# B&Q's MDF cutting service.



## pren

Afternoon.

Just returned from the 90mile round trip to the B&Q warehouse in Chester. I was after an 8x4 sheet of 18mm MDF that was to be cut into 4, 120x60 sheets, thus saving £26 on buying the 4 separate 120 x 60 sheets that they sell.  I don't have the room to cut 8x4 sheets, so I do need them pre-cut.

_"Oh no, sir. We don't cut MDF instore any more. Health & Safety. The dust causes cancer". _ :-s 

No mention of this on their website. :evil: 

Does anyone know if this is a 'Shed-Wide' (B&Q, Homebase, Wickes, Focus...) ban on MDF cutting? 

There are a couple of Builders Merchants nearby, but they seem to have sophisticated 'DIYer detection devices' at the door which activates 'Condescending Prick Mode' in their staff :roll: so I'd rather give them a miss if at all possible.

Cheers.
Bryn


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## newt

Nothing surprises me with the sheds :evil:


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## mailee

My neighbour just came back from B&Q this morning and had a sheet of 18mm MDF cut down, so no it is not nationwide. Besides why do they have a large industrial extractor mounted to the saw?? :roll:


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## pren

mailee":2o0p0h18 said:


> Besides why do they have a large industrial extractor mounted to the saw?? :roll:



That's what I asked the saw operator. I got the impression he didn't agree with the 'ban' as they had the dust extractor but was having to toe the line.

Hmm.

Cheers
Bryn


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## bigjoe

My local B&q warehouse will cut anything on their saw with no questions (Often stuff they're not officially meant too).

Sounds like the just couldnt be bothered or an efficient manager has been reading things they no nothing about! :roll: 

Joe


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## Steve Maskery

I realize this is no help now, but next time, why not go armed with a cordless circular saw, a saw guide and a couple of pairs of trestles? I know it's a bit of a faff, but you can set up in a far corner of the car park and cut them yourself. Even if they would cut it for you, very often the saw is out of action, at least here.


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## dicktimber

I wouldn't bother with the trestles..just lob the board across the bonets of two parked cars!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## yo_chuci

or use a couple of their trolleys...

done that before lol...


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## OPJ

dicktimber":1p3mfoq0 said:


> I wouldn't bother with the trestles..just lob the board across the bonets of two parked cars!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:



Or a pair of those bloody trolleys they have - they're hardly fit for any other purpose, are they!!


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## big soft moose

B&Q in swindon cut mdf ( dont i just know it - my shop is full of the stuff waiting to be turned into bookcases) - if the policy was as stated then it would be national - chances are that the operator just didnt fancy doing the work, had a tea break coming up or whatever

not to mention that the small sheets they sell are all cut down in store from 8 x 4 s anyway

and of course recent research that showed mdf dust is no more carcinogenic than other wooddust of comparable particulate size.

if i were you i'd ring the manager and complain - if you shout loudly enough they might give you a discount voucher equal to your wasted fuel.


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## joiner_sim

If anyone in Birmingham, Solihull or Sutton Coldfield and the surrounding areas require a "Cutting Service", wether it be timber or sheets. Get yourself down to Mahoney & Sons! I can go down to the one by me with a cutting list for softwood (pre-machinedPAR unless you want to pay for machining) and plywood/ MDF sheets and they will cut it all for free.

http://www.mahoneysdiy.co.uk/


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## ByronBlack

phone your local company ahead of time and ask for what you want. I doubt they will turn you away just because you are a diy'er. Again, this comes back to the point in another thread about people moaning about the sheds and still shopping there.

Why did you waste the time to travel 90 miles, when a quick call to your local place would have taken a few minutes? Even if they were condescending, I'm sure you would still have got your mdf. I'm sorry if this comes across as harsh, I don't intend it to, just trying to highlight that there are plenty of local companies that can offer the same service as an out of town 'shed'.


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## Ironballs

B&Q Huddersfield cut mine down to size and some ply too


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## CNC Paul

Bryn,

You might find that it does not fit the business model in a particular branch, as it is a service that is usually free they might use the floor space for stock that makes real money. Your branch just might not create enough revenue on cut to size materials to warrant the floor space.


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## Rich

I can't be sure from the OP, but it seems that they were not prepared to cut MDF, which suggests that they DID have a panel cutting saw installed, which does away with the floor space saving theory, I may be wrong, perhaps the Oposter can put us right here, if it is the case, why should the service differ from one store to the next? certainly the size of the sheet material does'nt, and as most visitors to these sheds are DIY'ers they won't be rolling up in a white van, another thing that really gets to me at these places at weekends is the amount of folk who bring little children with them, it's difficult enough wielding long lengths of timber without having to worry about harming kids who know no better than to run and wander at leisure. :roll: 

Rich.


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## dexter

I`ve got 2 jewsons yards near to me, both with cutting facilities, I`ve never been refused a request to cut MDF.

