MDF or Real wood

[Bill Eshelman]

I was watching a woodwork video, and the guy was putting veneer on some MDF to build into a real wood cabinet. I was wondering, why wouldn't you just use Real wood? Even at 5 bucks a BF for real wood wouldn't it be worth a few extra bucks to not have MDF in the piece? I always picture MDF as a big thirsty sponge just waiting for some liquid to blow it up.

[Don Bullock]

Some people use MDF, especially on table tops, because it is more stable than plywood or solid wood.

[David Weaver]

I was watching a woodwork video, and the guy was putting veneer on some MDF to build into a real wood cabinet. I was wondering, why wouldn't you just use Real wood? Even at 5 bucks a BF for real wood wouldn't it be worth a few extra bucks to not have MDF in the piece? I always picture MDF as a big thirsty sponge just waiting for some liquid to blow it up.

Stability for carcasses, and price. I don't like MDF - it's hard on blades, probably horrid to breathe, and though it does hold screws, etc, OK, it doesn't do it as well as real wood. In the little I've done so far, I've substituted cabinet grade plywood for everything except my router table top. If you're building panels for doors, and they're going to be painted, I guess MDF isn't that bad. It can be sealed with danish oil or paste wax or anything else of the like pretty easily, and you don't have to worry about grain orientation. I saw a tip somewhere to glue-size it. I won't try that again.

Planing it by hand with an A2 blade, and plunge cutting to make a cutout for the router table insert, I can safely say, are both very hard on cutting surfaces. A back and forth over a 3x2 piece with an LN #6 blade to flatten the router table top sent the plane from sharp to dull within several minutes.

[glenn bradley]

In a word(s), stability as a substrate. I have made shop cabinets out of it in the way-past. It is full of resin so it is a little tougher on edges than other woods. Plywood is full of glue, so there you go.

It is bad to breath. Some people react badly to it as some people do to fiberglass. Neither bothers me much but I always wear a respirator when working with it so that could be enough for me. The LOML gets a rash just knowing I'm working with fiberglass. Different folks, different experiences.

[Rich Person]

I use it for speaker building, as it is dimensionally uniform, so there are no unwanted resonances. However, I don't think I would use it for anything else, even veneering. A plywood substrate would be better in almost every way.

By "real wood" I assume you don't mean solid wood. I would not use solid wood for veneering large sections as it would be more prone to warping or movement than plywood.

[Bill Eshelman]

I am saying why use veneer at all.
For the amount of time involved veneering something,
and for the integrity of the piece, why not just use the real solid wood that the veneer is mimicking?
Also, I am talking about on a nice dresser or nightstand.
Will someone on the Antique road show someday say, "Oh look, they used MDF on this piece"?

[David Weaver]

Based on that, it still comes down to cost, and for some, stability. You can make MDF damp, it the surface gets nasty, but that's it, it doesn't bow, curl or crook.

Why not veneer it? It's ugly without veneer.

[Jim Becker]

Bill, there are times when veener is desirable for cost or even availablity...you can get stuff in veneer that you'll be hard-pressed to find in solid stock from most suppliers. In the case of cost, things like burl, crotch figure or very highly figured species would be extremely expensive to use solid or even unstable to do so.

[Howard Acheson]

First, the best looking woods are turned into veneers.

Second, there are designs that can only be done using veneers.

Third an MDF substrate is very stable and perfectly flat suited for veneer attachment.

Fourth, there is no issue with cross grain joints with veneers.

The best furniture has traditionally been made with veneers for the past couple of hundred years.

[Rich Person]

I am saying why use veneer at all.
For the amount of time involved veneering something,
and for the integrity of the piece, why not just use the real solid wood that the veneer is mimicking?
Also, I am talking about on a nice dresser or nightstand.
Will someone on the Antique road show someday say, "Oh look, they used MDF on this piece"?

If you are going with a regular grain, non-figured wood, I would use the hardwood directly. If you want a bookmatched surface of walnut or maple, I would still try and resaw the hardwood. If you want a cross bookmatched burl top, then you have to veneer. A lot depends upon how figure you have to work with on the project. I like solid wood pieces, so I wouldn't veneer unless I was looking for a very nice figured pattern.

[Per Swenson]

Howard has it right.

Going to veneer and the substrate is invisable.

MDF is the way to go.

The fact that the dust will kill you, its weighs a ton etc,

are offset by its dimensional stability and won't delaminate.

Oh, as long as its dry, lasts forever.

We use a ton of it. literally. Every truck load,

I thank my stars for the gift of a strong 17 year old son.;)

Per

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I always picture MDF as a big thirsty sponge just waiting for some liquid to blow it up.

I do too but the thing about MDF ( that I can still not wrap my head around) is that the glue pre-coated every wood fiber before the heat and pressure cure. Which, if true should make the stuff almost waterproof.

[Per Swenson]

Cliff,

You would think so, but that is not the case.

It will swell and bubble from sitting water when untreated due

to its porous nature which is a real plus for glue bond.

When you bag veneer to mdf under a couple of atmospheres

it just is not coming off, falling off or delaminating.

It bonds on a cellular level.

Per

[Jim Tobias]

OK, this is just a ditto for exactly what Howard said. MDF is perfect for veneers unless you anticipate seroius water issues.

Jim