"Paul Kierstead" wrote in message
news

How well did the MDF work? Did it suck up glue like crazy? My first two
tries varied...first one was one some very crappy softwood plywood. It
telegraphed through. The second was on a scrap of baltic birch ply; no
telegraphing in that case. But I have been eyeing some MDF...

Thanks for the update, much appreciated.


The edges of the MDF can suck up a lot of glue. So here's what you can do to
help that situation.
Depending on your brand of Hide Glue mix up a batch with twice as much
water.
Normal - 1 cup Ground Hide glue - 2 Cups water
Wash Coat - 1 cup Ground Hide Glue - 4 Cups Water
Apply this wash coat to the MDF and let it dry. If you are doing the edges
you may have to try this more then once. Using "real" wood as an edging
material on MDF is highly recommended over veneering the edges.

Veneer is thin so defects will telegraph through. You could try applying
multiple layers of Veneer. If you do treat it like you were making normal
plywood and alternate your "grain" direction. If the base is really bad it
will eventually telegraph through so use a good stable base.