A suitable wood for square plaques

[davedoublem]

I'm going to be starting a plaque project using a square piece of relatively thick wood. The size must be 130mm x 130mm and ideally the depth should be 18 mm-25mm. If all goes well then will be looking for regular on going orders.

Im painting the wood white and there will be a small razor hanging on the back of frame which will include small screws in the back.

I require a smooth wood with little to no grain that takes paint well, and wondered if mdf may be the most suitable to use? If so, would it hold up to small screws inserted in the back?

Also are there any decent competitive wood cutting companies in the UK that can cut to the thickness required?

 

[Doug71]

MDF paints well and is available in 18, 22 and 25mm thicknesses.

The only problem when painting MDF can be the edges but moisture resistant MDF is better than standard MDF in this respect. A lot of people say Hidrofugo MDF is the best one if moulding or painting the edges, it's a bit more expensive but meant to be worth the extra. I haven't tried it yet, the local rep keeps promising to drop me in a sample but keeps forgetting.

Regarding screws you are fine screwing into the face of MDF but the edges can be a bit dodgy.

 

[curryjunkie]

if you prime mdf with zinzer bin primer, a light sanding between coats, the edges come out great, it dries almost instantly so doesnt take much time.