MDF, particleboard...?

[Faustino Dina]

Hi, I've been working with particleboard for some time... (hum, months). The one I bought looks like sand of wood compressed and glued. When cutting, it smells like wood and resin. I though it was MDF. But some time ago a friend bought a "MDF panel" with another supplier. But it looks more to a thick cartoon, specially in the edges that after cutting are very smooth and soft, nothing alike wood. Then which is MDF, mine or friend's board? How many types of MDF exists? Which one is better suited for cabinetting or other cheap furniture making?

Thanks in advance Faustino

[Leon]

Particle board actually has distinguishable flakes or layers of wood. Very coarse on the edges. MDF does not look like wood at all but more of a compressed mixed of wood dust. Normally MDF will swell within a matter of minutes if you let water stand on it. MDF cuts and mills like a dream. Many cabinet door and interior doors have MDF skins as it paints well.

[MJ Wallace]

Faustino:

I would avoid using MDF for any furniture building. The stuff is not that easy to work with in the context of joints. Doors, are ok. The best use I used it for was for garage cabinets. Frankly it's a pain to join pieces together. People seem to have great success, I did not.

MDF is the cardboard type of material. Particle board is made of scraps of lumber and has a "rougher" appearance.

Danny Proulx has a website where he touts the use of MDF for a variety of cabinet making:

luck!

MJ Wallace

[Faustino Dina]

Deffinitively my friend's board is MDF. He offered to give me some parts for my project but when I touched it I didn't liked it. It looks too fragile and no water resistant at all, i.e. not to use on kitchen's cabinets. At least working with scraps of lumber I feel more a "woodworker" than working with sand of paper.... ;-)

Thanks for all

[Andy Dingley]

MDF is a good material. It's easy to work and it's stable afterwards. It's particularly quick to work with if you have a biscuit jointer.

One thing to watch for is if you're going to paint it. Use a genuine "MDF primer" for the first coat of paint, or at least not a water-based paint. If you use a water-based paint, fibres will start to raise on the surface and you get a rough finish.

MDF has two faults. It really doesn't like moisture, even worse than particle board. Also it will sag if you use it for shelving.

-- Die Gotterspammerung - Junkmail of the Gods