Marmite

[Spectric]

Having been making some jigs today from MDF which I dislike because of the dust, is easily damaged but good for jigs I think it is the woodworking equivalent of marmite, most people either hate it or love it but there are a few who just put up with it, plus it provides a good market in which to sell dust extraction equipment but what do you like or dislike about this stuff.

 

[Dlyxover]

I hate it but is a necessary evil in some cases

 

[Garden Shed Projects]

It’s great for pipe boxing’s.

 

[bourbon]

This came into my workshop.

 

[bourbon]

and went out like this NO MDF will be allowed in my workshop again!

 

[Cabinetman]

Yes definitely marmite but although I quite like marmite this stuff isn’t worth messing about with. I had to make a wall length unit of bookshelves so I built it out of Oak faced MDF, I built it using the torsion box method with a large solid lip which worked well but with the time involved it would’ve definitely been cheaper using solid oak so no more MDF for me and, A. The customer knows they have got something of value and B. I get much more job satisfaction. Ian

 

[Adam W.]

Nope, can't stand the stuff unless I'm using it as a drawing board.

I have made some mould forms from it the last few weeks, but it's outside work to make them and they don't last anyway, so I'm going back to wood for that. It's not a material I want to use in a workshop or in any quantity.

My uncle reckons it's the modern day equivalent of asbestos.

 

[Doug B]

I wouldn’t say I love it or hate it it just machines well & is very handy for some aspects of woodworking, as for the dust it mainly a case of getting the extraction right. I’ve just routed some door panels It took a 6” extractor under the router & both shop vac hoses tape & clamped to the fence but as the video show it captured the vast majority of the dust.

 

[robgul]

I try not to use it and when I do the chap at the timber yard is very obliging in working to my cut-list to minimise the sawing I have to do - it's horses for courses, some stuff just doesn't warrant any cost higher than MDF (and that's not cheap nowadays) - same principles apply to chipboard.

 

[Doug71]

Poor old MDF will always have it's haters but I will stand up and defend it (MR MDF and Tricoya anyway)!

We all know it's not great for shelves etc but for things like panels it's excellent.

It's flat, paints well, cuts well, machines well, doesn't move (much), what's not to like?

The dust isn't a problem if you have a decent extraction set up like you should for any kind of timber cutting.

For me the world is a better place thanks to MDF

 

[Jonm]

I do not like it probably because of the dust.

I have used the moisture resistant stuff for a workbench (more accurately assembly table) which needs to be dismantleable. It is standing up to the use well and is staying flat. My son used the moisture resistant stuff for wood panelling and it looks very good

 

[Distinterior]

Poor old MDF will always have it's haters but I will stand up and defend it (MR MDF and Tricoya anyway)!

We all know it's not great for shelves etc but for things like panels it's excellent.

It's flat, paints well, cuts well, machines well, doesn't move (much), what's not to like?

The dust isn't a problem if you have a decent extraction set up like you should for any kind of timber cutting.

For me the world is a better place thanks to MDF

As Doug stated, ...it has its place and in today's market of flat painted surfaces and finishes, MDF (or preferably MRMDF) is the ideal material.

 

[doctor Bob]

Sounds like people need to improve their dust extraction, hardwood dust causes nasal cancer. Very high incidences in High Wycombe when its main industry was furniture.

 

[TheTiddles]

Sounds like people need to improve their dust extraction, hardwood dust causes nasal cancer. Very high incidences in High Wycombe when its main industry was furniture.

Bob, again with the common sense!

Don’t you know old people lived hundred of years and they built the ark after all.

The same people who are against modern materials are probably against the use of other modern things like high speed steel, the wheel and clean drinking water.

 

[Spectric]

Don’t you know old people lived hundred of years and they built the ark after all.

Luckily not out of MDF otherwise who knows what may have occured during them floods!

 

[recipio]

Does anyone use blockboard anymore ? I use it for any weight bearing project but reinforce it with solid wood edging. Its got that horrible pink Luan veneer but that is either painted or veneered.

 

[Doug B]

Luckily not out of MDF otherwise who knows what may have occured during them floods!

It would have soaked a lot of the rainfall up

 

[Adam W.]

Bob, again with the common sense!

Don’t you know old people lived hundred of years and they built the ark after all.

The same people who are against modern materials are probably against the use of other modern things like high speed steel, the wheel and clean drinking water.

Maybe, just maybe, it's a choice thing.

You never know.

 

[dannyr]

mdf does bend nicely tho (but unlike ash, usually when you don't want it to)

back to the actual topic -- my passport says I'm English born and Yorkshire resident but I confess to preferring Vegemite - can't be Aussie tho as not a cricket or tennis fan and don't like my beer too cold - must be a throwback of some kind - surname Roberts so obviously some old Norman-French genes there

 

[Terry Fogarty]

Who would have thunk my first post in this forum was to say how horrible Marmite is and how superior Vegemite is.
But its true