PDA

View Full Version : I HATE it when they do that...



Lee DeRaud
08-24-2010, 3:56 PM
The recent thread on difficulties cutting MDF reminded me that my stock of 1/4" was running low, so off to Home Depot I went, returning home with eight 2'x4' pieces. Chopped them up into laser-sized chunks, tossed one in, and attempted to cut a router template for a guitar I'm working on.

Epic fail. :eek::mad::confused:

Apparently they've changed suppliers, because this stuff takes a lot more power to get through, enough so that I had to resort to doing two passes: my machine behaves oddly at very low speed settings. Much more charring/soot than usual...good enough for router templates, but I'm going to want to find a new source for the "good stuff"...any suggestions?

Doug Griffith
08-24-2010, 5:05 PM
I've had the same problems for a few months now. If you hold up the older stuff to the newer, the newer is darker and pinker. I've purchased some lately that acts like the old stuff so maybe they have more than one supplier.

Lee DeRaud
08-24-2010, 6:46 PM
I've had the same problems for a few months now. If you hold up the older stuff to the newer, the newer is darker and pinker.Yup, didn't notice that until I was storing the new stuff next to the few chunks of old stuff I had left over. And of course I'd cut up all of it, so returning it was out of the question.

I could go on a scavenger hunt at "real" lumber stores, but just to test their stuff, I'd have to buy a full sheet, get them to cut it so it would fit in the car, then cut off a piece that will fit in the laser...

Jim Coffee
08-25-2010, 9:49 AM
Morning Lee...

I had a situation recently where I had to slow my vector cut way down to cut wood. The charring and burning happened. I also was in two pass mode. Then for some reason I cut my power in half (reduced my cut power from 100% to 50% or something like that). Still took two passes. No charring or burning. A good thing that I don't understand.

Lee DeRaud
08-25-2010, 10:19 AM
I had a situation recently where I had to slow my vector cut way down to cut wood. The charring and burning happened. I also was in two pass mode. Then for some reason I cut my power in half (reduced my cut power from 100% to 50% or something like that). Still took two passes. No charring or burning. A good thing that I don't understand.I'll give it a try.

There are some woods that just don't cut right, period...purpleheart and rosewood are the two I've had the most issues with. Others (mahagony and cedar) cut ok, but have lots of flame-up.

And don't get me started on plywood, it's what drove me to MDF for router templates in the first place.
(Well, that and the cost of acrylic...:p)

Lee DeRaud
09-02-2010, 3:30 PM
An update (and happy ending):

I found a piece of the old good stuff with its sticker intact, claiming to be something called 'STD HB', which I assume means "Standard Hardboard". The label on the new uncuttable stuff says 'MDF'. So I showed both pieces to the guys down to Reel Lumber in Anaheim, which stocks a truly frightening variety of sheet goods. After some headscratching on their part, we looked at what they had as labeled as '1/4" MDF', and, you guessed it, it looked like the "good" stuff. Bought a sheet, got it home: cuts like butter. What's interesting about this whole "name game" is that Reel also stocks an 1/8" version of the same material...labeled as '1/8" Standard Hardboard'. Go figure.

Scott Challoner
09-02-2010, 4:46 PM
Glad you were able to find the good stuff again. The exact same thing happened to me. The hardboard that is smooth on both sides is typically better than the stuff that is rough on one side (like the pegboard stuff). I think true Masonite only uses steam and pressure to form the sheets. Once they start adding binders is where you get char.

Lee DeRaud
09-02-2010, 6:35 PM
Glad you were able to find the good stuff again. The exact same thing happened to me. The hardboard that is smooth on both sides is typically better than the stuff that is rough on one side (like the pegboard stuff). I think true Masonite only uses steam and pressure to form the sheets. Once they start adding binders is where you get char.I've never tried actual Masonite, mostly because I've never seen it in 1/4" thickness except the smooth/rough variety. I want a material that can act as a very cheap stand-in for hardwood or acrylic and that rough side just imposes too many restrictions on how I use it.

Alexa Ristow
09-05-2010, 10:08 AM
Hi Lee,

With MDF, it's all in the color. the more yellow it is, the easier it is to cut.