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tillius
 
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Default is mdf strong enough to build a cabinet carcass for my drill press stand?

is 3/4 mdf strong enough to build a cabinet carcass for my shop tools
such as a rolling cabinet for my bench top drill press; mortiser; etc?

Would it be better to use 3/4" hardwood plywood or a dimensional
lumber frame with mdf skin?

tillman
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Edwin Pawlowski
 
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"tillius" wrote in message
om...
is 3/4 mdf strong enough to build a cabinet carcass for my shop tools
such as a rolling cabinet for my bench top drill press; mortiser; etc?

Would it be better to use 3/4" hardwood plywood or a dimensional
lumber frame with mdf skin?

tillman


It should be, but it is also very heavy to handle. I used 3/4" birch
plywood with good results. Mine has a drawer in the fron and the pancake
compressor sits in the bottom. Just be sure to use good casters for easy
rolling. I have 4" on mine.


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Adam Diehl
 
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tillius wrote:
is 3/4 mdf strong enough to build a cabinet carcass for my shop tools
such as a rolling cabinet for my bench top drill press; mortiser; etc?

Would it be better to use 3/4" hardwood plywood or a dimensional
lumber frame with mdf skin?

tillman


For a rolling tool bench, you'll want something more sturdy and stable
than just an MDF carcass. Whatever your tools are sitting on not only
has to support the weight of the tool, but also has to absorb the weight
of the stock you're working with, stresses created by using the tool,
and in the case of a rolling cabinet, any shock from rolling over uneven
surfaces (e.g., cracks in the floor, concrete joints, etc.) Also, the
slightest hint of instability will magnify any minute vibrations or
imbalances in your machinery. A frame made of 2x4 lumber and some metal
angle brackets would only slightly increase the cost to build the bench,
and would lend a lot of stability to it. You'll be glad you spent the
extra time and money when you're about to cut a mortise into a nice,
expensive piece of stock. Also, for a rolling cabinet, remember to get
casters with brakes on them! (probably obvious, but you never know!)

-AD
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SawDust
 
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Personally I would use the MDF. It's strong, heavy very rigid,
provides a nice smooth surface. It can be pouted and shaped into
just about profile "if you want fancy". Takes screws and glues well.
Lift a sheet and you will think your lifting a tank. It's heavy
stuff. Excellent for a rolling cabinet, cause the weight will work
to your advantage with a drill press or mortiser on top.

MDF is also less expensive than Plywood.

The only caveat.. When you cut MDF you "must" wear a dust mask.
The dust is a very fine partical and between the dust and adhesive
particals, they are both respiratory health issues. Decent dust
masks are cheap in comparison to your health.

Pat



On 29 Nov 2004 19:23:01 -0800, (tillius)
wrote:

is 3/4 mdf strong enough to build a cabinet carcass for my shop tools
such as a rolling cabinet for my bench top drill press; mortiser; etc?

Would it be better to use 3/4" hardwood plywood or a dimensional
lumber frame with mdf skin?

tillman




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mp
 
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is 3/4 mdf strong enough to build a cabinet carcass for my shop tools
such as a rolling cabinet for my bench top drill press; mortiser; etc?

Would it be better to use 3/4" hardwood plywood or a dimensional
lumber frame with mdf skin?


I doubt mdf on it's own would hold up. Depending on the weight of your
press, plywood alone might not do it either. I'd suggest a 2x4 frame with a
couple of extra cross members to support the press, covered it with mdf.
That's what I did. It's quite sturdy and if we ever have an earthquake
you'll find me hiding underneath.


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Unisaw A100
 
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Bridger:
yes or no... depending on things like jointery, fasteners and
adhesives.



Ditto what Bridger John says. You could build it from
tissue paper if the injineering was correct.

Oh, and I do have a roll around stand for my drill press
made from MDF and it works fine but I understand most of the
ins and outs of the material.

UA100
  #9   Report Post  
Andy Dingley
 
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On 29 Nov 2004 19:23:01 -0800, (tillius)
wrote:

is 3/4 mdf strong enough to build a cabinet carcass for my shop tools
such as a rolling cabinet for my bench top drill press; mortiser; etc?


MDF is pretty strong, especially in 3/4"

What it's not good at is damp resistance (you _must_ paint, varnish or
at least wax this).

It's also moderately stiff, but not as good as ply, but it has poor
resistance to long-term creep or sag. A cantilevered shelf might look
fine when you make it, it might even hold up the weight you need, but
come back in a year or two and it will be drooping like the "before"
picture a viagra advert.. You really do need to support ends and tie
shelves into back panels etc.

MDF is also dense. This is a nuisance for anything you carry, but for
a rolling tool stand on wheels, it might act in your favour for extra
stability.

