Re: MDF or Plywood for RT

Timely question. Ito rin iniisip ko kagabi, eh.

Re: MDF or Plywood for RT

i bought 3 sheets of 3/4" marine good quality UNI plywood (not the best though) very recently and each cost me 1,230 pesos...it was 985 pesos in october of last year...then the mdf of the same thickness is about 990 pesos...

of course mdf would be the better choice...

and very recently also i bought a two sided melamine coated 3/4" mdf for 2600p a piece..

but the melamine coat is so thin it wouldnt last long unless you adhere a second plastic laminate for the rt table.

mdf is flat real flat and much much heavier (esp if sandwiched together) than the ply and the the weight is a plus to dampen the vibration caused by the big routers out there.,,and since its flat, the laminate sheet can have good adhesion.

if i would make my third rt..then id still go for the mdf.since i cannot trust our ply here with lots of voids, hollows and whatnots.

there is no sense in choosing plywood as rt top if others are dreaming of granite or cast iron for their rt.imho.

hope this helps.

Re: MDF or Plywood for RT

and before i forget, the offcuts from the whole sheet of mdf is a good rt fence...coz its also flat.

and another thing, sooner or later you are going to add a miter and rout out a recess for the miter bar..i doubt if you can make a clean recess in a plywood better than in an mdf.

the benefits of using mdf is way way up than the ply.

Re: MDF or Plywood for RT

Thanks Doc. I might use MDF then. There is a shop here that is selling 3/4 mdf with 1.5 x 1.5meter size at 250-300 pesos per piece, is that price ok?
Do you have an idea how much the laminate or formica costs?

Re: MDF or Plywood for RT

@beedigo,

i believe you have found a router plate?:cool:

that is sure cheap for the mdf!

choose the laminates with at least 1mm thickness...Formica as a brand has them..but there are lots in the market and the cheapest (less than 1mm thick) for one whole 4"x8" sheet is in the range of 550-650 pesos...the quality ones (thicker) can go as high as 1200 a piece...although i would not recommend aluminum laminates due to abrasion issues, the cost is the number one prohibiting factor at around 2800 a piece..some prized laminates could reach 8K for a sheet! Any branch of Wilcon has them anyway....if i am going to make another rt, id like my laminate color bright red!hehe

you should buy also the best contact cement for this purpose..dont buy the "Do-all" brand..they are garbage! but you can still settle for the old Rugby brand and that is fine...for a 20"x 30" table, you will consume less than half of that gin bottle of rugby. Observe the "adhering time" for contact adhesives for best results.

goodluck on your build...ask away anytime and anything along the process...i am always technically in front of the pc nowadays.doing well...nothing.

Re: MDF or Plywood for RT

+1 on the ORIGINAL Rugby. We have been using that in adhereing Formica laminates for more than a decade already and as long as you make sure both parts have it, thoroughly dried and pressured applied - it would last a life time.

Also, I wouldn't recommend the glossy and smooth laminate as the scratches and the suction effect sometimes sucks. Get the matte finish as is offers a thin layer of air between the laminate and wood for a gliding effect and less eye sore if scratched.

Doc, wouldn't the MDF swell because of the adhesive?

Re: MDF or Plywood for RT

Thanks for the replies, doc! Very much appreciated!

@beedigo,

Where is this mdf shop located? Can they cut it for you? Hindi kasya sa kotse yung 1.5mx1.5m, eh. :p

About 3 weeks ago the plain white formica at Ortigas Home Depot was 400 pesos if I remember correctly. And the 3-liter can of Multi-Bond adhesive (which is recommended in another thread) is P650. The staff at Home Depot say it smells less than rugby. I've yet to open the can I bought, though.

Re: MDF or Plywood for RT

+1 on the ORIGINAL Rugby. We have been using that in adhereing Formica laminates for more than a decade already and as long as you make sure both parts have it, thoroughly dried and pressured applied - it would last a life time.

Also, I wouldn't recommend the glossy and smooth laminate as the scratches and the suction effect sometimes sucks. Get the matte finish as is offers a thin layer of air between the laminate and wood for a gliding effect and less eye sore if scratched.

Doc, wouldn't the MDF swell because of the adhesive?

Smooth sucks, noted.

I don't think the MDF will swell since the adhesive is not water based. Plus, the rugby/contact cement is almost dry to the touch when we put the pieces together. But don't take my word for it, zero experience pa ako sa MDF. :rolleyes:

Re: MDF or Plywood for RT

@ Doc V

Thanks again doc. I ordered my bench dog router plate online, and with the goodness of the heart of a friend of my swmbo, she will carry it with her when she comes home 3rd week of April. I'm so excited I'm already preparing the materials for the RT build,hehehe...

The mdf is really cheap doc, 'coz the shop is a materials recovery con speaker housing builders. But in fairness they have clean and smooth MDFs.

@joey81,

Sorry to say sir joey, but the shop is located in the suburbs of San Pablo City. I've only seen their stockpile, I just don't know if they have TS in their build area.

@jarod,

I might use stain halt sir, to seal the mdf, as always said by doc v and sir timber.

Re: MDF or Plywood for RT

agh! haba pa naman ng reply ko...huhu..all of a sudden phm is gone!

i suggest you laminate both sides para hindi kana buy ng mahal na stain halt to keep the mdf from fungal attack.

+1 to jarod for veering away with the smoothie laminates..they are dust magnets! hehe

hindi naman ng swell yung mdf with contact cement except i needed to put more (saturate) with a second application.

i hope your router plate's corner has a 1/2" radius..easier to rout the recess using just a 1/2" pattern bit..

my incra plate has a bigger radius of 1" and it was a bonus to have an existing rt..it was actually a difficult two step process and needing exacting measurements.:mad:

Re: MDF or Plywood for RT

Ok doc, I'll keep that in mind.

Re: MDF or Plywood for RT

By the way Doc V, before I forget, how will I cut the mdf and laminate? What specific tool do I need?

Re: MDF or Plywood for RT

mdf = circular saw (do not use a jigsaw)
laminate= laminate cutter 200 pesos i think from hardware stores..very similar to hardiflex cutter...cut it oversized by 5mm on all sides..when its time to trim, use your router with a flush trim bit.

before you attach the laminate, it maybe better to add the edging made of solid wood first..you can buy a 1/2" x 2" hardwood for edging glued to the mdf (elmer's carpenter's glue is ok)...no nails please..so you need clamps for this task...then plane flushed.

my current table is about 22" x 30" suitable for most routing tasks but you can make it smaller depending on your needs. there is no straightforward measurements with regards to rt top.

i do not know exactly if your table will house the bits and wrenches...can you post your plan here please?

timber and (i think chisel) have made a dedicated router table (from same plan) with drawers that can be filled up with hundreds of bits...you might want to check on how they built theirs especially timber's.

Re: MDF or Plywood for RT

I'ved seen Sir Chisel's RT, and it's big, I doubt if I can build something like it. I'll try to make a smaller one, though I already ask for the rt plan. I'll try to build a more mobile rt. I might fore go the drawers for now. Have no final plan yet doc.

What does the laminate cutter looks like Doc?