I’m using MDF for the center raised panel in some cabinet doors (poplar for the rails and stiles). Do I need to allow for an 1/8 inch gap in the rails and stiles for expansion as I would for a wood center panel or is MDF stable enough? Thank you for your responses.
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Replies
MDF does expand and contract with humidity changes, but not as much as solid wood. Figure that a panel will expand and contract about 1/8 inch per foot of width in all but very extreme environments. By comparison, the rule of thumb is that solid wood will move about 1/4 inch under similar conditions.
Don't forget that unlike solid wood, MDF expands and contracts in all directions, not just across the grain, so you need to leave room both at the sides and at the top and bottom of the panel.
John White
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