Cabinet Doors

[James Baldwin]

Hi, It looks like I might have to build some cabinet doors. We've been replacing our old doors with some we salvaged from some recycled cabinets. I've had shorten some and narrow some up and some of them fit perfectly. The doors that we are using are made out of chipboard have solid oak edges and are oak veneered. The veneer covers the oak edges so there isn't a visible seam. I suspect that the doors are made out of P2 furniture grade chipboard. My question is can I substitute the chipboard from Home Depot. it says that it is industrial grade or should I look for P2 chipboard. Jim

[John TenEyck]

Big box particle board will work fine, but I would use MDF. Not as heavy, easier to cut, perfect substrate for veneer.

John

[Richard Coers]

Big box particle board will work fine, but I would use MDF. Not as heavy, easier to cut, perfect substrate for veneer.

John
Really the MDF is lighter? What are the weights?

[Dave Sabo]

Big box particle board will work fine, but I would use MDF. Not as heavy, easier to cut……….
John


Not sure where you got that notion ?

MDF is by its very nature more dense than particle board - meaning it’s heavier and harder to cut. I can assure you a cabinet door with an MDF substrate is heavier than the same sized door made out of particle board. Especially the stuff you’ll find at the BORG.


My question is can I substitute the chipboard from Home Depot. it says that it is industrial grade or should I look for P2 chipboard. Jim

I wouldn’t sweat it. P2 is just about bottom of the barrel anyway. You can easily see the edges at the store and gauge whether it’s as dense as your current doors. I’ll bet it is , if not more so.

[John TenEyck]

Really the MDF is lighter? What are the weights?

Yep, I'm wrong. 85 lbs for a sheet of particle board, vs 97 lbs for MDF. Sorry, I never thought it weighed that much.

Still, I prefer MDF. In my experience it cuts easier than particle board and is less abrasive on tooling. It's dusty, for sure, but that's what my DC is for.

John

[Jim Becker]

Just to add to the fun, John...there are different weight/density MDFs. :) :D Trupan and similar are quite light compared to the average 'borg MDF and are popular for spoil boards on CNC machines, for example.

[Richard Coers]

You just can't say Trupan Jim. Trupan is the company and they sell 11 different types of MDF.

[Dave Sabo]

Just to add to the fun, John...there are different weight/density MDFs. :) :D Trupan and similar are quite light compared to the average 'borg MDF and are popular for spoil boards on CNC machines, for example.


Now you're really gonna make things difficult , huh ?

Sure there's lightweight mdf. But is it still lighter than a given particle/chip board of the same size ? Depends, doesn't it ?

What kind of lightweight MDF ?
What kind of particle board?
What about if I threw in a hybrid panel that was two thin pieces of particle board laminated to a honeycomb cardboard substrate ?

I think we're really dealing in generalizations here , and more specifically - what can be had today at the local BORG. Bearing that in mind, the generalization is that particle board is lighter than MDF.


Trupan is the company and they sell 11 different types of MDF

I believe Trupan is the branding and Arauco is the company that manufacturers the brand.

[Mel Fulks]

I like the Trupan , when you are covered with the dust ,you look cleaner when you are finished ,than when you started !

[Jim Becker]

I think we're really dealing in generalizations here ,



And yes, I was very much generalizing on purpose. MY specific point is there is a variety of MDF products that have varying density. My apologies for using a brand name, however...

[Patty Hann]

Whatever you want to call it, there is a light(er) weight MDF that (from my reading) can be used for almost all the same applications that Regular (heavy MDF) is used for.
(And please don't ask me the exceptions because I don't know the answer to that).
The stuff I was using is a lighter brown and weighs about 2/3 what the darker MDF weighs.

What happened was in the WW class I'm taking is the Lighter MDF was always stocked. I never knew there was anything heavier/denser.
Still, it was not real easy for me to manage (I'm 5-5 and 135LB) but once a sheet was cut in half ( to 4x4) I could handle it OK.
One day I go to the trailer to get another (4x8) sheet and nearly got a hernia (if women can get hernias...can they?) trying to move it.
At some point I weighed a 3x4 sheet of both materials. The lighter stuff was only 2/3 the weight of the darker stuff.

I've used the 3/4" lighter MDF for jigs and outfeed tables....seems strong and stable, stays flat and straight.

[Alan Lightstone]

... (if women can get hernias...can they?)
Yup. Sure can. Can't believe I answered this.

[Patty Hann]

Yup. Sure can. Can't believe I answered this.

:D :D :D

(Actually they can, but they are a bit...different, shall we say?...:rolleyes:)