veneer, enamel or lacquer

[bostonflyer]

I have used Gesso for an undercoat on MDF. Artists use it to prepair canvas, MDF etc for painting. It's basically calcuim carbinate and glue. It sands very easily and you can have a "piano-like finish with a good self-leveling paint.

[warren o]

Originally posted by lemans23


i did 4 coats of polyurethane sandable primer/sealer, starting with 150 grit ending with 320 grit. i hope its alright cause it feels like i could iceskate on it it's so smooth

I think the 320 paper, oops, coated abrasive sheet is a bit of overkill, but you have the results that you wanted and that is all that matters! If you are using a finish that is not water based, you can get the #0, #00, #000 & #0000 steel wool to sand; it is cheaper and works great. Not for water based, as the small steel pieces that come off may turn into iron oxide and poo your nice speakers!

Some folks use gesso as a filler for large grained wood like oak. They sand it down & then stain & seal it for a smooth finish. I have seen pro’s use Bondo for dent & damage filler on large speaker cabs that get painted or have the vinyl sheets attached.