You'll also be wanting a biscuit jointer. It's just the best way to go
about MDF carcassing. Rebated laps if you want some positive location,
but go for those biscuits. Screws just don't work. For the "short
grain" problem, neither do lock mitre bits.

Would it be better to use 3/4" hardwood plywood or a dimensional
lumber frame with mdf skin?


Either will work, although I tend to work plywood as 1/2" and use more
panels of it.

I wouldn't go for "skinned studwall" construction. With a thin MDF
skin it's not stiff enough (OK for bookshelves, not for tools that
have high-frequency vibration). With a thick MDF skin you can make
something very big and strong, but I'd prefer to do it with taller
egg-crate internals of MDF as a torsion box. Keeping those skins
spaced well apart improves stiffness.

Here's a plan you might be interested in
http://christophermerrill.net/ww/pla...l_Stand_1.html
--
Smert' spamionam
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dageezer33
 
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On Tue, 30 Nov 2004 13:30:32 +0000, Andy Dingley
wrote:

Here's a plan you might be interested in
http://christophermerrill.net/ww/pla...l_Stand_1.html



Awesome,

I am looking to build a workbench for my garage and I've found it!

Many thanks.

JB


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Member
 
Posts: 63
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Adam Diehl
tillius wrote:
is 3/4 mdf strong enough to build a cabinet carcass for my shop tools
such as a rolling cabinet for my bench top drill press; mortiser; etc?

Would it be better to use 3/4" hardwood plywood or a dimensional
lumber frame with mdf skin?

tillman


For a rolling tool bench, you'll want something more sturdy and stable
than just an MDF carcass... A frame made of 2x4 lumber and some metal
angle brackets would only slightly increase the cost to build the bench,
and would lend a lot of stability to it.
-AD
I'm going to have to disagree with your assessment on this one. The key to making a cabinent that is strong and won't fall to pieces under movement and vibration isn't heavier materials and steel brackets. It's thoughtful design, good joints, and appropriate adhesive and fasteners.

My drill press is an old Shopsmith (1947 model) that sits on an MDF base that is shaped like a pyramid with a flat top. The unit is so heavy it takes two people to lift it. It doesn't have wheels, so when I need to move it, I drag it across my shop. This base has been in use for five years and is still rock solid. With proper design and execution MDF will work fine for a mobile work bench.

I recommend that you build a typical box cabinet with 3/4 inch MDF. Cut dado's along the sides and back to hold the bottom panel. On the botton of the cabinet, use triangular corner bracing - these braces will also be the attachement points for the caster wheels - use the largest ones you can find that lock. Also use triagular bracing at the top of the cabinet, as this will provide added stability and serve as the attachment points for the top of the cabinet. Use 3/4 inch MDF for the top work surface, and run it over the edges by a couple inches, but round the corners; if one layer doesn't feel solid enough, add another layer.

If you don't want to use a solid wood face frame for the cabinet, at least add a 3" to 4" strip of MDF along the front top of the cabinet running between the insides of the side panels; you can do the same beneath the bottom of the cabinet. Adding internal structures for shelves and drawers will even add to the strength of the cabinet.

You could probably even use 3/4 inch particle board for this project and be find. Alternatively, if you want a bigger rolling cabinet, consider making several smaller cabinets and bolting them together, then adding the wheels. I built a large mobile base for a home brewery out of 3/4 inch particle board with three cabinets bolted together. It was bomb proof when I was finished (but very heavy!)

I almost forgot...use plenty of glue and screws when assembling it.

Good luck!
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gandalf
 
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"Andy Dingley" wrote in message
...
On 29 Nov 2004 19:23:01 -0800, (tillius)
wrote:

(snip)

You'll also be wanting a biscuit jointer. It's just the best way to go
about MDF carcassing. Rebated laps if you want some positive location,
but go for those biscuits. Screws just don't work. For the "short
grain" problem, neither do lock mitre bits.

-----------
Screws can work, but one has to take into account the nature of the material
and the effects of gravity. I use a Trend pocket-hole gizmo and it works
well. There are caveats however. If the screw is used as a fastener it will
work, if it is used to bear a load it will likely fail. If you use the wrong
screw the MDF may split, if you use the right screw in the wrong place it
may split. If you screw into an edge without the appropriate pilot hole it
will likely split. If you don't use the correct stepped drill for
pocket-holes it will split. Once one takes all that into account
pocket-holes will let you make things out of MDF without hassle, except
one....lining the parts up. So I agree with you that rebates and dadoes will
save a great deal of clamping effort and ensure proper line up of parts,
(the pocket-hole joints will try and move as you tighten them). I'm going to
practice a little with first 1mm and then 2mm dadoes to see what works best
for me.

Regarding the OP's query I would say that MDF is quite adequate but I would
use 22mm for the top and 18mm for the rest and I would use pocket-holes to
fasten it all together.



