MDF harmful to edge tools?

[Allan Brown]

Maybe this is a silly question, but is there anything in MDF that would be detrimental to chisels, planes, etc? I'm needing to make some jigs, and it will be easier to use a few handtools.
Thanks'

[Jim Becker]

MDF and other manufactured products are "tough" on the edges because they are very abrasive...that includes carbide cutters in tailed-tools, too. The net effect is that you may need to do a some much harder sharpening once you're done that takes off more metal than normal.

[David Weaver]

What Jim said. The first time I set up my router table, I planed the top with a LN #6. It was dull by the time I was done, and I didn't do that much planing. It's very abrasive on everything with an edge, just as much so on power tools. I think FWW had a router bit test where they were getting about 400 lineal foot out of a router bit (for the good ones), and they dulled most of their bits within 100 or 150 feet (don't know where that issue went) of MDF.

[Graham Skinner]

I used my japanese saw to cut some MDF base boards the other day (Because I was to lazy to look for my other saw) and it is nowhere near as sharp as it was before, so I won't be doing that again in a hurry:( .

[glenn bradley]

As stated the resins in man made materials is abrasive. I use a lot of MDF for shop cabinets and jigs because it is stable and machines well. There are natural woods that are tough on tools as well. The nature of the beast doesn't mean you shouldn't use it. Just be aware of the qualities of the material.

I would use carbide cutters whenever possible even if it meant a little more setup time. You'll either spend the time getting the electron burner ready or spend it sharpening your tool steel cutters.

[David Weaver]

Plywood can be bad news, too - depending on what's in it. Get a cheap japanese utility saw to cut those - one of the ones with a plastic handle and impulse hardened teeth. Then when it dulls, you won't have feel so bad.

I ruined one of mine on plywood, so I know how you feel. A couple of my buddies were mortified when I told them I planed an MDF top with a new LN plane. Aside from the dullness, the results were great, and a quick pass on the 10,000 stone had it back in shape.

[James Carmichael]

Even worse than MDF is HDF. Laying a 150 sf room with 7mm laminate flooring required around 30 crosscuts and destroyed the blade on my CMS. Cutting it on the BS produces sparks.

[David DeCristoforo]

You want to be careful using your fine edge tools on MDF. A friend of mine was doing this and a great big hand came down out of the sky and smacked him right on the back of the head.

[Allan Brown]

HAHA! I think that's the same hand that gently tapped me on the shoulder and made me think. I haven't used MDF but very, very little. There just seemed to be something un-natural enough about it (the MDF, that is)that I thought I'd ask before I laid my dear Sheffield steel into it...

Thanks to all for your comments and observations.