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This weekend I tried to use 1/2 inch melamine to make a box. The jig was a disaster!

It just tore through the sides of the board. Guess I bettter just stick to real wood?

How about 1/2 inch MDF?

Or, is 1/2 anything a real challenge?

Dan

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Poor technique or cheap stock?

Hasn't ever been an issue for me so I'm puzzled. When you say it "tore through", did this happen when you drilled the pocket holes and /or when you drove in the screws?

Hi Daniel

Bit of a strange one that, i have used the jig on many different wood formats and never had a problem, i would have to agree with your second post but lean more towards the first point of poor technique, without actually seeing what actually went wrong get a bit of scrap and practise on this ensuring you have set the correct depth on the jig as well as the drill bit and also ensure you have the piece firmly clamped,

In regards to the MDF question you should have no issue here i always use MDF with excellent results,

Hope this helps and keeps us all informed as to how you get on and remember dont give up, this is good experience for you and hopefully in the future make you a better wood worker.  

If it is Big Box melamine it is probably particle board. Melamine is simply the coating. Pocket holes in 1/2" particle board will likely come apart. Use real wood or at least plywood.

Well Daniel after reading what every body said I was just woundering why dont you try 3/4" alote of poeple in here has done some nice work with melamine and MDF as for my self I use real wood but I did fine a good use for mdf it make's graet backing on my dresser's it's just a thought.

Hey Daniel,

Sorry to hear you are having troubles.  I've employed a little trick to make screws hold much better in particle board:  Bond the fastener into the wood with epoxy.  When I'm making a fixture out of particle board (regardless of thickness) I bond the fastener into the predrilled pilot hole with quick set epoxy.  You want to avoid the ones that are thick like honey and go for the ones that are a bit thinner.  I've never had an issue of pull-out when using this technique.

 

Daniel, I build a lot of cabinet interiors with melamine however never use the thinner 1/2" other than for a back.  I do know that some of the melamines is cheap made with the coating almost like painted on.  What I use is industrial grade melamine.  The melamine is actually applied hot under pressure. It is very durable and will drill very well however take a sharp bit and a slow speed as the melamine coating is very brittle.  This is about the only product that I will suggest using a cordless drill on as most other materials benefit from using a corded faster turning drill.

I use the kreg jig all the time and never seem to have a problem with its performance and in fact have found that the kreg screw will hold far more pressure than that of a stapel or nail.  I always use glue in the joints and will apply glue to the thread of the screw.  The glue will act as a lubricant when you drive it in and as a glue to lock the screw more securely.  You will find that all the drill thread particles that come from driving the screw will actually adhere to the screw shank and become even more secure in the material.  you do have to be careful of over driving the screw and thus cracking the melamine coating.

How good are the cabinets?? I have built many and it is the material of choice by most for medical and most industrial settings because of it's ability to be a sanitatary surface and resistant to skuffing and most chemicals.  I will admit it is not my favorite of materials but sometimes I have to build as the customer wishes even though I explain the difference between a good wood cabinet and a melamine cabinet.   I will avoid melamine as much as possible.

I use a glue made for melamine called "ROO" it was first developed in Austrailia and is the best glue that I have found to use on melamine.  It is white and dries to a clear almost invisable glue line.  It does take about 24 hours for it to fully cure although it does have a quick tack. It is more expensive than titebond but worth the expense for melamine but you have to becareful and use the one for melamine. They also make a Roo glue for wood.  The Roo glue for melamine will actually tear apart the core and break away leaving the core still attached to the melamine.  So it is a good glue seldom breaking in the glue line.

I do not build drawers out of melamine as I choose to build them using 1/2 inch ply or solid wood as I dove tail all my drawers.  I have made small boxes to set inside cabinets as dividers and partitions with out trouble using the kreg micro jig and the short screws for the micro jig.  Nails and staples are not my choice as they often cause the melamine to blow up and or crack.

There is also a 1/4 and 1/2 thich material that they call melamine however it is actually hard pressed paper with a melamine surface.  It is a cabinet makers nightmare as it is just plain terrible stuff to work and the stuff last maybe long enough to get it out of the cabinet shop.  You might be lucky enough to get it to the job site before you have to do some repairs.  (see how well I like it, not so much)

 

 

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