How to paint MDF to a mirror finish worklog

Tech Talk
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Why does this always happen?

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I’ve been doing a lot of wood craft work and read a lot of tutorials. This is both well explained in great detail while still be concise, which is not an easy thing to do.

Questions:

I browsed the comments so Im not sure if you answered this, but…

  1. After the 5 thin coat passes with the clear coat, as you go up the grits from 600, 1000, 1500, et cetera, are you applying those 5 thin coats between each wet-sanding? or are you just moving up the grits?

  2. you mention after a month applying a protective wax or something, could this be simple polyurethane? or is that job already done by the clear coat? Will the polyurethane disrupt the mirror-like finish? If so, do you know a protective wax product that has worked for you that you’d recommend?

Thanks again for a fantastic tutorial, it was the first hit on google when I typed my question :slight_smile:

-Orleck

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I would like to do this type of paint job on a digital stage piano. I bought this Studiologic Numa Nero piano assuming it had a high gloss black finish as it once did. Turns out the manufacturer changed the finish to matte because the gloss was not holding up. When my piano arrived, it was matte and I was upset.

Here is what I expected:

https://dirigent.jp/product/product_numa_nero_02_2.jpg[img]

This is what I got:

[img]http://cdn-ak.f.st-hatena.com/images/fotolife/m/mitsuba64/20151212/20151212212523.jpg

The plastic faring can be removed which would make painting easy. I just don’t know how to go about painting this particular plastic material which is rather rough.

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That is great and all but why did you choose to post about Piano mods on a web forum about fighting games?

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Maybe the Brook UFB is wired to the keys! But seriously now… matte finish on plastic is better for fingerprints (which kinda happens with a piano)

If you want glossy… get a Steinway :wink:

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[/quote]

That is great and all but why did you choose to post about Piano mods on a web forum about fighting games?

[/quote]

This thread topic is about painting a black mirror finish. I want to paint a black mirror finish. That’s why. :slight_smile:

This thread is mentioned in a piano restoration forum. That’s how I found it.

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Whoa that thing is expensive. Is there no way for you to just return it and buy something that already has a gloss finish?

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Still this is beyond the scope of what we do here.
Also Black plastic does not take paint well unless you want to do ALOT of Prep work first.

A return would be a better choice than to paint a brand new expressive Electronic keyboard.

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image
image3264×2448 1.47 MB

I will post the final results where the customer’s piano is compared to it, (instead of the other way around. :crazy_face:)

If l get the same results as you did with MDF l will send you one of these :raised_hands:t3:.

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The title explicitly states MDF. So use MDF instead of the plastic you curiously mentioned. It is way cheaper, easier to work, easier to finish, and allows some fancy profiles with router bits. And you can also engrave with a laser or CNC router. You could make some superb game cabinets, arcade cases, boards and even controllers in this manner. Outstanding post on a subject very difficult to find easy or casual advice on executing.