MDF or Melamine?

[Steve Wurster]

I rearranged my shop recently, and I added some old base cabinets that I got from some friends when they redid their kitchen. They're in pretty good shape, and were retrofitted in the past so there are pull-out shelves behind the doors. Great for storage. One is about 3' wide and two others are side-by-side for a 5' width. Both sets are about 2' deep.

So my question is, what should I used for the tops of these? I was thinking either MDF or Melamine. I was leaning toward MDF since I don't have a blade for Melamine and therefore don't have to worry about chip-out, etc. Plus I was going to use the extra material for the top of an assembly/clamping table, and I figured MDF would hold up better if I decided to cut clamping or dog holes in the table. But I'm wondering if Melamine would be better from a clean-up perspective thanks to the non-stick style surface.

So what does everyone think: MDF or Melamine?

Thanks,
Steve

[George Bokros]

I would not use MDF, it is too porous in my opinion. Melamine would be slippery but a better choice.

George

[Tom Ewell]

My mdf tops are finished with several coats of shellac, easy to refinish and keep clean.

Most of these tops are on workbenches that "store" stuff and are not my primary benches. I also use this top on my assembly table, nice and flat.
Extended my MFT using off-the-shelf mdf and that has held up well.

I do suggest that protective measures be taken if your work involves excess water and or solvents that will affect shellac.

Melamine with a good substrate would of course be nice as well, no need for the shellac :)

[Myk Rian]

Melamine scratches. When it does, you'll wish you used MDF.

[Gordon Eyre]

Melamine scratches. When it does, you'll wish you used MDF.

I have had Melamine shelves in my cabinets for years and don't have one of them that is scratched through. They all look as good as new. I also have a Melamine top on my router table and it looks good even though it is 7 years old.

[Roy Harding]

The melamine chip out you refer to is usually only evident on one side of the cut. A good cross cut blade (don't use a rip blade) should give you a fine cut on one side of the material. You could also back up the cut line with masking tape - this helps a fair bit.

I use a melamine top (edge banded with birch wood (birch is what I had laying around at the time)) for a series of cabinets I have in the shop. The counter is used for glue ups and finishing tasks (and for piling "stuff" when I get too lazy to put it away). It cleans easily: glue doesn't bond with it, and finishes can be wiped off using the appropriate solvent. It DOES chip and scratch easily - but this is a wood shop, not a show room counter top; nicks, scratches, and dings are expected.

[Jerry Miner]

I use Melamine for my assembly tables. Glue cleans up easy and it's easy to keep clean. Glue sticks to mdf, although that could be overcome with a couple coats of finish. I wouldn't expect either of these materials to hold up well to the pressure from vise/dog holes.

I put a round-over on the edges of my assembly tables, so the cut quality on the edges is a non-issue.

[Jim O'Dell]

Be sure to use a zero clearance insert for the TS if that's what you are cutting on. That helps tremendously with chip out. I use MDF for all of my shop table/cabinet tops. But all are covered with laminate, except one, and I regret not doing it. Jim.