Is MDF suitable for shop cabinets

[Joel Earl]

Pre-drill a pilot on both parts when you do a dry run, counter sink (some folks do this on both sides so any fiber that might get pulled out has a place to go-crazy IMO but ...)) load up with some glue, some small drywall screws even are enough and it'll be fine. I've beat my cabinets up, truly have them over-loaded, slam the doors, they just fine. I personally like French cleats to hang them on too.

If weight really worries you use 1/2" on the back. I really have had no problems and I been prone to re-arranging these devils fully loaded from wall to wall on the cleats at that. Other than the fact some must weigh 100# when loaded and my back hurts they have handled it well. Even .... ... dropped one once that was loaded with boxes of screws. A real mess and dinged to he!! the carcus of the cabinet but it didn't break, still there today and proudly bears it's war wounds. Enough said

[keith ouellette]

Looks like I'm in the minority. The only things I like mdf for are things that need to be flat and get covered with formica.

I don't have a lot of cabinets in my shop but I built some garage cabinets for a friend and I used 5/8 and 1/2 in cdx ply wood. It was his idea ("Why can't you just use regular old ply wood?' Is what He asked and I didn't really have an answer.)

That was over a year ago. We were a little picky about the sheets we picked and it all worked out great and cheap. Even cheaper than 3/4 mdf I believe.

Everything was made out of the cdx ply wood except the doors were southern yellow pine rails and stiles with a flat plywood panel and the face frames were also southern yellow pine.

Mdf will paint much nicer and smoother than cdx so if thats an issue then just stick with the mdf. Other wise cdx is great or shop cabinets.

[Bruce Wrenn]

I have used MDF for several projects, but for cabinets my favorite is melamine covered PB. I butt, glue and screw them using assembly screws that I purchase from my hardwood supplier. I do use hardwood face frames. Doors are either melamine, with MDF core, or veneer with MDF core, both edge banded.

[David Hostetler]

I tend to build bench tops, DP tables, router tables and the like out of a lamination of MDF, and hardboard. (I like the slick surface hardboard provides...

I have built some utility cabinets with a friend out of MDF a dozen or so years ago before we had a clue what we were doing. As badly made as they were, they are holding up great!

Just slather lots of primer and paint on the exposed surfaces and the stuff is pretty sturdy. Don't bash into it with anything pointy...

I see a LOT of high end homes with MDF cabinet carcasses and hardwood face frames / doors. If they are for paint, a lot of the time the raised panels in the doors are MDF as well... If it's good enough for a $500K home's kitchen, it should be good enough for the shop. Just don't get the stuff wet...

[Sean Nagle]

I have made numerous loudspeakers and subwoofers. MDF is the material of choice for making speaker boxes for its acoustic damping qualities. I use no hardware, simply biscuits and Titebond glue with butt joinery. The boxes are amazingly solid. Since speaker boxes are either veneered or painted MDF again is an oustanding material. MDF can make an excellent base cabinet. The downside of MDF is definitely the weight. I wouldn't use MDF for a hanging cabinet.

I agree with Bruce, for "built-in" cabinetry, melamine-covered PB is the best. The interior is completely finished, clean and smooth with no additional work. I use biscuits and Rue glue (sticks to melamine) with butt joints. Biscuit on a face frame or go with iron-on edge banding if you want European style. Drawer boxes can be made with 1/2" melamine-covered PG (again, they are finished and ready to go) or make boxes out of Baltic Birch. Make drawer fronts and cabinet doors out of just about anything you want for appearance.

For either mobile or standalone shop cabinets I prefer to use cabinet-grade birch plywood (Baltic Birch if price is no object) with hardwood edge banding. This produces a more "finished" box from all sides and a lighter box too.

[Rod Sheridan]

Exactly, the cost of the sheet goods normally pales in comparison to the time it takes to make the cabinets, and the hardware cost.

I use Baltic Birch for shop cabinets, it takes varnish well, machines and glues well, is very strong and looks nice.

I use 6mm walnut edge banding on the doors/drawers to give a nicer look to the shop. Add some hand carved pulls made from walnut scraps and it looks great.

Regards, Rod.

P.S. With my 2 cents and Pete's 2 cents, you're up to 4 cents Canadian.

I finally took some photo's

#1 is the cabinet

#2 is the pull out motiser shelf

#3 is a drawer in use

#4 is a side view of a drawer

......Rod.

[Rod Sheridan]

More photo's

This time of a home made drawer pull, two pieces of 1/4" walnut with a birch center piece.

The pulls are then bevelled with a hand plane and a recessed cove cut into the top and bottom with a gouge.

Regards, Rod.

[Tom Clark FL]

I want to add 2 cabinets with drawers in the base of a 6 foot assembly table. Is 3/4 MDF suitable or will I regret choosing fancy cardboard.

MDF does not hold fasteners very well. The only thing I will use it for is workbench tops when it is doubled. Consider the prices. Plywood cost more, and hardwood ply costs double MDF. However, for the average cabinet the price increase just isn't that much different. I have made a couple of dozens of shop cabinets, and have never regretted the decision to use the better material. Some of the cabinets are 20 years old and still like new. I think the mdf ones would be pretty sorry shape by now.

[Bill Arnold]

I have a shop full of MDF cabinets and tables. Most of the joinery is biscuits but there are many areas where screws are used to attach seperate assemblies. If I had it to do all over again, I'd still use MDF.

Yeah, MDF is heavy but so is 3/4" plywood. In most cases, I made one or two initial cuts on the MDF as I took it out of my trailer. I laid it across some sawhorses, marked and made my cuts. The smaller pieces were no problem to handle on my tablesaw and support tables.

As to MDF not being the product for "purists", I've seen very high-end cabinetry specified to be built from MDF and painted.

[Chris Tsutsui]

MDF is fine. Just a bit heavy if you are going to hang these cabinets.

Don't think of MDF as sawdust... think of it as "resin" with a pine dust filler.

It paints, machines, and sands extremely well.

Use an oil based primer and it can even withstand a bit of water here and there though just don't use it outside.

[James Carmichael]

You know what they say about opinions...

MDF is fine. I figure there's two ways to go on shop projects: either quick & inexpensive (MDF), or a little fancier so you can experiment with new/different techniques.

FWIW, I've used BORG birch/maple plywood for all of my shop cabinets to date, but that was just because I had a couple sheets from a sale years ago, when it was still domestic and you could sand the the veneer a bit.