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Thread: Source for MDO?signboard

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Cache Valley, Utah
    Posts
    1,722

    Source for MDO?signboard

    When I lived in Washington my local commercial plywood supplier carried MDO/signboard with the plain brown phenolic faces. It's great for jigs, fixtures and utility construction if weight isn't an issue. Now that I've relocated to northern Utah, about 75 miles of Salt Lake, no one knows what I'm talking about. All the local wholesale building suppliers have is form board (for building concrete forms), which is similar but not quite the same stuff, plus it's got lots of printing on the faces. Any ideas on where to look?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Location
    Moscow, ID
    Posts
    428
    I work for a locally-owned Do It Best store, and we carry MDO in 1/2" and 3/4" thicknesses, as well as pre-primed 3/4" 4x8 sheets. If you can find a local DIB, see if they have it. If not they can likely order it.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    WNY
    Posts
    9,647
    I order it through my local full service lumber yard. If you have a local sign making outfit they might be willing to sell you some.

  4. #4
    Macbeth hardwoods has the best selection in town, but the don't stock MDO, I've asked.
    I bought a few sheets on my last trip to Denver.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
    Posts
    65,685
    Rather than try to find it at building supply stores, find out where local cabinetmakers buy sheet goods...those are the outfits that are likely to have MDO stocked since they often also supply the sign industry with MDO, HDU and other materials particular to that trade.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    1.5 hrs north of San Francisco, CA
    Posts
    842
    I get MDO from a local lumber yard that caters to cabinet shops and trim carpentry. They carry a wide variety of thicknesses in stock.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Cache Valley, Utah
    Posts
    1,722
    Thanks for all the answers. We no longer have what I consider a full service (old school) lumber yard anywhere around; the last one closed up three years ago. We have a HD and Lowes, and two commercial building supply centers, Sunrock (a chain) and Barton Lumber (a local establishment). Both Sunroc and Barton are geared to building contractors, that is, strictly dimensional softwood lumber and ply. They were the places selling concrete form board. I called two sign places; at one only the owner knew, and he wasn't there, and the other referred me to a place in Salt Lake. I checked with them and all they carry is 1/2" pre-painted board. I guess I need to spend some time on the phone actually talking to the sales desks of the various SLC lumber places.

  8. #8
    Dave, MDO is great stuff. But it is allowed to have some voids and its durability is due to a thin piece of impregnated paper. Buy regular plywood and use Titebond 2 to glue cotton duck to face side . Every bit as good as MDO ,and cheap.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jul 2017
    Location
    Prairie Village, KS
    Posts
    397
    Menards carries it in my area.

  10. #10
    Try signage supply places or sheet plastics distributors. At the plastics company I used to work for, lots of sign shops came in to buy MDO from us.

    Erik
    Ex-SCM and Felder rep

  11. #11
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Santa Fe, NM
    Posts
    259

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