@elcaminowoodworks8535]

Thanks for the vvideo. I've got a big med project coming up and now I know how to finish it. Keep up the great work.

[@elcaminowoodworks8535]

Stupid smart phone. *mdf project

[@GosforthHandyman]

👍😀

[@SMee67]

Great flying quick tip there, mate. 👍 Love those mini rollers. 👌 Cheers.

[@GosforthHandyman]

👍🛠 Cheers Bill!

[@petervol5069]

This was very helpful and right to the point. ty!

[@kennethfaron5486]

thank you! short & sweet. no BS!

[@ittybittyattic]

Omg thanks! You saved my project!

[@jimblack2331]

Nice tip Andy! 👍

[@GosforthHandyman]

Cheers Jim! 👍

[@macphlurry5592]

I would say this is only true sometimes. If there are cut marks, or anything rough that needs to be sanded out, it's better to sand 120-150 first, but any higher will likely pack dust into the grain. This creates spots that are likely to chip/peel out when sanding the primer, which causes pits, and/or makes it harder to fill existing ones. Also, if the pits/cut marks are really bad, you can slap on a thin coat of spackle and let it dry for like 6 hours so it shrinks fully. Sand it flat with a hard block (again, 120-150 grit), and when you prime it, it will likely raise the hairs alot less, as long as you don't sand through the spackle. After prime, carefully sand smooth with 320-400, and apply another coat of primer. 2nd coat won't raise any hairs if you sanded the first coat without burning through. You can then get that second prime sanded to a glassy smooth finish (400-600), and paint. Overkill for some things, but for painted doors it is worth it, and makes them look that much nicer imo

[@RedScarlett-q8t]

Thank you so much this is really helpful 🎉

[@woosheroes494]

Thanks for sharing your wisdom. Immensely helpful.

[@shaunsheppard3936]

The other week I saw some MDF Sealer & Primer in Wilko's, it was cheap so I gave it a try. Applied it like you describe in your video and the edges were super smooth after applying the top coat using a spray gun, best results I've gotten with my limited experience of MDF.

[@cuperman]

Shaun Sheppard which spray gun do you use?

[@GosforthHandyman]

Great stuff! 👍

[@lesf5792]

Quick & Easy. What grit are you sanding with after the primer?

[@entirecosmos4335]

That was very useful brother. I hated my edges.

[@paultay23]

Thanks Andy... Short comment... great tip

[@GosforthHandyman]

Cheers bud! 👍🛠

[@keefykeef]

Great tip, thanks Andy

[@GosforthHandyman]

Cheers Keith! 👍🛠

[@whitedoggarage]

Thanks Andy, good tip 👍👍👍.

[@GosforthHandyman]

Cheers! 👍👍👍

[@diywooddesign1548]

SUBSCRIBED! Thanks for the tip, exactly the info I needed.. cheers bud

[@GosforthHandyman]

Cheers - welcome to the channel! 👍🛠

[@slayac9134]

thank you buddy you solved my problem.....👍

[@kookyflukes9749]

Thanx. Knew I could rely on you. Top tip.

[@GosforthHandyman]

No probs kooky! 👍🛠

[@rick91443]

Thank you. Always have trouble painting MDF or medium as it's called here in France. Also appears that in the UK you have several grades of it, or better quality than here; at least for us amateurs....cheers...rr

[@GosforthHandyman]

Cheers! Interesting. Can be variable in quality over here too. Medite is good - I think this is Trupan - also nice. 👍

[@GosforthHandyman]

Oh and congrats on the football! 😀🍺

[@rick91443]

Thanks(but I'm a Yank, lived here over 30 years though.) Trupan, will google it(in French,) and see where it can be found. Enjoy your videos...cheers...rr

[@gazsto9510]

Worked great! Thanks.

[@mijitachula1]

What grain of sand paper do you recommend?

[@loganmahoney2284]

Drink coffee, make stuff. Words to live by!

[@vileguile4]

Big thanks for this!

[@GosforthHandyman]

👍🛠

[@garrysmythe]

bloody hell mate , that was short. lol. cheers. Garry from Barnsley

[@GosforthHandyman]

Ha - just a quick one! 👍

[@Cradley684]

That was a great tip, Thank's.

[@GosforthHandyman]

👍🛠

[@zanahasan89]

Great job I have 2 questions please 1- what type ((number)) is that sand paper?? 2- which is better for painting , sponge roller or just regular roller ??

[@JohnWalsh-o6b]

Great and to the point! Did you use sanding sealer before your first coat of primer? Thanks

[@robsandstrom9854]

Great tip. getting ready too try my hand at some mdf shelving units and you seem to pop-up the most when it comes to working with mdf. Looks like you're the recognized authority when working with mdf. Will be watching more of your work. Trying to figure out best method for quick and strong joints when building with mdf. appears most of the time people use glue and brad nails, sometimes screws. Any thoughts?

[@GosforthHandyman]

Ha, not sure about recognised authority... buy I do get through a lot of the stuff! 😂 Depends what you're building - always try to glue the joints if poss. Glue & brads, Glue & screw, Glue & domino, Glue & biscuits... even just glue & clamp! (see my recent test vids). My pref is glue, biscuit & brad. 👍

[@kenazi79]

Thanks for tip 👍👍

[@GosforthHandyman]

👍🛠

[@AverageJoe-91]

What type of roller did you use for such a smooth finish? Also what can of primer did you use? Having a hard time distinguishing between acrylic and latex.

[@owindustry]

excellent, genius idea! thanks.

[@charlesmcmasters]

great tip!