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Charles Spitzer
 
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"makesawdust" wrote in message
...

Adam Diehl Wrote:
tillius wrote:-
is 3/4 mdf strong enough to build a cabinet carcass for my shop tools
such as a rolling cabinet for my bench top drill press; mortiser;
etc?

Would it be better to use 3/4" hardwood plywood or a dimensional
lumber frame with mdf skin?

tillman-

For a rolling tool bench, you'll want something more sturdy and stable
than just an MDF carcass... A frame made of 2x4 lumber and some metal
angle brackets would only slightly increase the cost to build the
bench,
and would lend a lot of stability to it.
-AD


I'm going to have to disagree with your assessment on this one. The
key to making a cabinent that is strong and won't fall to pieces under
movement and vibration isn't heavier materials and steel brackets.
It's thoughtful design, good joints, and appropriate adhesive and
fasteners.

My drill press is an old Shopsmith (1947 model) that sits on an MDF
base that is shaped like a pyramid with a flat top. The unit is so
heavy it takes two people to lift it. It doesn't have wheels, so when
I need to move it, I drag it across my shop. This base has been in use
for five years and is still rock solid. With proper design and
execution MDF will work fine for a mobile work bench.

I recommend that you build a typical box cabinet with 3/4 inch MDF.
Cut dado's along the sides and back to hold the bottom panel. On the
botton of the cabinet, use triangular corner bracing - these braces
will also be the attachement points for the caster wheels - use the
largest ones you can find that lock. Also use triagular bracing at the
top of the cabinet, as this will provide added stability and serve as
the attachment points for the top of the cabinet. Use 3/4 inch MDF for
the top work surface, and run it over the edges by a couple inches, but
round the corners; if one layer doesn't feel solid enough, add another
layer.

If you don't want to use a solid wood face frame for the cabinet, at
least add a 3" to 4" strip of MDF along the front top of the cabinet
running between the insides of the side panels; you can do the same
beneath the bottom of the cabinet. Adding internal structures for
shelves and drawers will even add to the strength of the cabinet.

You could probably even use 3/4 inch particle board for this project
and be find. Alternatively, if you want a bigger rolling cabinet,
consider making several smaller cabinets and bolting them together,
then adding the wheels. I built a large mobile base for a home brewery
out of 3/4 inch particle board with three cabinets bolted together. It
was bomb proof when I was finished (but very heavy!)

I almost forgot...use plenty of glue and screws when assembling it.

Good luck!


--
makesawdust


they (commercial factories) make large fish tank stands out of mdf. a large
tank could weigh upwards of 1000 lbs.


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On Tue, 30 Nov 2004 13:30:32 +0000, Andy Dingley
wrote:

On 29 Nov 2004 19:23:01 -0800, (tillius)
wrote:

is 3/4 mdf strong enough to build a cabinet carcass for my shop tools
such as a rolling cabinet for my bench top drill press; mortiser; etc?


MDF is pretty strong, especially in 3/4"

What it's not good at is damp resistance (you _must_ paint, varnish or
at least wax this).


I wouldn't have any part of the mdf in contact with the floor. Any
moisture on the end 'grain' and the stuff swells and weakens like
crazy.

--RC

It's also moderately stiff, but not as good as ply, but it has poor
resistance to long-term creep or sag. A cantilevered shelf might look
fine when you make it, it might even hold up the weight you need, but
come back in a year or two and it will be drooping like the "before"
picture a viagra advert.. You really do need to support ends and tie
shelves into back panels etc.

MDF is also dense. This is a nuisance for anything you carry, but for
a rolling tool stand on wheels, it might act in your favour for extra
stability.

You'll also be wanting a biscuit jointer. It's just the best way to go
about MDF carcassing. Rebated laps if you want some positive location,
but go for those biscuits. Screws just don't work. For the "short
grain" problem, neither do lock mitre bits.

Would it be better to use 3/4" hardwood plywood or a dimensional
lumber frame with mdf skin?


Either will work, although I tend to work plywood as 1/2" and use more
panels of it.

I wouldn't go for "skinned studwall" construction. With a thin MDF
skin it's not stiff enough (OK for bookshelves, not for tools that
have high-frequency vibration). With a thick MDF skin you can make
something very big and strong, but I'd prefer to do it with taller
egg-crate internals of MDF as a torsion box. Keeping those skins
spaced well apart improves stiffness.

Here's a plan you might be interested in
http://christophermerrill.net/ww/pla...l_Stand_1.html

Sleep? Isn't that a totally inadequate substitute for caffine?

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GregP
 
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On Tue, 30 Nov 2004 11:30:39 -0700, "Charles Spitzer"
wrote:


they (commercial factories) make large fish tank stands out of mdf. a large
tank could weigh upwards of 1000 lbs.



- at apx. 8 lbs per gallon of water.
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