bear Posted February 9, 2015 Share #1 Posted February 9, 2015 Have read that some kits are comming out with MDF material instead of plywood. Is it good or bad? How is the mdf to work with? Can you use screw clamps in MDF? Ant warping or other problems with it,like formaldahide smells? And what kit amkers have switched to using MDF? And why? Thanks Keith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wefalck Posted February 13, 2015 Share #2 Posted February 13, 2015 Don't know about kits, but like to work with it, because it is (largely) isotropic, i.e. it doesn't matter in which direction you are working. The material is designed to not warp. It sands and glues well, it is also easy to saw. It holds sharp corners. Hardness and compressive strength are slightly different vertical to the board and horizontal, which is due to the manufacturing and partily intentional. The idea is give a relatively hard surface, while keeping it workable. I seem to have heard some warnings against breathing-in the dust of MDF, but I don't actually know what the issue is. I not producing a lot of dust, so it wasn't something I was worried about. As it is is easy to get material in sheets from 1 mm thickness on in shops that cater for architects, I assume it is very popular with them. It can also be cut easily using lasers. Quote wefalck panta rhei - Everything is in flux Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert miller Posted February 13, 2015 Share #3 Posted February 13, 2015 Please tell me what MDF means. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Ensign Posted February 13, 2015 Share #4 Posted February 13, 2015 It stands for Medium density fibre board. As it happens I have been sawing some sheets of 25mm thick boards today, the dust is very fine and there is plenty of it. When planing mdf it comes off as dust rather than shavings, and I would suggest that a mask is worn when working it. B.E. Quote Current Build: HMS Indefatigable-1794-by-blue-ensign-vanguard-models-164-scale Medway-longboat-1742-by-blue-ensign-½”-scale Completed builds: HMS Sphinx 1775 by Blue Ensign. 1:64 scale - Vanguard Models Queen-Anne-Royal-Barge-circa-1700-by-Blue-Ensign Fifie fishing boat Lady Eleanor Muirneag-1903-–-a-scottish-zulu-fishing-boat-164-scale-based-on-the-vanguard-models-zulu-kit/ HM Cutter Alert 1777 HM Cutter Cheerful 1806 18th-century-English-longboat-by-Blue-Ensign-ms-148-scale/ finished 18thc English Pinnace by Blue Ensign-Model-Shipways-1:24 scale/ finished HMS-Pegasus-by-Blue-Ensign-finished-Victory-Models-1:64-scale/ Heller Seventy-four 1:150 scale - modified Le Superbe/Le Glorieux kit after Boudriot, waterline setting with sails. The schooner Pickle, Jotika pob kit 1:64 scale, my interpretation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chevygrunt Posted February 13, 2015 Share #5 Posted February 13, 2015 Hi, I would certainly recommend using a mask when working with MDF. It's not really the wood particles that is the nasty one here. It's the glue! Having worked as a maintenance worker in a former MDF manufacturing plant. I know that the glue they use contained formaldehyde and some say it is released when working with the material. I can remember that the area of the plant where the panels were pressed was particularly nasty and I was glad I was based on the other side of the plant. The only other downfall I find with MDF is that it will swell terribly with moisture, including paints, without proper sealing Cheers, Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsolka Posted March 11, 2015 Share #6 Posted March 11, 2015 Good one in medex, formaldehyde free mdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
figuerres Posted March 12, 2015 Share #7 Posted March 12, 2015 with mdf other than the chemicals off gassing I do wonder how it will last over a long time. when the computer and music industry first came out with the CD-ROM and DVD-ROM it was thought that they would last forever as long as the disk did not melt or break. we now know that some disks can go bad in a few years depending on the material they are made from. so will MDF last for say 50 or 100 years ? Quote Holding at Rigging stage : MS Bluenose 1:64, rigging and finish work Building Hull : MS Fair American 1:48 In the yard: 18th Century Longboat, Model Shipways Kit Done: AL Bounty Jolly Boat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thibaultron Posted March 12, 2015 Share #8 Posted March 12, 2015 MDF (particle board) has no strength, over time, under tension. In ship modeling this may not matter as much, but every shelf, piece of flooring, or furtniture I have has gone out to the trash over time. It also swells if it obsorbs water (major problem with floors). Quote Ron Thibault Shipjack Carrie Price from Pyro kit, with upgraded detailing and history. Going From A 2D Drawing To A 3D Printed Part Tutorial Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tadeusz43 Posted March 12, 2015 Share #9 Posted March 12, 2015 Hi, In my opinion MDF is too soft I use HDF for solid hull models. S/S Savannah Tadeusz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsolka Posted March 14, 2015 Share #10 Posted March 14, 2015 (edited) with mdf other than the chemicals off gassing I do wonder how it will last over a long time. when the computer and music industry first came out with the CD-ROM and DVD-ROM it was thought that they would last forever as long as the disk did not melt or break. we now know that some disks can go bad in a few years depending on the material they are made from. so will MDF last for say 50 or 100 years ? You have a point. Wood has a proven record of lasting very, very long, at least in certain conditions. On the other hand, mdf is used now even in restoration projects in architectural woodworking. The rule is, mdf for stability, wood for strength. Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) Moisture Resisitant, FSC Certified, No Added Formaldehyde (NAF) Medex® is a sustainable, moisture resistant, medium density fiberboard (MDF) panel utilizing a formaldehyde-free adhesive system and pre-consumer recycled wood fiber. Medex® is engineered for interior high moisture areas in non-structural applications and is used in place of sanded plywood or solid wood. With the versatility of a superior composite wood panel and the enhancement of indoor air quality, Medex® has been specified in hundreds of commercial, institutional and conservator projects since the 1980’s. Medex carries an industry leading MR50 moisture rating We have upgraded our stocking program to Medex over the venerable Medite II SierraPine’s Medex MDF is produced with a No Added Formaldehyde resin and 100% post-industrial recycled wood fiber. FSC MEDEX MAY CONTRIBUTE FOR THE FOLLOWING LEED CREDITS Materials & Resources (4.1, 4.2, 7.0) Indoor Environmental Quality (4.4) Stock Items 4' x 8' 4' x 10' 4' x 16' 5' x 8' 5' x 10' 1/4" ,3/8",1/2", 5/8",11/16",3/4",1" , 1-1/8" ,1-1/4" , Edited March 14, 2015 by Joshua tkay11 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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