MDF sealant?

[lukewarm]

I recently cut a bookshelf for my nephew and a friend wants a shoe rack. I'm using MDF but I'm afraid in a shoe rack if it gets wet it'll ruin the MDF. Is there a sealant I can use, or should I use something other than MDF?

Cheers, lukewarm

[lukewarm]

Well I'm feeling a bit chargrined, after 2 seconds of searching I found a post that already covered this pretty much. Seems like shellac would be a good option to seal out moisture and allow good top coat adhesion. Doh, search next time. Anyway if anyone can verify this I'd also appreciate it, thanks again.

[ger21]

Any good paint should provide adequate protection. But you'll want to seal the edges before painting, or they'll keep soaking up paint.

[louieatienza]

Well I'm feeling a bit chargrined, after 2 seconds of searching I found a post that already covered this pretty much. Seems like shellac would be a good option to seal out moisture and allow good top coat adhesion. Doh, search next time. Anyway if anyone can verify this I'd also appreciate it, thanks again.

Shellac (dewaxed) is a 'universal' sealer, that means you can put virtually any topcoat over it. You can seal the edges with it, and cut it down thinner with alcohol for the surfaces.

However, shellac is NOT waterproof, and you should put a topcoat of something else if your work will be exposed to moisture.