Best place to purchase MDF

[Jeff Relth]

I am going to build quite a few garage cabinets and want to construct them out of 3/4" MDF with Melamine on both sides. Can anyone tell me where I can find the best prices? I live in Oceanside, CA and will be purchasing 15-25 sheets. I have a neighbor who is a fireman and used to have a cabinet business and can buy the materials though him, but he hasn't bought MDF in years.

If you have special tips on using MDF or can direct me to any, that would be great. I have read quite a bit, but can always use more knowledge.

If you have advice for buying euro hinges, I would appreciate that also. Obviously I am new to this.

Thanks for any suggestions or websites.
Jeff Relth

[Jim Becker]

Woodworkers Hardware for the hinges. 3/4" MDF is usually easily sourced from the 'borg but you should check pricing from your local full service lumber/building yard(s), too.

[Joe Chritz]

I haven't used an MDF core melamine but have used MDF core sheet goods with wood veneer. When I use melamine for cabinets I usually buy M2 grade which needs to be ordered for me at a lumber yard.

The melamine is tougher and the core is much more dense than BORG stock for about the same price.

For shop cabinets I would either use BORG melamine or paint MDF if you didn't want to use veneer core plywood.

Joe

[Larry Richardson]

Joe- I was wondering what the price difference is between 'borg MDF and something with a veneer. I pay just under $40 for 3/4? Care to share an experience?
Larry

[Peter Kuhlman]

Was at Home Despot the other day and looked at the MDF. They have gone to an extremely low quality, low density product that has a fuzzy surface. I have been purchasing MDF from a wholesale supplier to get quality stuff.
Pete

[Lee DeRaud]

I am going to build quite a few garage cabinets and want to construct them out of 3/4" MDF with Melamine on both sides. Can anyone tell me where I can find the best prices? I live in Oceanside, CA and will be purchasing 15-25 sheets.Try Ganahl Lumber (http://www.ganahl.com/cbeach.htm) in Capistrano Beach. Reel Lumber (http://www.reellumber.com/index.htm) in Anaheim almost certainly has what you need, but IIRC they don't deliver.

[Travis Gauger]

I just picked up a few sheets of MDF from the blue and white borg yesterday. Picked out and paid for them online then went to the store to pick up. Got there and they brought out particle board. I argued with the guy for 5 minutes I bet about it not being MDF. Told him that it wouldn't work and to take it back to where he found it. Got my purchase refunded without a problem and then went for a walk around their lumber area. Found the true 3/4" MDF I was looking for for $25 a sheet. Bought a few sheets. Looking around, the same UPC code and item numbers were on 3 very different products.

[Doug Jones from Oregon]

Joe...the "M2" designation has to do with the quality of the mdf, nothing to do with the melamine.

M2 MDF is "double refined" creating a smoother and more consistant product.

Personally, if I were building melamine faced cabinets, I would go to a particle board product. The MDF would provide nothing in this case and would be more expensive.

Doug

[Jim Becker]

Joe- I was wondering what the price difference is between 'borg MDF and something with a veneer. I pay just under $40 for 3/4? Care to share an experience?
Larry

Substantial. MDF core cherry right now would run me about, oh...$90-100 per sheet. Veneer core cherry (3/4") is at about $140 before any discounts. It's not the core that's costing...it's the veneer. ;)