In this video I will be comparing Zinsser B-I-N with Johnstones MDF Primer, to see which is best at sealing the end grain of MDF.
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In the last video in the series [ Ссылка ] I ran through various ways of treating MDF end edges. Since then I've had a people saying in the Comments feed that they favour a shellac paint. I have seen a few You Tube wood workers using Zinsser BIN, and as I haven't used a dedicated MDF primer on any of my videos, I thought I'd do a comparison - of Zinsser B-I-N interior and exterior primer-sealer stain killer vs Johnstone's MDF primer. So here it is!
As in my last video, I've prepared a mock up, this time with 2 edges - each comprising 2 x 18mm pieces of MDF, joined together to create a lovely 36mm wide piece of end grain - the ultimate test for our two paints.
TODAY'S TOOL KIT*
- Zinsser B-I-N Primer Sealer Stain Killer [ Ссылка ] (Amazon)
- Johnstone's MDF Primer [ Ссылка ] (Amazon)
- Leyland Trade Acrylic Primer Undercoat [ Ссылка ] £13.99/ $18.85
- 120 grade sandpaper
- 180 grade sandpaper
- paint brush - preferably pure bristle
- foam roller
* The Amazon links above are affiliate links. It doesn't cost you anything to click on them but I do earn a small commission if you do.
And here's the legal bit I have to state: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
MY CONCLUSIONS
The Zinsser B-I-N was ahead at pretty much ever stage of the test. After the first coat, it achieved a much better coverage than the MDF primer. With the Johnstone's primer, you could still see a smudgy brown hue where the end grain was coming through. There was none of this on the Zinsser sample. Both the Zinsser and Johnstone's were a little rough as you would expect, where the end grain had been raised.
Similarly, after the second coat, the Zinsser was also a little smoother, and had more of a sheen to it.
I then applied a top coat of Johnstone's water based satin. Again, the Zinsser was marginally smoother.
So my conclusion - although the Zinsser was marginally ahead at every stage, the difference was marginal at best, and doesn't justify the price difference (£42.99 for a 2.5 litre tin of Zinsser against £24.86 for the Johnstone's). Also, you have to clean your Zinsser paint brushes/rollers with methylated spirit whereas the Johnstone's MDF primer, being water based, can simply be cleaned up with soapy water.
A You Tube buddy of mine Gosforth Handyman is a big fan of Leyland Trade Acrylic Primer Undercoat, which he used in this video [ Ссылка ] and the Leyland Trade is just £13.99 for 2.5 litres.
So I guess I'm saying that as the difference from using the expensive MDF specialist products is almost imperceptible, you might as well stick to a typical quick drying wood primer undercoat - which is just as well, as I've been recommending you all to do this in all my previous videos :)
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Charlie DIYte
-- Email: charliediyte@gmail.com
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