Is MDF Strong Enough to make a Pocket Hole in ? - Kreg Owners' Community2024-03-28T14:29:57Zhttps://kregjig.ning.com/forum/topics/is-mdf-strong-enough-to-make-a?commentId=2900167%3AComment%3A171567&feed=yes&xn_auth=noI'm going to jump into this d…tag:kregjig.ning.com,2011-04-15:2900167:Comment:1858252011-04-15T03:17:39.322ZSteve Osterdayhttps://kregjig.ning.com/profile/SteveOsterday
I'm going to jump into this discussion and say I don't like MDF either. It is too heavy and the dust is horrendous. In the early 70's I built 2 4' x 8' work benches. I needed lots of real estate to work on. I used 3/4" particle board nailed down for the top and used contact cement to apply a 1/4" hardboard top over that. I mounted a vise on the end of one and a transmission holding fixture on the end of the other one. I overhauled transmissions and did every auto repair type work on them for 7…
I'm going to jump into this discussion and say I don't like MDF either. It is too heavy and the dust is horrendous. In the early 70's I built 2 4' x 8' work benches. I needed lots of real estate to work on. I used 3/4" particle board nailed down for the top and used contact cement to apply a 1/4" hardboard top over that. I mounted a vise on the end of one and a transmission holding fixture on the end of the other one. I overhauled transmissions and did every auto repair type work on them for 7 years and never had an issue with them. Except... running out of space. :-). Having said that, I think MDF as an underlayment for a counter top would probably be a good use for it. As long as it was properly sealed and caulked to prevent water from getting to it. That's my 2-cents... Boy it looks like you did you…tag:kregjig.ning.com,2011-03-29:2900167:Comment:1764632011-03-29T22:48:07.154ZFrank Gardeckihttps://kregjig.ning.com/profile/FrankGardecki
Boy it looks like you did your homework !!!!!
Boy it looks like you did your homework !!!!! I am not pro MDF or anti MDF.…tag:kregjig.ning.com,2011-03-29:2900167:Comment:1744072011-03-29T02:10:38.087ZVijay kunchumhttps://kregjig.ning.com/profile/Vijaykunchum
<p>I am not pro MDF or anti MDF. I have had very good experience with it and some horror stories too. So now I use it where there are no structural issues. The surface is going to be fully protected. The MDF by itself will not bear any weight. It's a damn good material for cabinet shutters, if one wants to finish it with paint. In India a lot of people use MDF shutters and then draw grains over it and polish it. comes out nicely and makes the shutter look like natural wood shutters.</p>
<p>In…</p>
<p>I am not pro MDF or anti MDF. I have had very good experience with it and some horror stories too. So now I use it where there are no structural issues. The surface is going to be fully protected. The MDF by itself will not bear any weight. It's a damn good material for cabinet shutters, if one wants to finish it with paint. In India a lot of people use MDF shutters and then draw grains over it and polish it. comes out nicely and makes the shutter look like natural wood shutters.</p>
<p>In India MDF is generally made with fibers of agricultural waste, like cotton plant fibers, baggasee(Sugar cane pulp from the sugar mills).</p> Yes
I have four large drawers…tag:kregjig.ning.com,2011-03-28:2900167:Comment:1741812011-03-28T20:41:22.292ZKen Russhttps://kregjig.ning.com/profile/KenRuss
<p>Yes</p>
<p>I have four large drawers made of MDF in my work bench. I used just pocket hole screws to hold them together (no glue). There is a lot of weight in each and they have held up well.</p>
<p>Yes</p>
<p>I have four large drawers made of MDF in my work bench. I used just pocket hole screws to hold them together (no glue). There is a lot of weight in each and they have held up well.</p> Hi Franks,
Thanks for the tip…tag:kregjig.ning.com,2011-03-26:2900167:Comment:1717762011-03-26T15:51:24.992ZKen Dargahttps://kregjig.ning.com/profile/KenDarga
<p>Hi Franks,</p>
<p>Thanks for the tip.</p>
<p>I'll give the thinned-down glue a try.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Hi Franks,</p>
<p>Thanks for the tip.</p>
<p>I'll give the thinned-down glue a try.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p> Hi Ken ! I work in vending an…tag:kregjig.ning.com,2011-03-26:2900167:Comment:1715142011-03-26T14:53:16.657ZFrank Gardeckihttps://kregjig.ning.com/profile/FrankGardecki
