Mdf Build

[wayne123]

Hi all,

Looking for a bit of help with a small Project. I will be trying to make a shoerack that will measure 2 foot wide by 2 foot high. I will be putting about three shelves into this also, but my biggest question is how will i join the edges to make it sturdy. Hope I explained it right and also hope I can get some info.

 

[deserter]

Depends what tools you have and how much is seen. You could happily biscuit join the MDF reinforced with screws in unseen areas.


~Nil carborundum illegitemi~

 

[wayne123]

Depends what tools you have and how much is seen. You could happily biscuit join the MDF reinforced with screws in unseen areas.


~Nil carborundum illegitemi~

Thanks for the fast reply, I have a router and biscuit jointer, I will be painting it anyway so i dont mind seeing the screws as i can fill and sand them. Would the biscuits cause the mdf to swell and break up on me. if not can i use them when im joining the corners (edge to face) and put a few screws just to make it stronger.

Again many thanks for the reply.

 

[deserter]

I used to work at a very upmarket factory making very expensive furniture out of veneered MDF, and almost every cabinet was held together with biscuits and screws on the unseen corners. Obviously glued as well but never had any swell whilst I was making them.

The shelves you could either route dado's for or install then on shelf pegs.


~Nil carborundum illegitemi~

 

[nev]

Rebate the side panels with router to the thickness of mdf shelf. glue shelf into rebate. ?

 

[deserter]

Sorry nev yeah that's what I meant, I was just falling asleep as I typed last night.


~Nil carborundum illegitemi~

 

[AndyT]

I suggest a lot depends on whether it is going to have a back on it or not.
Without a back, the shelf-to-upright joints have to be a fairly strong to stop it going out of square, so use biscuits or rebates and screws as has been suggested.

But for something that small (assuming nobody will be standing on it) you could take a very simple approach and just put screws through the verticals into the thickness of the horizontals (drill a pilot hole first) provided that you then add a back to it (thin MDF, plywood or hardboard) fixing it into the uprights and the shelves with small nails or screws.

It will make it much more stable and keep the joints square.

 

[nev]

Des, no need to apologise, you got there before me.
Although I must admit until recently I thought a dado was that wooden bit running around the middle of the wall in the living room, didnt know that dado = rebate

 

[Mike Wingate]

Screws are fine in the faces of the MDF, but can split edges even if pilot holes have been drilled.

 

[wayne123]

Thanks everybody for the help all this info should get me on my way i will be putting a back on the unit anyway and go will go down the route of biscuits and see how I get on. Again many thanks for the help.

 

[Steve Maskery]

D until recently I thought a dado was that wooden bit running around the middle of the wall in the living room, didnt know that dado = rebate

It doesn't, Nev.

It's a confusion of American and British terms.

A rebate (UK) = a Rabbet (US) and has one side and a bottom, so is always along the edge, or across the end, of a board. It is L-shaped in cross-section.
A dado (US) = a housing (UK) and has two sides and a bottom and runs across a board. If the same cut is made along the length we usually call it a groove. It is U-shaped in cross-section.

OTOH a Rebate (US) = a Discount (UK), whilst a Rabbit (UK) has sticky-up ears and a fluffy bum.

Steve