On Fri, 5 Sep 2003 19:22:09 +0100, "Amadeus" wrote:

I've been looking at re-painting some melamine units and furniture
to freshen them up, but I am horrified at the price of the primer.

Does anyone know of a substitute which might work? It looks rather
like some sort of PVA based goo, and I wonder if just using a PVA
mix might be as effective?

Has anyone ever used this stuff before and what could be used
instead? If used, can a normal gloss be painted on top, or does it
have to be some specialist paint?

My sister-in-law used this primer on some bedroom units and then
painted them with normal eggshell, and this looked fine to me.



I needed to do a similar job and did some experiments.

On all test pieces, I lightly abraded the surface and degreased as
recommended.

I used a standard primer, a melamine primer and a multipurpose primer
(OPE or some such name) that claimed to work on anything.

All were applied according to the instructions and then overcoated
with a sand effect paint as one option and an F&B eggshell as the
other.

A week later, I did tests with a light wipe to clean and a heavier
scrubbing, plus scratching with a finger nail to see of the paint
would come off.

The special multipurpose primer was totally useless. More than a
light wipe had the paint coming off. The standard primer was
reasonable, but a heavy scrub took it off, as did the fingernail.

The melamine primer worked well, standing up to all the scrubbing, and
I had to scratch with a screwdriver to mark it.

So, I think that it depends on the durability that you would like to
have.


..andy

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On Fri, 5 Sep 2003 19:22:09 +0100, "Amadeus" wrote:

I've been looking at re-painting some melamine units and furniture
to freshen them up, but I am horrified at the price of the primer.

Does anyone know of a substitute which might work?

Yes, ESP melamine primer (don't use International's)

If you want a substitute that won't work, feel free to experiment with
PVA.

On Fri, 5 Sep 2003 21:02:57 +0100, "Mary Fisher"
wrote:

...

The melamine primer worked well, standing up to all the scrubbing, and
I had to scratch with a screwdriver to mark it.

So, I think that it depends on the durability that you would like to
have.

That's very interesting, thank you.

Where does one buy this stuff?

Mary


The sheds have it - e.g.


EAN: 5010988026836
at B&Q.

http://www.international-paints.co.u...lfinishes.html


..andy

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On Fri, 05 Sep 2003 21:50:06 +0100, Andy Dingley
wrote:

On Fri, 5 Sep 2003 19:22:09 +0100, "Amadeus" wrote:

I've been looking at re-painting some melamine units and furniture
to freshen them up, but I am horrified at the price of the primer.

Does anyone know of a substitute which might work?

Yes, ESP melamine primer (don't use International's)

This is odd. I remember now that it was ESP that I tried that I
didn't get to work at all well, whereas the melamine primer worked the
best.




If you want a substitute that won't work, feel free to experiment with
PVA.

..andy

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On Sat, 6 Sep 2003 18:05:05 +0100, "Mary Fisher"
wrote:



Where does one buy this stuff?

Mary


The sheds have it - e.g.


EAN: 5010988026836
at B&Q.

Thank you very much.

Mary


I do suspect that preparing the melamine surface by abrading with a
sander is important, as is degreasing.


..andy

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I do suspect that preparing the melamine surface by abrading with a
sander is important, as is degreasing.

Of course. I - that is he - always prepares any surface well. I insist :-)

Mary


.andy

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In article ,
Andy Hall wrote:
I do suspect that preparing the melamine surface by abrading with a
sander is important, as is degreasing.

Hmm. I'm doing some repair work on the old car, and the smoother you get
the primer the better the top finish. Degreasing is of course crucial.

--
*Being healthy is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die.

Dave Plowman London SW 12
RIP Acorn