<strong>Hi Ken ! I work in vending and when I used to have a route ,One of my customers was a cabinet company ,So I would chat with the cabinet maker and one day he was making a countertop with MDF and we talked the pros and cons of it. pros being its cheap and minimum warpage. And I brought up that it sucks water like a sponge and he told me when he glues MDF for plastic laminate he told me he sprays extra glue on open sides so it seals it from moisture. It s kinda good that there are people…</strong>
<strong>Hi Ken ! I work in vending and when I used to have a route ,One of my customers was a cabinet company ,So I would chat with the cabinet maker and one day he was making a countertop with MDF and we talked the pros and cons of it. pros being its cheap and minimum warpage. And I brought up that it sucks water like a sponge and he told me when he glues MDF for plastic laminate he told me he sprays extra glue on open sides so it seals it from moisture. It s kinda good that there are people that think of that. </strong><br/><cite>Ken Darga said:</cite>
<blockquote><div><p>The MDF boards needs to be sealed, before putting them into use.</p>
<p>''Seal'' all surfaces and edges, with a suitable wood sealer.</p>
<p> </p>
</div>
</blockquote> The MDF boards needs to be se…tag:kregjig.ning.com,2011-03-26:2900167:Comment:1717732011-03-26T13:25:17.865ZKen Dargahttps://kregjig.ning.com/profile/KenDarga
<p>The MDF boards needs to be sealed, before putting them into use.</p>
<p>''Seal'' all surfaces and edges, with a suitable wood sealer.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The MDF boards needs to be sealed, before putting them into use.</p>
<p>''Seal'' all surfaces and edges, with a suitable wood sealer.</p>
<p> </p> Frank,
I believe it's the ''s…tag:kregjig.ning.com,2011-03-26:2900167:Comment:1717712011-03-26T13:23:27.199ZKen Dargahttps://kregjig.ning.com/profile/KenDarga
<p>Frank,</p>
<p>I believe it's the ''saw-dust'', used in the MDF, that sucks up the moisture, vs the resin bonding agent.<br></br> <br></br> <cite>Frank Gardecki said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://kregjig.ning.com/forum/topics/is-mdf-strong-enough-to-make-a?xg_source=msg_com_forum&id=2900167%3ATopic%3A170062&page=2#2900167Comment171573"><div><p><em>Anything you buy in furniture thats cheap is MDF . I f they could make a stronger resin that does not suck water then you have my attention.…</em></p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<p>Frank,</p>
<p>I believe it's the ''saw-dust'', used in the MDF, that sucks up the moisture, vs the resin bonding agent.<br/> <br/>
<cite>Frank Gardecki said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://kregjig.ning.com/forum/topics/is-mdf-strong-enough-to-make-a?xg_source=msg_com_forum&id=2900167%3ATopic%3A170062&page=2#2900167Comment171573"><div><p><em>Anything you buy in furniture thats cheap is MDF . I f they could make a stronger resin that does not suck water then you have my attention. You are lucky no one was under that shelf .</em></p>
</div>
</blockquote> Anything you buy in furniture…tag:kregjig.ning.com,2011-03-26:2900167:Comment:1715732011-03-26T04:19:41.104ZFrank Gardeckihttps://kregjig.ning.com/profile/FrankGardecki
<p><em>Anything you buy in furniture thats cheap is MDF . I f they could make a stronger resin that does not suck water then you have my attention. You are lucky no one was under that shelf .</em></p>
<p><em>Anything you buy in furniture thats cheap is MDF . I f they could make a stronger resin that does not suck water then you have my attention. You are lucky no one was under that shelf .</em></p> Melamine is MDF with a vinyl…tag:kregjig.ning.com,2011-03-26:2900167:Comment:1716642011-03-26T03:32:09.186ZFrank Gardeckihttps://kregjig.ning.com/profile/FrankGardecki
<em>Melamine is MDF with a vinyl covering the down fall for MDF It is also very HEAVY !!!!!!!my boss had a poker table made it was 8feet by four feet that sucker had to weight about 300 lbs.( or it felt like it) and that poker table was made from MDF.</em>
<em>Melamine is MDF with a vinyl covering the down fall for MDF It is also very HEAVY !!!!!!!my boss had a poker table made it was 8feet by four feet that sucker had to weight about 300 lbs.( or it felt like it) and that poker table was made from MDF.</em>