On Sat, 9 Feb 2013 13:25:19 -0800 (PST),
wrote:

On Thursday, January 24, 2013 10:26:12 PM UTC-5, Larry Jaques wrote:
On Thu, 24 Jan 2013 15:47:11 -0500, "dadiOH" wrote: wrote: Use the product that is MADE for the job. It is called fast-build primer surfacer or "sanding primer". Judging from his photos, I don't think those would even *begin* to smooth his particle board. Not without many, many coats at least. Half the roughness appears to be the adhesive left from the contact paper. Sanding that off is near to impossible. BTDT, struck out.

No actually the "rough" areas are where there is the least adhesive. Pulling the original vinyl off took with it miceoscopic particles of the particle board leaving behind the relatively rough areas. The relativiely smooth areas actually have more adhesive residue left behind.

The pics where taken on the Macro setting. So I guess it looks worse than it is.

I tried the drywall mud a couple more times and it is really difficult not sanding too much back off. By the time I get the ridges down the "rough" areas start to show again. (I'm about to give it another shot).

Hand sanding is too work intensive so I've been trying my orbital and also my finishing sanders.

Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.
If you are going to use the mud, the only really effective way to sand
it is manually with a samding board. Use half sheet sanding screen -
120 grit. Half sheet long ways.