Shopsmith Forums

reible wrote:I love the old oil or tempered masonite but it is hard to find around here anymore... you can get something that resembles it with a finish on only one side and under sized at that, have to work with that as my supply of the older stuff runs out.

That is my favorite jig material and I cut it all the time no blade issues at all... are we talking the same stuff??

Ed

What has lately been called 'tempered' is not like the 'old' stuff. I do not know who originally produced 'masonite' but about 30-40 years ago the taiwanese began shipping 'hard board' here. Theirs was 'softer'. Have not seen any of the OLD hard dark brown very hard since. The old stuff would 'shatter' if dropped hard.

It all was made usually in 1/8" thickness. Some 1/4" also. Only thing that would survive cutting it was carbide blades(not common then and expensive).
Used hacksaw to cut it many a time(steel cutting teeth).


They used to make pegboard out of it with 1/8" holes. The 'newer' stuff was so much softer that they had to go to 1/4" holes today. My shop walls are of the old stuff(built 40+ yrs ago). Only trouble is 1/8" hooks etc. are almost impossible to find nowdays. They also used to make counter topping with a VERY hard finish in various colors(50+ yrs ago).

I've had access to the dark masonite for more then 40 years and it doesn't sound like the same stuff you are talking about. I have the spec sheets for it somewhere in my collection of stuff... There was a plant that made it in WI, can't recall the name of the town and the main company was down south somewhere, it was named after the guy that came up with it Mason. The original company has been gone for a while and I think several companies have owned the rights to the name....

It was processed then coated with an oil and then baked hence the name oil board was sometimes used. That also accounted for the dark color. The original stuff I worked with was smooth on both sides. The stuff while heavy would never have broken in a simple fall... way to strong and flexible for that.

I too have all 1/8" peg board and you can find the hooks and stuff at any of the big box stores. And they still sell a 1/8" peg board which I think now goes my the name fiber board product.

I do recall a material that sounds like what you are taking about, it had a "clay" surface but was formed in layers rather then the more uniform masonite tempered stuff... in fact it may have been made by them for siding houses???

So maybe it depends on where you lived as to what the material was called and where it came from.

I seem to recall seeing a boat that was built of this stuff during WWII... I think it maybe some where in WI but the I'm not sure if it is still there. I'm sure that is where the plant was.

I found a place about 50 miles away that said they would order it for me but wanted a 10 sheet order... I keep hoping to find it sitting on a shelf somewhere like I use to. I was told I could order it at Home Depot but after several attempt trying to find someone who actual knew how to do it and would do it I gave up... that is why I have the spec sheets for it so they could simply copy down the numbers but....

Maybe this spring I will get back on this... I've been using the lighter brown stuff that is finished on one side and undersized but it is not any where as nice for jigs as the tempered finished on 2 sides stuff.

Ed

jpg40504 wrote:What has lately been called 'tempered' is not like the 'old' stuff. I do not know who originally produced 'masonite' but about 30-40 years ago the taiwanese began shipping 'hard board' here. Theirs was 'softer'. Have not seen any of the OLD hard dark brown very hard since. The old stuff would 'shatter' if dropped hard.

It all was made usually in 1/8" thickness. Some 1/4" also. Only thing that would survive cutting it was carbide blades(not common then and expensive).
Used hacksaw to cut it many a time(steel cutting teeth).


They used to make pegboard out of it with 1/8" holes. The 'newer' stuff was so much softer that they had to go to 1/4" holes today. My shop walls are of the old stuff(built 40+ yrs ago). Only trouble is 1/8" hooks etc. are almost impossible to find nowdays. They also used to make counter topping with a VERY hard finish in various colors(50+ yrs ago).

I CHOSE MY DESCRIPTION CARELESSLY. It would break if dropped on its edge. It would break if bent too far. It was 'finished(VERY smooth)' on one side and flat but not so smooth on the back side. It had a distinctive 'smell'. As I recall it was made by MASONITE CORP, but gee that was a looong time ago. The untempered masonite would crumple when dropped on edge rather then break.
I can't say it is no longer available, I just have not seen any thing resembling it in the past 30 yrs.

P.S. They did make siding out of it for a while. Hail would not ding it.

reible wrote:
Maybe this spring I will get back on this...

Ed

Ed, that would be great! My searches in the local area have been fruitless. Maybe someone in a larger market would have more success.

It doesn't seem like 30 years ago that one could buy it at the local lumber yards!:eek: But then, I may have "oldtimer's disease".

The stuff was great for all sorts of uses and, darned near indestructible. We used to make molds with it for square blocks of plaster of Paris so Cub Scouts could sculpt little animals.

jpg40504 wrote:What has lately been called 'tempered' is not like the 'old' stuff. I do not know who originally produced 'masonite' but about 30-40 years ago the taiwanese began shipping 'hard board' here. Theirs was 'softer'. Have not seen any of the OLD hard dark brown very hard since. The old stuff would 'shatter' if dropped hard.

It all was made usually in 1/8" thickness. Some 1/4" also. Only thing that would survive cutting it was carbide blades(not common then and expensive).
Used hacksaw to cut it many a time(steel cutting teeth).


They used to make pegboard out of it with 1/8" holes. The 'newer' stuff was so much softer that they had to go to 1/4" holes today. My shop walls are of the old stuff(built 40+ yrs ago). Only trouble is 1/8" hooks etc. are almost impossible to find nowdays. They also used to make counter topping with a VERY hard finish in various colors(50+ yrs ago).

I went to my favorite wholesale lumber yard a short time back. The trip was suppose to yield three sheets of masonite to put on my workbench tops. I did not come home empty handed but I came home disappointed and $40-$50 poorer.

I asked for masonite and the guy came back with three sheets of "hard board". Not near what I had expected. He told me that what I wanted was available in some outlets by special order only but that he would not order for me. Hood Industries has always done well by me so I have "hard board" waiting for installation.

The only masonite I have seen lately is on the clip boards that I have hanging around the shop and computer area. Come to think of it, they are all about as old as my kids all of who have long been gone from home.

A bit of interesting reading about Masonite... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masonite

a1gutterman wrote:A bit of interesting reading about Masonite... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masonite

It would appear "masonite" is no more!:(

MDF is 'popular, anybody tried HDF??????

jpg40504 wrote:It would appear "masonite" is no more!:(

MDF is 'popular, anybody tried HDF??????

I have; see post 17 this thread.

Well I learn a LOT after about an hour and half of reading.

The term Masonite is used for a lot of things, clipboards as Dusty mentioned and for "bats" (I'll let you figure out what that is about... not baseball or the flying kind) and it seems that artists love it to paint on. So while I was looking for something that would work for my projects I came upon this:
http://www.decpanels.com/Signature_S2S.html

As a very fast summery, the original product was a "wet process" and you had only one smooth side, very shortly after that came the "wet/dry" which let you have 2 good sides (this is the stuff I want). It looks like they had two methods of doing the tempering (the oil way of doing it), one way won out... again you can look this up if you like. Several companies make versions of this "duron" is one of them.

The good part about the "masonite" process is that it uses the natural lignin for the bond. This is the main difference between the HDF which is "dry processed" but requires something to "glue" it all together.

So for tonights efforts I now know what I want to find... maybe tomorrow I'll locate a local place to buy it. Not that it looks like that should be to hard:
http://www.decpanels.com/stores.html

Ed

decpanel site leads to home depot/lowes.. neither carry decpanel!:(