Amazing MDF trick using Fill n’ Finish, MasterTint, and GluDry

Sometimes when you are designing a piece of furniture, a door or a wall panel, you will often need accent pieces to add a bit of pizzaz to an otherwise plain project. The accents can add depth, shadow lines and decorative patterns. Often, these accents are what designers call dematerialized. That means the accents don’t have wood grain or texture of any kind but are usually colored in some way to contrast the accents from the rest of the project Painted wood is okay, but it is actually a bit of a pain to get coverage that shows no grain at all. Plastic and metal accents are expensive. You can paint something like MDF (medium density fiberboard) successfully, but MDF has a soft surface, and the exposed cut edges are even softer. So, structurally, it is a bit wanting. MDF is also a bland tan color that no one finds attractive.

And that is where our Fill n’ Finish trick comes into play.

By using colored Fill n’ Finish with MasterTint on the MDF the strong, robust nature of the CA finish will help protect the MDF from marring. It also seals the cut edges of the MDF so that there is no visual difference between the edges and the top. The liquid soaks into the MDF and when it hardens It takes this flawed material and makes it a top-notch solution for many accent needs.

MDF will need at least three coats of Fill n’ Finish to seal it properly and build up the fibers. Always test the color on a spare bit of the MDF to confirm that it is the color that you want. This is a super useful trick that can be helpful in a wide variety of uses.

If you look at the image at the top of this page you’ll find three pieces of MDF. One without and finish and two with colored Fill n’ Finish. Note: Always use GluBoost GluDry to dry the mixture of Fill n’ Finish and MasterTint.

Rob Johnstone – Master Woodworker

Manufacturers Note 

GluBoost Loves Wood!  GluBoost products are highly specialized cyanoacrylate adhesives, accelerators, tints and accessories and are particularly optimized for Lutherie, Woodturning and Woodworking.  While GluBoost products bear some resemblance to other products, GluBoost formulas elevate performance high above other CA products, common super glues, accelerators, and color tints for Lutherie, Woodturning and Woodworking. 

We thank you for your many years of patronage and we look forward to bringing you many more years of innovative, game changing products. 

– The GluBoost Team