[@GosforthHandyman]

👍🛠

[@bellabethany9]

This was so helpful! thank you

[@fallout2104]

That was awesome.

[@luisignaciofigallo1638]

love it. great video

[@dwp1970]

Thanks! This is a great tip and right on time for me. Keep up the good work.

[@GosforthHandyman]

👍🛠

[@ReflectionFishing]

Would you apply primer after or before routering the edges?

[@HUB1987]

Great tip helped me out what top coat paint did you use looks nice

[@cliffhalse1326]

I use outdoor wood glue, soaks in n sets hard, then sand n a perfect finish

[@craftworkssussex9868]

Once again you awesome! I’ll buy you a pint !

[@GosforthHandyman]

Cheers bud! 👍

[@DrCitrus]

Thank you so much for this

[@RossHbn]

Legend

[@rehabtodawn]

I use real schellack to seal the edges. works really fast

[@bradfry2259]

Holy shit short to the point with results, you gained a sub on that man hello from New Zealand.

[@GosforthHandyman]

Big welcome to New Zealand! 👍🍺

[@firecrackerg60]

How it should be done.... Nice!

[@Saladzingers]

This is really useful, thanks. Do you chamfer/round over/soften the edges? Planning some clean, simple cabinets but don’t know if I need to run the trim router with a tiny round over, stop them getting so easily dinged…

[@jimgoodwin6294]

as easy as that - thanks for the video.....👍.

[@CYB3RC0RP]

I tried this and found it to just be a waste of material. On another identical piece I took the time to sand the surface first (it didn't even take that much time) and it was well worth it.

[@kempaswe4022]

You can also use spray filler in a spraycan on the edges

[@bigjesskennelz]

I heard you can also apply wood glue and water to seal the edge before painting.

[@GosforthHandyman]

Yes, used to do this - found primer works better. 👍

[@georgeisaak5321]

Awesome video my friend ☺️ . Now if it wouldn't be too much to ask , could you please Show any ideas about how to make MDF edges curvy without destroying the corners ? I work in a small company that works 75% MDF and 25% wood , most of the time the client wants us to smooth out the edges . My only problem is ...that the "Martell" or Matell sandpaper machine my boss uses is too heavy for me , acting in all the weird ways on me , jumping if I don't apply enough force , eating up the endings of the corners if I don't do it fast and steady enough which puts a lot of stress in my elbows and wrists as a result . Do you know any way that I could manually do it or with any other power tool but easier than this ?

[@george64]

Nice vid am giving this a go this weekend! Can I ask who the background music is by?

[@highwaystartruckrepair]

Since this video is from some time back, I’m curious to find out if you’ve found a newer way or updated your method. I’m about to use melamine for rear doors on a service truck. Sealing the cut edges is important considering the harsh New England weather we get. Sealing and painting to fit into aluminum door frames. Any helpful tips?

[@alexrutterford6358]

Can I ask what Dulux paint you used? I have some MDF that needs painting for the summer house 👍

[@oliviavillegas2142]

I painted and sanded my mdf wall panelling without priming leaving lots of imperfections. Can I resand everything so I can start again or does it all need ripped off?

[@agony5738]

Awesome.. Can I prime mdf with water based 🤔

[@handznet]

I work with mdf a lot and tried lot of things, acrylic primer is definitely not making the edges smooth. It will rise all the hairs like crazy and you have to make 3-5 coats of paints with constant sanding to make it look pasable. You have to use synthetics not water based primer at least or better wood filler.

[@DenversMysteries]

Is the Acrylic primer method better than the water and wood glue method?

[@schoo9256]

Is it worth trying this on mfc/melamine edges for tight-fit situations where you can't use edge facing? I'm specifically thinking of the top edges of individual drawers in a dresser.

[@aaroncorbett7513]

So does particle board get sealed and then paint the same way as you mdf

[@karenjoyce2932]

Thanks for this. Do you use a foam roller or a different one?

[@ibrahim-rb4mb]

paint it and then sand it .. it's cool

[@WoodworkingBrewer]

Nice one Andy but I do have one question. If you are painting the edge in a white with your top coats in white will it not bleed through the yellow tinge or is there a certain brand of paint which would be good to keep the edges whiter longer. P.S. Are you and Peter going to be doing series 2 of the podcasts?

[@azza1793]

Woodworking Brewer - yes they are, they already announced Sept as the date on their last podcast

[@GosforthHandyman]

No probs with yellow tinge after first coat has been dried and sanded. Series 2 in Sept! 👍😀

[@em_1711]

What's the difference between a primer and a sanding sealer?

[@AlulaZagway]

does this work for the MDF surface ? I only hope

[@shawndoe2834]

Does anyone know the nap size on this roller? It looks like its very small, like less than 3mm?

[@SteveFloresCoach]

Acrylic primer...so not B-I-N Sinzer's shellac primer?

[@chinthakajayawardana2030]

Hi i have problem,im in sri lanaka,our country cant found these paint.we have to use thiner.

[@angelolivas6260]

Is there a way to properly hide the joint between a vertical and an horizontal mdf pieces? I mean the line between the edge and the flat surface.

[@angelolivas6260]

You can see what I'm talking about at 1:04

[@Bluemart856]

I have got a few ikea wardrobes with a plywood backing board, they keep absorbing moisture causing damp in the wardrobe, is there a better material you would suggest to make a wardrobe moisture resistant? Would an MDF replacement be better? Please suggest

[@bobbrock41]

Wot, no sanding between coats?

[@buddylajuett8109]

Now why didn't I thin k of that? Short and to the point, just the way I like them!

[@africanobsession]

Please, what number grit are you using to sand after the primer?