MDF Good for stands?

mr_alberta · #1 07-05-2004, 04:08 PM

Was just wondering if MDF is good for skinning stands with. Is it as strong as regular plywood? Anything special I should know about working with MDF?

Thanks.

BMW Rider · #2 07-05-2004, 04:39 PM

Mdf is strong as a vertical member, but is prone to sagging in a horizontal plane. It can be challenging stuff to work with as it does not readily accept screws into the edge, it's very heavy, and the dust produces when cutting and milling is very fine and irritating (and toxic due to the resins). If you do not predrill, it will split very easily, and special screws and hardware are best for it. It does mill very cleanly, and regular wood glue holds well on it and it is reasonably priced. It is not water resistant; if it is not very well protected, any small amount of moisture will cause it to swell and lose its structural integrity. It certainly would not be my fiirst choice for an aquarium stand.

AJ_77 · #3 07-05-2004, 05:52 PM

I was advised against using it at all. Yup, plywood is much better.

mr_alberta · #4 07-05-2004, 07:12 PM

Alrighty, thanks.

AJ_77 · #5 07-09-2004, 01:43 AM

Perhaps it's alright for the pros, though... Could somebody comment on this company's use of it, which puts a whole page of pro-MDF stuff on its site? I'm no carpenter, and I'll say again that I was advised against using the stuff. Maybe in the hands of the less-skilled it's a disaster waiting to happen?

http://www.aquariumstands.net

Azilla · #6 07-09-2004, 10:24 AM

Once MDF is sealed its great. lol get it wet unsealed then u have troubled it would be good for under tanke shelf units and extra braceing but other then that sealed or unsealed i wouldn't trust it.

BMW Rider · #7 07-09-2004, 05:59 PM

Like I said before it is a cheap easy to work with material. You can rout profiles into it to create all those fancy mouldings, it finishes smooth with almost any paint and little sanding, and built correctly it will do the job of carrying the weight. In the long term though as an aquarium stand, I think it will not stand up as well as a properly finished stand built with plywood and solid wood. Any amount of moisture that penetrates the finish will swell the mdf and make it look terrible, not to mention reduce it strength. I'd like to see what some of those stands look like after five years of use.

I built a welded steel stand to replace an mdf stand once for an office. The mdf stand was nearly ready to collapse under the weight of the tank (it had sagged nearly an inch at the back edge) due to moisture damage. It would have been a huge mess to have had 200 gallons of salt water pouring down from the 8th floor office. I will never build an aquarium stand out of mdf. I'm not tottaly against mdf, I do use it for other applications where I feel it is better suited.

Chin_Lee · #8 07-09-2004, 06:22 PM

I build the stand out of solid 2x4's and 2x6, then used MDF on the outside instead of plywood; it does not provide any structural support. Its so easy to work with especially with a router. if it ever gets wet and swells, my stand won't collapse but i did seal the edges really well.

mr_alberta · #9 07-09-2004, 07:19 PM

How did you seal the edges? The strength of the stand comes mainly from my 2x4 frame, but the MDF would be the finish of the stand and would hopefully add some rigidity to the stand itself.

Chin_Lee · #10 07-09-2004, 09:33 PM

laminate paint to seal the edges (make sure you get all edges top/sides/bottom), mouldings to cap exposed horizontal edges, and router to make round vertical corners.