taylord Posted January 8, 2018 Share Posted January 8, 2018 Is it recommended to use a specific type of white paint for a cyc wall? It will be made from MDF attached to battens on the wall. 16ft x 12ft. Many thanks in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cameroon Posted January 9, 2018 Share Posted January 9, 2018 Flints exhibition white is the best I've found... https://shop.flints.co.uk/Products/pg_FLINTSBLACKANDWHITE?catdesc=Flints-Black-and-White Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitlane Posted January 9, 2018 Share Posted January 9, 2018 How are you planning on hiding the joins? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Some Bloke Posted January 9, 2018 Share Posted January 9, 2018 Another vote for Flints White (and Flints Black for the stage). It gives a good solid coverage with excellent reflective properties for theatre use (i.e. not too shiny!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted January 9, 2018 Share Posted January 9, 2018 Flints paint also sits well on the surface - ordinary emulsion first coast tends to soak in and become patchy, and a second coat is often required to even the coat off. I personally use a very sparing in depth router pass on the edges that filler bonds well with, but fixings on MDF need to be much closer together, because unless you are using 19mm MDF, the water in the paint can bow the edges. My next one I am going to glue the MDF to the studs too - as any flexing pops out the filler. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taylord Posted January 10, 2018 Author Share Posted January 10, 2018 Thank you all. Flints White it is then! I will try glueing also Paul. Hadn’t thought of that. I will be hiding joints using fine filler and then a very light sanding before painting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted January 10, 2018 Share Posted January 10, 2018 Being honest, I'm speaking from the perspective of somebody who took a shortcut. I've built a few decent chromakey walls - green screen, one a pretty big one, and I used, because of the infinity curve at the bottom, it out of 6mm MDF, with the main wall 12mm. That seam was a pain - the filler popped out each change of temperature and humidity - from winter to summer each year. This was with the edges square and simply butted up and screwed to the studs - as you'd normally do it. The sheet edges seem to be where moisture gets in, and they grow - just a little, but enough to loosen the filler. The rounding off on the next one I did solved the problem. My current editing room at home is where I got the glue idea from - it too suffers from cold to hot in temperature, and I decided to paint one wall as a green screen wall, and noticed when I removed the woodwork that the panels had already warped slightly, so I raised the edges, wood glued under then screwed them down. Once dry, I filled the gap, sanded down and while if you look along the way you can see slight undulations, the filler is sound and the edge to edge invisible to the camera - although looking along it, I can still (I think) see the join - but it works. Plasterboard is definitely better - but too soft and damageable for my liking. One thing to watch for is outgassing - MDF releases a nasty smell, I suspect formaldehyde, for a while when the air gets to it when you do larger areas with it. Paint seems to stop this. I don't know if there's any benefit to leaving it before painting or not - I've personally never bothered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gyro_gearloose Posted January 10, 2018 Share Posted January 10, 2018 To solve the problem of the edges absorbing moisture, paint them with a solvent (i.e. NOT water) based sealer/varnish. Test your sealer first though, to make sure you can paint over it with your top coat. Seal your edges before trying to hide the joins with filler! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taylord Posted January 10, 2018 Author Share Posted January 10, 2018 Something like this? https://www.transtools.co.uk/hand-tools/painting-and-decorating/wood-primers-and-undercoats/rustins-quick-drying-mdf-sealer-clear-250ml Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themadhippy Posted January 10, 2018 Share Posted January 10, 2018 couldnt you tape the joints like they do with plasterboard? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taylord Posted January 10, 2018 Author Share Posted January 10, 2018 You’d probably see the tape line under the paint Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timsabre Posted January 11, 2018 Share Posted January 11, 2018 There is special "taper edge" plasterboard for tape+fill which has a recessed strip along the edges to hide the tape. Would be harder to do this with mdf. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted January 11, 2018 Share Posted January 11, 2018 Tried the tape - 100% visible, very clear edge to it. Tried the tape - 100% visible, very clear edge to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy_s Posted January 11, 2018 Share Posted January 11, 2018 could you wallpaper it with lining paper, making sure the joins don't coincide with the joins in the mdf sheet? In venues I have worked in with a permanent cyc, it has been a brick or breezeblock wall which is rendered and plastered to achieve a smooth finish. More costly than sheet material on a frame. although at this size, my personal preference would be for a cloth cyc, which would be seamless, I appreciate there may be other reasons for choosing a solid cyc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taylord Posted January 11, 2018 Author Share Posted January 11, 2018 The boards went up today, we surprised ourselves with some very neat joins! Lots of glue & panel pins, a great tip Paul. Started filling seams, I will upload some pics when back home and on laptop. I would normally use a cloth cyc but I wanted to build something more permanent that can be used as a projection screen as well as we are lucky to have just been donated a rather lovely short throw projector. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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