I’m confused by the MDF and MDO abbreviations. Living in somewhat rural NH, we don’t have a lot of lumber yards and I recently ordered and received a sheet of 3/4″ MDF that is a coated plywood. Recently I was in a HD and noticed MDF that is a coated composition board material. I see everyone referring to MDF for jibs but the photos don’t look like the plywood material I got.
Can someone clarify the difference between MDF and MDO and which is used commonly for jig fixtures?
AEW
Replies
Sounds like they sold you the wrong thing when you got your "MDF." MDF stands for Medium Density Fiberboard and MDO stands for Medium Density Overlay. MDF is similar to particle board. MDO is more similar to plywood, with a waterproof paper covering on it. It is denser than plywood and more stable (with respect to moisture) than MDF is.
forestgirl Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Thanks to everyone for clarifying this. I thought the home center had goofed but I wasn't sure.
AEW
MDF is Medium density fibreboard as F:-)))) G the smiling newly wed said but in my part of the globe MDO is a fir ply core (exterior glued)with a thin layer (20 thou or so)of fibreboard on one or both sides.An ideal way of making smooth ,exterior, paintable surfaces without the grain telegraphing through
AEW ,
As the earlier posts correctly stated the differences between MDF and MDO , one of the main uses of MDO is the exterior signs you see along the sides of the freeways and such.The thin coated material you mentioned is probably what is referred to as Melamine , which generally has a particle board core with one or both sides coated. Melamine is used a lot for shelving , closet packs and many use it for cabinet interiors, not me . MDF is preferred by painters for its smooth surface and easy to sand edges. If you have ever lifted a 3/4" sheet of MDF you will appreciate how HEAVY it really is.MDF is made of what they call wood flour , a very fine powdery sawdust material, then compressed under an enormous amount of pressure , so as in particle board there is no possibility of any core voids. dusty
Be careful using MDF; as it has many chemicals within......use your respirator....not a dust mask
In a nutshell, MDF is made from compact fibers typically from leftover wood pieces while MDO is made from pressed plywood bonded together by resin. In a way, MDF is a bit more "porous" in comparison to MDO. This article may help you understand better, too:
http://woodworkingtoolkit.com/mdo-vs-mdf/
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