Mdf Board Introductions And How To Work With It?
MDF is a type of hardboard which is made from wood fibres glued under heat and pressure. MDF has many qualities that make it an ideal alternative to plywood or chipboard. It is dense, flat, stiff, has no knots and is easily machined. Its fine particles provide a material without a recognisable "grain". Unlike plywood and blockboard, MDF contains no internal voids, and will produce better edges providing that it is correctly machined. Visit the Woodworking Plans Website pages for more woodworking articles.
But use MDF with care - it is manufactured using urea-formaldehyde resin which maybe released in low concentrations over a long period of time. Formaldehyde can cause temporary eye and respiratory irritation, it can also aggravate respiratory conditions or allergies in some people. Proper ventilation and precautions during working and use will reduce the risk of such problems. Some people have been reported as being affected by just a piece of MDF in a room.
Working with MDF
Dust is a major hazard when working with MDF. The large amounts of dust generated by cutting and machining requires the use of proper breathing and eye protection. As a minimum, always use a dust mask while there is dust in the air, not just while actually cutting. A professional style respirator is preferable. Goggles should always be worn while using tools on MDF.
MDF can be cut in the same manner as a fine-grained hardwood although as it does not have a grain, it can be successfully sawn in any direction. MDF can also be machined, drilled and tapped.
Due to its high glue content, steel cutting tools will dull very quickly; the use of carbide tools is preferred.
Being without a grain, cutting or machining MDF will result in a very smooth edge providing that the tools are sharp and used correctly.
Fixing: Screws and nails can be used to fix MDF, however with these fixings, there is a risk of the MDF splitting if care is not taken. The risk of splitting depends upon the thickness of material, generally fixings should not be less than 25mm from the edge.
When using nails, drive them in at right angle to the surface, this will avoid bending and reduce the chances of splitting. Use ring-shank nails to ensure a good grip.
With screws, always use pilot holes - about 85 % to 90 % of the root diameter of the screw being used and at least as deep as the screw. Straight sheet metal screws with constant size shank give best results, avoid using tapered wood screws.
Because MDF can be milled to just about any profile, many of the traditional woodworking joints can be used as can dowels. MDF can be glued using gap-filling or PVA glues. Epoxy and hot melt glues are also suitable. The edges of pieces of MDF can be glued to make larger sheets.
Finishes: As mentioned previously, MDF is typically made using ureaformaldehyde resin which will be gradually released into the atmosphere wherever MDF is used. While this will not affect most people, some people are sensitive to formaldehyde emissions so precautions must be taken. Where possible, use low formaldehyde or formaldehyde-free MDF, or consider methods of controlling these emissions through proper finishing.
Where a finish is applied, it should be applied to ALL exposed surfaces, even those not immediately visible. Finishes that work best at controlling formaldehyde emissions are solid surfaces such as laminates, vinyl covering, and finished wood veneers. Oil based paints and varnishes can be used. Less effective at controlling emissions are simple wax and oil coatings. Learn more about wood and woodworking articles please go to woodworkingplans.tv website.
But use MDF with care - it is manufactured using urea-formaldehyde resin which maybe released in low concentrations over a long period of time. Formaldehyde can cause temporary eye and respiratory irritation, it can also aggravate respiratory conditions or allergies in some people. Proper ventilation and precautions during working and use will reduce the risk of such problems. Some people have been reported as being affected by just a piece of MDF in a room.
Working with MDF
Dust is a major hazard when working with MDF. The large amounts of dust generated by cutting and machining requires the use of proper breathing and eye protection. As a minimum, always use a dust mask while there is dust in the air, not just while actually cutting. A professional style respirator is preferable. Goggles should always be worn while using tools on MDF.
MDF can be cut in the same manner as a fine-grained hardwood although as it does not have a grain, it can be successfully sawn in any direction. MDF can also be machined, drilled and tapped.
Due to its high glue content, steel cutting tools will dull very quickly; the use of carbide tools is preferred.
Being without a grain, cutting or machining MDF will result in a very smooth edge providing that the tools are sharp and used correctly.
Fixing: Screws and nails can be used to fix MDF, however with these fixings, there is a risk of the MDF splitting if care is not taken. The risk of splitting depends upon the thickness of material, generally fixings should not be less than 25mm from the edge.
When using nails, drive them in at right angle to the surface, this will avoid bending and reduce the chances of splitting. Use ring-shank nails to ensure a good grip.
With screws, always use pilot holes - about 85 % to 90 % of the root diameter of the screw being used and at least as deep as the screw. Straight sheet metal screws with constant size shank give best results, avoid using tapered wood screws.
Because MDF can be milled to just about any profile, many of the traditional woodworking joints can be used as can dowels. MDF can be glued using gap-filling or PVA glues. Epoxy and hot melt glues are also suitable. The edges of pieces of MDF can be glued to make larger sheets.
Finishes: As mentioned previously, MDF is typically made using ureaformaldehyde resin which will be gradually released into the atmosphere wherever MDF is used. While this will not affect most people, some people are sensitive to formaldehyde emissions so precautions must be taken. Where possible, use low formaldehyde or formaldehyde-free MDF, or consider methods of controlling these emissions through proper finishing.
Where a finish is applied, it should be applied to ALL exposed surfaces, even those not immediately visible. Finishes that work best at controlling formaldehyde emissions are solid surfaces such as laminates, vinyl covering, and finished wood veneers. Oil based paints and varnishes can be used. Less effective at controlling emissions are simple wax and oil coatings. Learn more about wood and woodworking articles please go to woodworkingplans.tv website.