Dex


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## slemishwoodcrafts

big soft moose":b9vodboy said:


> not to mention that the small sheets they sell are all cut down in store from 8 x 4 s anyway.



the small sheets we sell in store actually are bought in pre cut to that size. Its cheaper this way apparently. I havent been told about any ban on us cutting MDF instore considering that all our POS stands and displays we build in store are made from MDF which we are instructed to use!!

It sounds to me that the fella couldn't be bothered cutting it for you. I will cut anything on the saw, quite often stuff we aren' allowed to cut such as solid wood doors etc!!


regards,

michael


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## big soft moose

slemishwoodcrafts":1q3bd8dp said:


> big soft moose":1q3bd8dp said:
> 
> 
> 
> not to mention that the small sheets they sell are all cut down in store from 8 x 4 s anyway.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> the small sheets we sell in store actually are bought in pre cut to that size. Its cheaper this way apparently. I havent been told about any ban on us cutting MDF instore considering that all our POS stands and displays we build in store are made from MDF which we are instructed to use!!
> 
> It sounds to me that the fella couldn't be bothered cutting it for you. I will cut anything on the saw, quite often stuff we aren' allowed to cut such as solid wood doors etc!!
> 
> 
> regards,
> 
> michael
Click to expand...


fair enuff - but that said i've seen the swindon staff zapping 8x4s down into quarters and halves to restock the other sizes (may be between orders)

on an aside have you any idea whether the cutting service saws can cut those big sheets of perspex / lexan


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## TheTiddles

slemishwoodcrafts":x3zs8na1 said:


> big soft moose":x3zs8na1 said:
> 
> 
> 
> not to mention that the small sheets they sell are all cut down in store from 8 x 4 s anyway.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> the small sheets we sell in store actually are bought in pre cut to that size. Its cheaper this way apparently. I havent been told about any ban on us cutting MDF instore considering that all our POS stands and displays we build in store are made from MDF which we are instructed to use!!
> 
> It sounds to me that the fella couldn't be bothered cutting it for you. I will cut anything on the saw, quite often stuff we aren' allowed to cut such as solid wood doors etc!!
> 
> 
> regards,
> 
> michael
Click to expand...

Is this a sly way of saying you are in the employ of the great orange devil??

Aidan


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## BradNaylor

pren":2efjtb8g said:


> _"Oh no, sir. We don't cut MDF instore any more. Health & Safety. *The dust causes cancer*". _



If there was any truth in this then B&Q wouldn't be allowed to _sell_ the stuff, never mind cut it. Given the EU's obsession with H&S legislation it is unthinkable that MDF would be allowed to remain ubiquitous throughout Europe if it posed any real threat to those working with it.

There are recurring myths around that 'MDF has been banned in America'. It hasn't. My queries about this on US forums have been met with incredulity. MDF is very much alive and well across the pond.

No, it sounds to me that you have encountered a rogue employee who is a fully paid up member of the awkward squad. After a wasted 90 mile round trip I'd be making it my life's mission to get him fired!

Cheers
Brad


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## slemishwoodcrafts

> Is this a sly way of saying you are in the employ of the great orange devil??
> 
> Aidan



lol yep fraid so!! it's not too bad and the 20% discount is always nice to have.

Afraid we can't cut the lexan etc on the saw, we aren't even supposed to cut solid wood so plastics are out of the question.

regards,

michael


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## pren

Hi, thanks for the replies.  

I've mentioned this to a couple of friends who use B&Q a fair bit. The stores local to them that offer the cutting service are still cutting MDF. That, coupled with the comments here suggest that this is just a Chester Warehouse 'initiative' (where they do offer the cutting service) :? 

The guy I spoke to in the Chester branch was quite happily cutting some ply for another customer when I spoke to him, so that kind of craps on the 'couldn't be bothered' angle. There were some 'home-made' signs on his desk that said 'We do not cut MDF'.

I've e-mailed B&Q HQ to ask when I can expect the MDF service to be resumed so as not to waste another 90mile round trip. Still waiting to hear back.

I had considered investing in a portable circ saw to cut the sheets down myself out in the carpark. Trouble with that is, it always seems to be pissing it down in Chester whenever I go there! Though I do suppose that a couple of bin bags of soggy MDF mush would fit in my car a lot easier! :lol: 

I'm not sure if it's just me, but aside from the cutting issue, I've never had a negative experience with B&Q and I do use them a lot. Ok, so the quality of their redwood has declined in the last year or so for some unknown reason but recently, the bulk of my projects have been in MDF which I've been getting cut to car-portable size at the Chester branch. I don't go there at weekends, if I can help it, because of the horrific number of kids that seem to appear from no-where to go running off down the 'pointy-dung' aisle :roll: :lol: 

Of all the timber/builders merchants I've used in the local area, I've not once had an entirely positive experience. Perhaps it's just me expecting too much - I don't know; but I've always been made to feel that I'm just some silly person taking up the staff's valuable time with some request that's just too much trouble. :roll: 

Anyways .... [/ramble] :lol: 

Cheers,
Bryn  [/i]


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