Advice on different brands of MR MDF for MFT suitability

[Danmickread]

I'm sure you will find the Kronospan MRMDF to be fine for your needs......Just take on board what some of the others have said regarding protecting the board and get all them holes drilled...!

Yes i have the UJK reamer tool just incase the finishing affects the holes or will do what others have said and coat the surfaces first.

 

[Danmickread]

I'd offer the view that
Medite or similar priced is worth it.
Valchromat is great but very expensive indeed
Hidrofugo is more expensive than medite and probably superior based on what I've read. Some built in cabinetry folk demand it supposedly because it requires less finishing and gives better edges. Perhaps that is a step too far.
Cheapest MDF is false economy

There is the option to buy a ready CNC machined top - not bad value - see ebay for some well established vendors.
If using the parf system, oil or wax both sides of your top, or seal with diluted (wiping) varnish and allow to dry before you drill it.
Applying finish afterwards, it squeezes over into the holes and makes fibres swell so it can be hard to force the dogs into the holes.
Wax is good for preventing glue ups or spills from adhering to your top, but makes it slippery so less good for holding. Wiping varnish is pretty good but you must do both sides as it tries to shrink and wants to cup the sheet. My next top will get wiping varnish.

Seal the edges of the boards with whatever you like, whenever you like. This makes no practical difference so doesn't matter if you do it or not.

The more you consider the top sacrificial and are happy to cut, chisel and drill into it, the less I'd be minded to spend on fancy board.

What oil or varnish would you recommend? Ive been coating some ply based work in this water based exterior varnish and seems ok so was thinking of using this for the MFT. I used exterior as will be prone to damp humid conditions in my garage in the colder months.
https://www.screwfix.com/p/ronseal-...CKCnA6tHJdhdwY3F_qhoC6zIQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[TimberManNE]

MR Lite MDF Caberwood [UK] (Cheapest)
MR Lite MDF Medite [IRELAND]
MR MDF Kronospan [UK]
MR MDF Caberwood [UK]
MR MDF Medite [UK]
MR MDF Finsa Hidrofugo [SPAIN]
MR MDF Finsa Hidrofugo Plus [SPAIN] (Most Expensive)

As well as the above, you have imported products such as Guarafiber (Brazil), Capewood (China) and Intasa (Portugal). The imported products are generally good quality and will drop into the market when the UK price is high.

Hidrofugo, Hidrofugo Plus, Capewood and Intasa are all made with hardwood fibres or a mix of hardwood and softwood fibres which generally gives them better performance in comparison to UK produced boards which are made only using softwood fibres. The negative you'll get from these boards is they'll be heavier to handle/install.

As well as these you also have MR MDF Medite Plus (White Primed) which is a excellent primed finish.

TP and HG will likely have MR Lite MDF Caberwood, MR Lite MDF Medite, Guarafiber or Capewood. If they have Guarafiber or Capewood you'll have a good product for a good price but its likely you'd need to visit the warehouse to find out want. If you have a photo I could identify it for you.

Also, you may also want to consider everything apart from Medite and Finsa will likely be green dye throughout whereas Medite and Finsa will be sandwich core.

 

[Danmickread]

Hi

MR Lite MDF Caberwood [UK] (Cheapest)
MR Lite MDF Medite [IRELAND]
MR MDF Kronospan [UK]
MR MDF Caberwood [UK]
MR MDF Medite [UK]
MR MDF Finsa Hidrofugo [SPAIN]
MR MDF Finsa Hidrofugo Plus [SPAIN] (Most Expensive)

As well as the above, you have imported products such as Guarafiber (Brazil), Capewood (China) and Intasa (Portugal). The imported products are generally good quality and will drop into the market when the UK price is high.

Hidrofugo, Hidrofugo Plus, Capewood and Intasa are all made with hardwood fibres or a mix of hardwood and softwood fibres which generally gives them better performance in comparison to UK produced boards which are made only using softwood fibres. The negative you'll get from these boards is they'll be heavier to handle/install.

As well as these you also have MR MDF Medite Plus (White Primed) which is a excellent primed finish.

TP and HG will likely have MR Lite MDF Caberwood, MR Lite MDF Medite, Guarafiber or Capewood. If they have Guarafiber or Capewood you'll have a good product for a good price but its likely you'd need to visit the warehouse to find out want. If you have a photo I could identify it for you.

Also, you may also want to consider everything apart from Medite and Finsa will likely be green dye throughout whereas Medite and Finsa will be sandwich core.

Hi, have you listed these in the order you think is best from worst quality to best?
The kronospan is also a sandwich FYI.

 

[TimberManNE]

Hi

Hi, have you listed these in the order you think is best from worst quality to best?
The kronospan is also a sandwich FYI.

Hi

Listed in order of price and density. Kronospan and Caber will be very similar in price and density.
I work for a merchant, so sell these products every day.
The top 4/cheapest 4 will likely give you more work to do on the edge (sand/extra painting) as they are likely to fluff up more.
The list is reflective in customer feedback.

When I say sandwich core, I mean green core with brown outer faces.
Kronospan is generally green throughout if it is produced in the UK, Chirk.
Medite can be both sandwich core and green however 90% of the time its sandwich core.
Medite is stamped on the thickness and Finsa are now starting to stamp Hidrofugo.

 

[Danmickread]

Hi everyone, so to give you un update I bought a sheet of the kronospan to give it a try and my initial thoughts are it's decent. Holes cut through it quite nicely leaving a clean none fluffy hole and the bit doesn't get blocked up like on the crap sruff.
One thing I found when using the parf guide system when I drilled the 20mm holes they were initially to tight to fit the parf dog hole locatorss in. I could get them in if really tried but the only way to get them out was by banging from underneath, this didn't seem right to me. Once I ran through with the dreamer tool they went in OK but if anything very slightly sloppy so hopefully this didn't affect my accuracy of the grid of holes too much as the actual drill bit is guided by the 3mm pilot hole. It was the same with trying to put ujk dogs straight into the fresh holes, to tight then perfect fit once reamed. So whether this is a result of the mdf or something else I don't know. Has anyone else experienced this with the parf system? It's the mk2 by the way.

 

[Sideways]

It just happened that I needed a sheet of good MRMDF and decided to roll the dice on Hidrofugo (9mm). My local merchant can't get medite and their customers were asking for something good so now they stock only cheap tat and premium board. Nothing in the middle.

 

[Wilson joinery]

Hi Sideways, have you had chance to do any work with it yet? Do you rate it?

Cheers
Pete

 

[Sideways]

Hi Pete,
Only just collected today. I've run the track saw through one end and that's the cut edge you see above.
Photo below is raw edge off a ground tooth jigsaw blade.

It will be a few weeks until I'm ready to put it to proper use. First impression is that it's every bit as good as medite mrmdf, may well be better, and I hope so because it cost me £47 for an 8x4 sheet of 9mm !
The bloke at the yard repeated what's already been said here. The supposed benefit is less sanding and sealing needed to get a good clean edge when painted. Costs more but pays back in time saved.

 

[Sam Kilby]

Standard mr Hidrofugo is the best I’ve used. Just machines properly, doesn’t ever seem to fluff up like others.

If spraying still soaks up loads of paint on machined edges, but very possible to achieve a glass like finish with extensive denibbing and coats.

 

[Lord Kitchener]

When I had an 8x4 MFT top table CNC'd for me about 5 years ago I had it done in birch plywood. I used it extensively in a full time kitchen making business and it held up very well, and remained dimensionally accurate (I used to check it occasionally with my 500mm and 1000mm electronic calipers). I sold that one to a friend a while back, the one I'm having made now will be capable of being transported in an estate car.