Question about Painting with acrylics on white Masonite

[gdelmoro]

As you know Masonite has a smooth and rough side. I have Masonite finished white on one side.  Can I paint primer right over it or do i need to prepare the surface before I paint?

[Bigjim7]

You might just want to lightly sand it ' just a little and use any bonding primer tinted to your color.

[MisterBeasley]

Is it finished with a white plastic coating, like for a shower or tub enclosure?  That would be a completely different surface than plain Masonite.

[doctorwayne]

gdelmoro

As you know Masonite has a smooth and rough side. I have Masonite finished white on one side.  Can I paint primer right over it or do i need to prepare the surface before I paint?

 

The finish is, I think, meant to be easy-to-clean, so is either glossy or semi-gloss - the stuff I've used is quite glossy. 

You should at least sand the surface to give it some "tooth" so that the primer will stick.
A lot of the Masonite (or generic hardboard) I see nowadays has both sides smooth.

Even ordinary smooth Masonite, like the stuff I used to cove the corners of my layout's backdrop.....

 

 

...benefits from a light scuffing of the surface prior to painting.

 

Wayne

[Doughless]

Isn't there a product called sandpaper in a can or something close.  Basically a spray that deglosses a surface and provides a uniform grip for paint.  Something similar to a testors Dullcote I assume.

[gdelmoro]

Wayne, that is exactly what I have!

[gdelmoro]

Wayne, that is exactly what I have On my layout. So from the reply’s I lightly sand, prime then I can paint.

thanks to all

[Overmod]

gdelmoro

So from the replies I lightly sand, prime then I can paint.

I'm tempted to tell you to sand lightly (for tooth) and then use gesso or similar material specifically designed to provide a suitable surface for acrylic paint.  That should be cheaper and better than trying to spray some kind of primer intended for stable topcoating.

It took my daughter some time to acknowledge that "pre-sized" canvases still need this step to take paint properly.  She sure uses it religiously now!  All the more important for 'painting on wood' or the smooth-surfaced equivalent.

I'd experiment before using a deglosser (like what Bulldog Sanding Liquid used to be) for providing the tooth.  Likely to be more expensive than sanding for what you get, and it won't improve the mechanical bond to the actual smooth Masonite surface.  And do NOT use it without really good ventilation.  Here is a YouTube playlist with some videos of various styles on how to best use a deglosser.  (Caution! some of these turn out to be needlessly NSFW...)

[selector]

gdelmoro

Wayne, that is exactly what I have On my layout. So from the reply’s I lightly sand, prime then I can paint.

thanks to all

 

Yes.  Like all such jobs, there's the quick/easy way that provides acceptable results with moderate durability, and then there's the harder/slower way that provides the stuff of bragging rights and self-satisfaction (and more durability).