Hey guys,
I'm making a toy chest for my son, it's a scaled replica of a chest found in the video game Minecraft. I have had the pieces cut as shown in the picture out of
30mm mdf. It all slots together like a jigsaw. I'm looking for advise on how to stick it all together? Glue? Dowels? Screws? General advice and potential pitfalls? Any advice is appreciated as I am not skilled in any way.Thanks, Rob [IMG]
Rob Hump wrote in news:2168$54370fb2$cf3aab60$ snipped-for-privacy@news.flashnewsgroups.com:
30mm? That would be over an inch thick - quite unusual.I'd think glue with screws - get MDF screws from your local Home Depot or equivalent.
Domino. ;-)
Seriously, wood glue works very well on MDF as long as the cuts are accurate and the pieces fit well. A few screws may make the glue-up a little easier.
Knowing kids, water proof glue at the very least. Kids love to play with water and juices. And if the window is left open or ......
My old toy box, I'm 67, is at my older sisters sons house for her grandson. It is still living being home made by my Grand Pa out of maple. The lid just sat on top - no hinge - There are rules / Laws regarding kids and doors/lids. Check that out. Oh, mine was glued by using some weather proof glue that was reddish. The lid on mine fit such that there were air holes all around under the lip. Can't see them - the lid had corner cleats - not a rectangle. The corners had a stop - a half square - triangle that held the lid just up. If inside, you could see light on all sides. e.g. could get air.
Martin
IMO, MDF is more likely to fail from other issues long before water damages any glued joinery.
Properly glued, well-fitting, simple joints in MDF can be extremely strong. Screw-holding power in MDF is quite poor, so I would view any screws only as assembly aids to hold things together and in place while the glue cures. Elmer's or Titebond yellow aliphatic resin glue will work just fine. Dowels are most probably unnecessary.
JP
However, if you are the "belt and suspenders" type, glue blocks to reinforce the corners are a very good option.
Given that it is a toy box, that is a go idea. About 45 years ago a friend and I made some toy boxes for our kids and a couple of friends. His design was a frame of 2 x 2 covered with 1/2 plywood. We still have the chest in excellent condition and use it for storage. Of the four we made, one was destroyed by a couple of 6 year old hellions that would make the devil proud.
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