?? about working with MDF

[Jim Mackell]

I've never worked with MDF before and had a couple of questions for those that have.

Does it hold a routed edge as well as wood? Say an ogee edge or even a nice roundover. Will it be retained or does it crumble away over time? Can I make a tongue and groove joint and glue it up like wood?

Can it be used for something like drawer sides where the screws that attach the slides will be only 1/2 inch or so long. I've been using 1/2 inch plywood and wondering if MDF would be easier to work with.

The local BORG sells MDF and next to it is "pressed hardboard". Looks the same. Any differences?

Thanks!

[Larry Fox]

In my experience, it machines vrey well. Dusty as h3ll so wear a mask or do any machining outside (or both) if you can. An exposed edge is not all that durable so it may flake away - I have never left an edge exposed. Does not hold screws all that well so I would be hesitant to use it anywhere where screw-holding was an issue.

Makes a great panel material or veneer substrate. Very heavy, swells when exposed to water.

[Prashun Patel]

I believe particleboard (pressboard) is basically glued sawdust.
MDF is more akin to thick paper.

I've used MDF on some closets in my house. Here's what I think:


Pros:
Machines brilliantly. (use mult passes bkz the glue & density of the stuff'll kill yr bits and biceps and it'll burn easy). It'll hold an ogee or roundover no prob.
Extremely stable. No warping

I wouldn't feel comfortable, though with it on drawers: It's heavy, it sags under its own weight at any kind of span: It's tricky to screw around the edges; I wouldn't trust MDF tongues. If it glues well, and yr drawers are small and gonna be painted, though, maybe it'd work well.

[James Wellman]

Jim,

I use(d) MDF to build my shop tool bases and it is really easy to work with. I have rounded over my tops but not used a fine detail as I don't think it would be as forgiving as wood and I am making them for shop duty. For my rolling mobile tool base I use 1x3 pine around the top to frame it in because I knew it would take abuse and hold up better over time.

I have made my drawers and doors out of 3/4 MDF and put some heavy tools in them with no problems.

In my old home shop I did the same thing but everything was built in so I left it for the owner. I did prime and paint it with Rustolum Hammerite which gave it a tough finish and I will do the same with my current projects once the weather warms up and I can open the garage door for while.

I have not tried a tongue and groove joint but plenty of dado joints.

I countersink and all my pieces a bit oversized to get good compression and use a coarse threaded screw (many places have MDF/pressed wood screws) and glue up just like working with wood. I seem to remember someone commenting about not using Gorilla Glue etc. since it won't be able to get the moisture it needs to cure correctly.

James

[Ron Bontz]

I have strong opinions with regard to MDF and with that all I can say is nope, nope , h3ll nope. It, in my opinion based on my experience, is not suitable for drawers. The routed edges are ok if you put several layers of finish on them. Like particle/ pressed board, it swells and falls apart if gotten wet. I have heard some say it does not move, (expand, contract) It does. Just not as much as solid wood or plywood. I would not expect a glued butt joint with screws to hold under stress. Use coarse threaded screws if you have to. Use well glued dado joints if MDF is a must. Any MDF thinner than 3/4" is useless to me. No shearing strength. I personally avoid the stuff. The last time I brought MDF into my shop, I'm pretty sure my unisaw, chop saw, router and air cleaner all got together and formed a conspiracy against me for subjecting them to such a dusty mess. Stick with quality plywood. Besides, the less people buy plywood, the higher the price to compensate for the labor, and materials to manufacture. Then you wind up with materials that are shall we say less in quality.

[Jim Mackell]

Thanks for the input, guess I'll have to give it a try on some smaller projects.

[Greg Muller]

Not a big MDF fan.

Built a few items with it, edged with hardwood, of course, but still didn't like it. If you get one scuff on it, no matter how small, it tends to grow rapidly and fall apart.

I doubt I will ever use it again except for maybe some one-time-use jigs.

Greg

[Prashun Patel]

Not a big MDF fan.
If you get one scuff on it, no matter how small, it tends to grow rapidly and fall apart.

I haven't experienced this to be the case (although I admittedly have less experience than most here).

I experience MDF to nick easily, but to also take enamel paint very well, which makes it quite resistant to surface mars.

There are a lot of haters out there, but IMHO, MDF's economics and stability make it a reasonable choice for some applications.

[Travis Gauger]

I use MDF quite a bit. Mostly as a substrate for veneer. Very easy to work with. If your going to use screws, use the "Spax" brand MDF screws. They are great with this stuff. I wouldn't use it in drawers, but cabinet boxes are a sure bet.

[Brian Dormer]

Wouldn't use it in a drawer slide type application - MDF doesn't have a lot of "abrasion resistance". You'll end up with the board flaking off due to wear.

Kreg (pocket) screws hold very well in MDF.

[John Fry]

I use MDF a lot! It is my substrate of choice for veneering and I do a lot of veneering. In my opinion it is the absolute best veneering substrate there is.......Bar None! And because of this, I obviously use it in furniture construction if the piece calls for veneering.

Beyond that, I use it all the time for quick and dirty, disposable jigs, fixtures, and templates. In fact, it seems I do that in almost every project I make.

[Greg Deakins]

3/4 and thicker MDF is a good choice for anything that will be covered with a finish or laminate. A proper screw will hold fine in MDF, but like other materials, improper screws wont work at all. I use 1/2 inch to make templates for curved parts, always keeping one to trace, and one to use. I also use MDF to paint on, with like a canvas.

[Bill White]

MDF, like any other material, can/has/will get a bad rap if used in the wrong environment. I even used an exterior grade product for craftsman-style columns on our new home. Some of our cabinets use an mdf door either routed or slab. Some of our large panels (like in a refrigerator box) will use an mdf core with veneer.
Just as in tool selection---used the right stuff for each particular (no pun) application.
Bill