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MDO covered with vinyl

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planetsigns

New Member
I have a sheet of pre-primed MDO that I am going to completely cover with a large vinyl decal. Do you think it's necessary to prime and paint it before applying it or can I just seal the edges and back and roll over some polyeurethane for laminate?
 
tsgstl

tsgstl

New Member
some pre-primed mdo are different, but I have fully covered pre-primed mdo with just a good cleaning. Clean it good and put a piece of the vinyl you are using on it. You should be able to tell pretty quick if it will hold.
 
ChicagoGraphics

ChicagoGraphics

New Member
I tryed putting a full print on a full sheet of pre-primed mdo before, it lasted for about 6 months then the print just fell off. Use a finish coat base and you will be fine.
 
Mrose

Mrose

New Member
Trust me on this,,, Paint it first. A primer panel doesn't have enough gloss for the vinyl to bit to. Also depends on the quality of vinyl you are using! If you use cheap vinyl then dont be surprised when it fails in 3 months.
 
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Monsoon190

New Member
If this is for outside use and the primer is porous, the MDO will suck up moisture and swell. When MDO swells, it swells a lot. Primed doesn't necessarily mean sealed.
 
Baz

Baz

New Member
MDO does not swell ... MDF does and is not meant for exterior use. If MDO is not treated it will absorb moisture though and vinyl stuck over it will fail. I personnaly do not like the factory finish at all. Primed or topcoated. It is best to start with a raw sheet and prime / paint it yourself with enamel (oil based) paint. If you are sticking a full print, one coat of primer and one coat of enamel will suffice. It is also a good idea to paint the backside with exterior latex. This will give it a few more years of life before it starts rotting.

This is the difference with MDO versus ACM. MDO will rott eventually (after 8 years or so up here). ACM will not rott nor do you need to do any preping to it's surface. It's allot easyer to work with.
 
Hero Signs

Hero Signs

If they let me make it, they will come
Just lost a annual 2K order due to my first year taking over, the supplier told us to use a primed board with 3m primer around the corners. The prints came off and look terriable. Didnt not know why they would not call me back till I went to their location. I would have redone them all for free just to keep their business. Painted MDO only!
 
WeekendDirectionals

WeekendDirectionals

New Member
Baz said:
MDO does not swell ... MDF does and is not meant for exterior use. If MDO is not treated it will absorb moisture though and vinyl stuck over it will fail. I personnaly do not like the factory finish at all. Primed or topcoated. It is best to start with a raw sheet and prime / paint it yourself with enamel (oil based) paint. If you are sticking a full print, one coat of primer and one coat of enamel will suffice. It is also a good idea to paint the backside with exterior latex. This will give it a few more years of life before it starts rotting.

This is the difference with MDO versus ACM. MDO will rott eventually (after 8 years or so up here). ACM will not rott nor do you need to do any preping to it's surface. It's allot easyer to work with.
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Is there a reason people don't use solid aluminum? A 4'x8' 4mm alum sheet at grimco is $39 on sale, cheaper than ACM or MDO?
 
Baz

Baz

New Member
4mm solid aluminum??? I don't think so. Sounds more like 4mm aluminum composite (thin aluminum with a pvc core). You can buy the cheaper brands in the 40.00$ + range or more expensive brands like Dibond. My understanding is that the cheaper brands are fine for small pieces .. But if you use them for large billboards (multiple 4'x8's). They kind of warp with the sun. I personnaly like to buy the more expensive brand ... It's not Dibond but does cost me over 70.00$ per sheet ... Haven't had any complaints about my large signs so far and i have been using it more and more in the last few years. MDO is slowly going the way of the Dodo.
 
TXFB.INS

TXFB.INS

New Member
dukebrown said:
Just lost a annual 2K order due to my first year taking over, the supplier told us to use a primed board with 3m primer around the corners. The prints came off and look terriable. Didnt not know why they would not call me back till I went to their location. I would have redone them all for free just to keep their business. Painted MDO only!
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That sucks, we have lost some customers do to suppliers making "helpful suggestions"

when it comes to MDO we never use anything less than "pre-finished" and that is only after the customer refuses to use ACP
 
Techman

Techman

New Member
Just lost a annual 2K order due to my first year taking over, the supplier told us to use a primed board with 3m primer around the corners. The prints came off and look terriable. Didnt not know why they would not call me back till I went to their location. I would have redone them all for free just to keep their business. Painted MDO only!
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they didn't bother to call you because that job was so screwed up they didn't want to risk another screw up.
And listening to a supplier clerk about what to use on a sign job proves it.
And then they didn't want your bizz as a vendor because who would use primed mdo with a sticky back print?????
 
CP Signs

CP Signs

New Member
Hey Baz,,,, what brand do you use? For full 4x8, we use Alupanel. For the small stuff we use Tru-Stock. Never had a problem with Alupanel, but it is more expensive then most. We haven't done a MDO sign in a year. Love ACM, lol.
 
Baz

Baz

New Member
The brand i get is called "e-panel". It is more expensive than Tru-Stock although i have used that also for small signs. I haven't tried risking doing large signs with the cheaper brands just beause i don't like getting bit in the ...
 
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