mdf or plywood?

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#62
Just a note about "mdf" - there are two brands that are sold at box stores and lumber yards. I've always liked product with the lighter color, particles are not as small as the darker product
(which is comparable to cutting glue & dirt).

Made a trip to a box store today, they didn't have either, one just never knows what is going to be on the shelves. But kept looking and found this at a mom/pop lumber yard, it is shelving board
, but the better brand mdf.

It's available by the foot in 16" and 12" widths (15"/11" no nosing). The 16" is $2.00 a foot, which is not bad; consider buying both 16"s and 12"s to reduce waste.​
 

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#63
Before I switched to plywood, I used quite a bit of MDF shelving. I believe it comes in 12" nom and 15"nom (11.5" and 14.5"). My lumber yard had it in 16' lengths, which I had them cut into approximately 8' pieces, the exact length depending on what I needed for cabinet sides. Much easier to to one-man than a 4x8 panel, although you wind up with more waste and higher price/ft^2.

Bob
 
#64
Had a bit of an ut-o at the blue & white box store, looks like they formulated a new chip board with a paint grade-sanded finish. The better grade, full size sheet mdf is long gone.

Not sure what the new paint grade chip board would used for - not for a cabinet :yuck:
 
#67
a lot of the "far eastern" ply that we've tried during the past 20rs has had issues ranging from:

- poor tolerance / uniformity of thickness (not really a huge issue),
- substantial voids in internal cross plies - arguably more of a concern, but perhaps not a deal breaker
- severe warp / cupping, perhaps can be worked around to achieve a box that stays square
- complete de-lamination of plies when cut - i.e looks solid until it passes through the saw, then "sproing" - now that's a problem

we've also seen issues with MDF / particle board and "cabinet grade" composite core plywoods
 
#69
I tried using "TigerPly" for a while, but quality was too spotty to make it worth while. It is loaded with pinhole voids, The surface veneer is microscopically thin and extremely brittle. It tears out with any machining at all and always requires filling prior to veneering. And this is the good stuff. The local cabinet makers won't touch "China birch". I use Russian birch exclusively now. 12mm for most cabinets, 24mm for baffles and tops.

Bob
 
#70
Cal Weldon said:
Yup

Yup.

Too bad because I was getting it at a good price and it had a crazy number of plies.
Click to expand...

My experience as well. Some inexpensive plies have been okay for me, Arauco being the best-known, but mostly the far-east stuff is just schlock- as it should be, given that it has to be less expensive AFTER shipping 10,000 miles.

I've had to return BB ply for delaminating- that was frustrating as all get-out, making the drive to get "the good stuff" and having it be no better than $30 a sheet chinese junk.
 
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