Comments on: Do MDF Boards Stain Well? http://www.wood-working-hobby.com/2009/02/05/mdf-boards-stainin/ For the weekend wood chewer Wed, 12 May 2010 03:58:09 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: wisno http://www.wood-working-hobby.com/2009/02/05/mdf-boards-stainin/comment-page-1/#comment-26304 wisno Thu, 31 Dec 2009 02:09:19 +0000 http://www.wood-working-hobby.com/?p=179#comment-26304 Yes MDF does not have any grain at all. If we need the grain looked, we better to use veneer. MDF is also will absorb finishing material more than wood or veneer. wisno Yes MDF does not have any grain at all. If we need the grain looked, we better to use veneer.
MDF is also will absorb finishing material more than wood or veneer.

wisno

]]> By: Bill http://www.wood-working-hobby.com/2009/02/05/mdf-boards-stainin/comment-page-1/#comment-17199 Bill Sun, 12 Apr 2009 13:29:30 +0000 http://www.wood-working-hobby.com/?p=179#comment-17199 Another problem with mdf is that it usually doesn't have a nice grain pattern to show off. You could do a veneer or a patterned veneer .... Buy some "door skin" and glue that on. Either of which will look better then trying to stain the mdf. If you really want to stain the mdf, you will have to pre-treat it to help control the blotching. Minwax makes one that works very well. When I'm working with anything that soaks up the stain to fast or unevenly, I will apply a coat of the pre-stain, let it set for a few minutes and then do a coat of natural stain. Let that combo sit for about an hour and then apply the color I want. Keep in mind that doing this will not let a lot of the color absorb and you end up with a much lighter finish. After it cures for a day or two, you can hit it with the color again to get it a bit darker. Best of luck on your project! Another problem with mdf is that it usually doesn’t have a nice grain pattern to show off. You could do a veneer or a patterned veneer …. Buy some “door skin” and glue that on. Either of which will look better then trying to stain the mdf.

If you really want to stain the mdf, you will have to pre-treat it to help control the blotching. Minwax makes one that works very well. When I’m working with anything that soaks up the stain to fast or unevenly, I will apply a coat of the pre-stain, let it set for a few minutes and then do a coat of natural stain. Let that combo sit for about an hour and then apply the color I want. Keep in mind that doing this will not let a lot of the color absorb and you end up with a much lighter finish. After it cures for a day or two, you can hit it with the color again to get it a bit darker.

Best of luck on your project!

]]>