Bookcases
The challenge before me was to paint three of these humongous free standing bookcases. They are not going to be permanently mounted to the wall, but given that each one weighs a bit more than 200 lbs, they aren’t going to be moved very often.
Each one is constructed from three sheets of 3/4″ MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard), which is a perfect material for large paint grade surfaces. MDF is merely glue and sawdust pressed into a 4′ x 8′ sheet, with each sheet weighing in at 75 lbs. Each bookcase is 80″ tall, with 10″ deep shelves, and 34″ wide sides.
I decided to share this project, even though it is a fairly basis building process, because the finishing steps were not very simple or easy. I failed to think ahead and take any pictures of me painting, but let me explain the process. The bookcases are dragged into the paint booth, laid on their sides, set atop two 5 gallon paint cans. They are then primed, sanded, spackled, caulked, and readied for painting.
Now the fun begins!
The painting process is more difficult than usual because the tight fit of the shelves and the fact that there are surfaces facing six different directions.
All the painting is done in a 14′ x 14′ x 12′ paint booth with a return air system using a spray gun. When the paint is sprayed into tight areas it tends to billow back and cover the painter in a fine layer of paint dust, as demonstrated below.
I was wearing a paint mask, as you can tell by the clear area around my mouth and the lines through my hair. I was also wearing a painter smock, which ended at my wrist.
After painting all two of those bookcases, my hand resembled the landscape of a frosty winter morning. Every hair on the back of my hand was encased in white paint and my safety goggles had to be wiped clean between painting each bookcase.
