Types of MDF for bookcases and kitchen cabinets

[joncooper27]

Can anybody help as there seems to be lots of different types of MDF around at different prices!
I am looking at building some bookcases that will be painted and also looking to make some kitchen cabinet carcases to extend an existing kitchen I have relocated.
Also where is the best place to purchase from I have accounts at a few builders merchants or is there a somewhere good online to purchase?

 

[Spectric]

Using MDF for book shelves needs careful design otherwise it sags. Use the moisture resistant stuff as it is better wearing but ply is a better material for kitchen cabinets although very expensive at the moment. MDF is readily available from most timber merchants but you will need to shop around for decent birch ply if you choose that material.

 

[Ollie78]

I would only bother with moisture resistant MDF its just denser and I think has better glue or resin or whatever they use. My favourite used to be the Kronospan one which used to be super heavy and dense, I can`t find it anymore.
I bought some Caber stuff from Travis Perkins and it was very soft and fluffy so not impressed with that, the Medite is usually ok.

Spectric is right about the sagging, design carefully.

Ollie

 

[user 43593]

You could possibly look at Valchromat. Axminster/UJK make some items using it. As far as I can remember, it is water resistant and coloured all the way through the core. Information here.

 

[kpsjoiner]

Look up finsa hidrofugo mdf,
It’s a game changer.
I’ve just made a bookcase from it, used 30mm shelves (definitely not sagging) but weighs a ton,
It takes paint/spraying very well and easy to sand edges up smooth

 

[robgul]

@petermillard has some YT on pros and cons of MDF of varying types

 

[mark w]

I agree with kpsjoiner, Finsa Hydrofugo is excellent, I've been using it for a while now.

 

[MF1000]

Your location might also help with us identifying suitable sources too Jon

 

[joncooper27]

Your location might also help with us identifying suitable sources too Jon

Hi thanks for reply I’m in the North East near Newcastle

 

[Ollie78]

You could possibly look at Valchromat. Axminster/UJK make some items using it. As far as I can remember, it is water resistant and coloured all the way through the core. Information here.

For the money they want for valchromat you can have proper birch ply.

Ollie

 

[Doug71]

I get most of my sheet goods from Arnold Laver, think have a depot in or at least near Newcastle.

You can buy online from them but you will probably get a better price if you go and see them in person, plus they do have a lot of products which aren't shown online.

 

[Spectric]

I think all materials have there limitations and understanding the material and using the most suitable jointing method for a given application can make or break a project and is why we get some fancy jointing techniques from the likes of Lamello. I would not think that this tongue on MDF is great apart from alignment and also think of the other side with the grove which will not leave a large amount of material around it, but then I do tend to over do things so who has any thoughts ?

 

[paulrbarnard]

I think all materials have there limitations and understanding the material and using the most suitable jointing method for a given application can make or break a project and is why we get some fancy jointing techniques from the likes of Lamello. I would not think that this tongue on MDF is great apart from alignment and also think of the other side with the grove which will not leave a large amount of material around it, but then I do tend to over do things so who has any thoughts ?

View attachment 173163

If glue is applied all round then you are not weakening the material with the joint. If it is a slide in joint then it sucks…

 

[joncooper27]

I was thinking of using dowels with a good quality glue?

 

[Sideways]

I went to buy some MRMDF from one of the local merchants and when checking in at the counter found their prices were well above what I expected. It turned out that they now only stock Hydrofugo for moisture resistant. A change they made because some important regular customers had been going elsewhere to buy it for making built in cabinetry.

 

[deema]

My trick for making shelves that don’t sag out of ‘cheap’ material is to add aluminium T profile underneath the shelf inlet in as well as a hardwood edge.
A saw cut and a router cut out a recess for the aluminium profile which I then glue in using a resin such as araldyte. You can either have the profile flush with the surface, which looks nice, or recess it slightly and put an inlay over it.
Aluminium T profile is cheap, and adds a huge amount of strength to a shelf. You can one or more strips depending on how wide / long the selves are / anticipated weight loading.

 

[Spectric]

I was thinking of using dowels with a good quality glue?

Be careful when knocking the dowels into the holes, you can blow the MDF due to the dowel pressurising the glue so worth puting a clamp where you are putting a dowel.

 

[MF1000]

Scribe a groove down the dowel …the excess glue will then have an escape route

 

[joncooper27]

Scribe a groove down the dowel …the excess glue will then have an escape route

I have got ready made dowels they have grooves all round to let glue out I believe and expand when set?

 

[MF1000]

Personally I’ve never had an issue with the glue expanding etc….maybe I’m mean with the glue