In ,
Mayayana typed:
I think one of the posters here has confused particle board with MDF
tho. I would not use particle board for much of anything but MDF is
pretty good stuff

Just to make sure we're all alking about the same thing:

Particle board usually refers to hardboard made of
glued-up, small chips of wood. MDF is basically sawdust
and glue -- "micro-particle" board. MDO is fir plywood
with kraft paper embedded in a layer of plastic on both
sides, providing a smooth exterior plywood with a flat
surface. (At least flatter than fir ply alone.)

MDF has great compressive strength but low shear
strength. It's put together in layers, which easily
chip off if a corner is hit. It doesn't hold screws very
well. It's also *very* susceptible
to moisture, swelling up and disintegrating when it
gets wet. So MDF is good for laminate backer and
in situations where a very smooth surface is needed
that won't see any water exposure and won't have
exposed edges.

Okay. And then there is OSB -- Oriented Strand Board.

I have to admit that I have a hard time remembering what all of these
different types of materials are called, what they are best used for, etc.
I can always go online and look them up each time I need to know if I am at
a computer. But, that doesn't help much when I am in Home Depot etc. and
trying to decide what to get or if I am having a discussion with someone
about what to buy for a specific project.

Lots of choices, lots of different uses.