Shopsmith Forums

wlhayesmfs wrote:Question what would you guy's suggest you use to build the replacement table for a radial arm saw or making a sliding cross cut table. Right now I am looking at making projects that I have been putting off for sometime. Been turning pens and working on toys for my new grandson.
Looking forward to warm weather and opening up the shop and cleaning it out.

I would use MDF without a doubt. I don't know why some say it might not last as long as particle board but in my opinion MDF is superior to particle board in every way. I have stopped using particle board almost entirely, to me it is junk.

On my Radial Arm I used MDF with about five coats of Boiled Linseed Oil. First off the table looks outstanding. Second so far every oops (such as spilt water, oil, glue, paint) has come right off with absolutely no effect. Third the table is flat and smooth and with a final coat of wax the wood slides on it perfectly. Fourthly after about 3-4 years there has been no detectable sag or warpage, nor chipping or crumbling.

My last radial arm table was made from a High density particle board (wood particles were very very tiny). I coated it with poly and I hated it from about a month after I made it until I finally replaced it. It warped, sagged, got water marks, chipped out, flaked and generally acted like particle board normally does.

I think a lot of what people are descibing here is not MDF but rather particle board or particle board coated with Melamine. Melamine is product that has a (usually) white plastic coating usually used in cabinets. Some wood grained melamine is used in furniture (usually knock down which comes in a box and you put it together). Please do not compare MDF to particle board! Two very different products, that have very different characteristics. One (particle) board is junk in my opinion the other (MDF) is a excellent product when used for what it was intended. To me MDF is almost plastic like in appearance, cutting shaping and in use.

One caveat with MDF when cut or shaped it produces a very fine almost powder type dust. Use of dust collector and dust mask are essential. However with proper equipment the dust can be nicely dealt with. MDF when routed using sharp bits produces a finish that is almost polished, it is excellent for molding and accent pieces that will be painted. I made some fluted columns using MDf that were painted, many think they are marble.

Also I really like the look and feel of MDF that is simply oiled, to me it has a rich look, almost leather or suede like. I have made many projects from it and the people that work was for have raved over the look, feel and finish I achieved using MDF.

Pro MDF advocate!

To reiterate what I said in post 30: I wood use MDF for any sacrificial purpose without a second thought. The basic difference between LDF (commonly known as particle board), MDF and HDF is the density. LDF is knot dense enough to have a completely smooth surface, it is weak and sags easily. I do knot use it for any purpose, except for underlayment for vinyl flooring (and although commonly done, that is not recommended by the flooring industry). HDF, while the strongest and smoothest of the three, is harder to get, and harder on your blades. MDF is ideal for any sacrificial purpose, e.g., RAS tables, chop saw tables, fences, etc. It is also good for underlayment for laminate counter tops, and for "shop" storage cabinets. If you are going to paint it, you can also use it for exposed surfaces, but IMHO, it does knot look as good as painted "real" wood. Also, I made the mistake of using (pre-primed) MDF as trim in my house, to save some money, and I notice that even though it was primed and I have a nice brushed on coat of paint on it, the stuff in the bathrooms is knot holding up. Within the next couple of years, I will be replacing it.

Ed in Tampa wrote:...I think a lot of what people are descibing here is not MDF but rather particle board or particle board coated with Melamine. Melamine is product that has a (usually) white plastic coating usually used in cabinets. Some wood grained melamine is used in furniture (usually knock down which comes in a box and you put it together)...

Malamine IS the plastic coating on the sheet goods. I am knot sure what grade/grades of fiberboard that they cover with it, but I am definitely knot referring to it in my post. I do knot think that melamine coated panels will make very good sacrificial tables, and it is a lot easier to paint non-melamine coated panels.

More on LDF: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&rlz=1I7ADBF_en&q=low+density+fiberboard&revid=1505641495&ei=iybUSbacJIOUswO5wfGrCg&sa=X&oi=revisions_inline&resnum=0&ct=broad-revision&cd=3

More on MDF: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medium-density_fiberboard

More on HDF: http://www.google.com/search?q=High+Density+Fiberboard&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7ADBF_en

a1gutterman wrote: Malamine IS the plastic coating on the sheet goods. I am knot sure what grade/grades of fiberboard that they cover with it, but I am definitely knot referring to it in my post.

And it is apparently available as a raw material very cheaply in China to sneak into all sorts of products including food stuffs.

robinson46176 wrote:And it is apparently available as a raw material very cheaply in China to sneak into all sorts of products including food stuffs.

Even worse then that]More on melamine.[/URL]