Hi Experts~!
id like to know how difficult is it to transition from working with traditional plyboards for cabinet making to using melamine/MDF boards. My carpenter has no experience with working with MDF boards, although i plan to use it since i believe i might save on cost versus a plyboard (no more painting, surface preparation etc).
Can we use traditional tools (Saw, grinder, drill) for this? any special equipment or things i should take note of?
thank you very much
Re: working with Melamine / MDF Boards versus PLyboard for cabinets
Hi,
With melamine faced boards, chip-offs are your enemy. Best tool is a table saw with scoring. Kung wala, make sure when you knock up the cabinet that the side na may siklat ay nakatago. Drill size will be 3mm for the carcass and 5mm for the adjustable shelf and 35mm fostners if you plan on using concealed hinges. You will also need a brad nailer. and dont forget edgebanding supply and equipment. Do not be deterred, edge supply will be available where you bought the boards and your equipment can be your plansta.
hth
Re: working with Melamine / MDF Boards versus PLyboard for cabinets
thank you very much sir!^ the transition would be a little difficult for us then since we dont have a table saw. The info provided is much appreciated, ill definitely think about it 🙂
Re: working with Melamine / MDF Boards versus PLyboard for cabinets
A router can also be used with melamine boards. I have a cnc machine and then no problem with tear/chip out. Before I had the cnc machine I just used a plane router and it worked fine.
Re: working with Melamine / MDF Boards versus PLyboard for cabinets
mig21, MDF is more workable in terms of cutting and routing compared to plyboards and you can use your existing tools for it ... i use MDF and HDF before when i was making my own knock down kitchen cabinet using the system-32 concept of hafele ... that was before, now if you go to ikea, most of their cabinets are made of particle boards. its cheaper than MDF and its workability compared to MDF is not that bad ... if your transitioning right now, i will recommend that you experiment on using particle boards instead of MDF or a combination of the two - for the structure, and big doors use particle boards, for small doors (e.g. kitchen cabinet) use MDF ... cheers
Boo!
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Re: working with Melamine / MDF Boards versus PLyboard for cabinets
if you want some more technical specs on cabinet making using MDF and particle boards, go to the hafele website and download all their PDFs 🙂 ... 15 years ago, i sent an email to hafele requesting them for a catalog and they gave me a book including the technical specs of how to use their products, now everything is in PDFs 🙂 ... cheers
Boo!
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thanks for the info regarding workability. but what about durability in terms of long term use. thanks
also what are the limitations of MDF/HDF with regards to work stress specially in areas that are prone to moisture and wetness. thanks
where can i buy cheaper angle bars and c purlins with in novaliches area or fairview area. thank you 🙂
from my experience, MDF/HDF are more durable compared to particle boards ... but both are not that good when water or moisture starts to penerate the board ... this is the reason why this boards are painted, overlayed with melamine, formica, or whatever material ... its to keep water or moisture penetrating the board ... cheers
Boo!
