Valchromat - Anybody got any experience with it?

[gandalf]

Valchromat, for those that have yet to come across it, is coloured MDF. (you can see some of it here -

)

Anyway, I am under pressure to actually do something with the tools I keep buying and going into the garage to play with. The current heat is for me to kit out a small bedroom with purpose made furniture to best use the limited space available. This I feel I can do. However I want it fairly ding proof and also do not want to spend forever on the finish. So I thought I would maybe use this stuff.

As it's not exactly cheap and the furniture will almost surely get retired after a while I thought I would use pocket-holes to hold the whole lot together, without glue, so I can reclaim it later for some other mad venture.

I got some samples of this stuff and I have to say that it does not feel like MDF. It sort of has a ceramic feel to it. It machines well, or so it seems from the larger (already machined) sample they sent me. But it's nice stuff and I am sorely tempted but before I buy it I thought I would pick your collective brains.

1. Is it suitable for the job.

1. Is it suitable for pocket-hole construction, without glue.

2. What's the best, and easiest, way of finishing it.

1. What, if any, problems should I be aware of.

Thanks

[Leon]

Have you seen this site? It may tell you more about the product.

[gandalf]

nothing other than their logo. Anyway, I've noted the site for future reference as they may just be temporarily dowm for maintenance upgrades or whatever. Thanks.

[Daniel]

[Andy Dingley]

They're just up the road from me. I've used some Valchromat, but not a huge quantity,

Could be. Price would be the main issue.

Yes, subject to the usual provisos of screwing into edge-grain MDF. Personally I don't, I use biscuits. Much would depend on how much you're going to abuse it.

You don't. If you're going to do any sort of finishing, then stick with plain old cheap MDF. Most I do with Valchromat is to wax it (mainly the edges need it, after routing).

Not much. It's basically MDF, but with improvements. I can't think of any way in which it's less capable, bar the price. The extra resin improves the hardness as well, especially the edges. Still not sure I'd trust it to hold screws into an edge though.