Particle board - US/UK definition

[RogerS]

In Sam Allens' Workbench book he discusses a benchtop made from a couple of sheets of 'particle' board.

Am I correct in saying that the US 'particle board' = UK MDF?

Thanks

Roger

 

[Les Mahon]

Roger,

I always thought particle board was what we call chipboard - there is lots of references to melamine faced versions of it being used in kitchen cabinet carcses which would make sense, but i'm at a loss to see how you would use it for a bench!

The 'muricans call MDF MDF same as us

HTH
Les

 

[Noel]

Think particle board is any man made board, i.e MDF, hardboard, chipboard etc.

Noel

 

[RogerS]

Gut feel suggests that he means MDF...I guess it might depend on when the book was written and what the terminology was then.


Roger

 

[Noel]

Looks like MDF on page 33, looks like chipboard on page 34. Think MDF will do the job with the hardboard on top.

Noel

 

[RogerS]

And he hangs a vice off it..relatively unsupported ...fig 3.7 p30...not too sure about that!

I'll go with you on this one, Noel....MDF..two sheets 18mm.

Roger

 

[Chris Knight]

He means chipboard. MDF was not much used in the USA at the time he wrote the book. I however built one of his benches (the Joiner's bench) in MDF and it has worked well.

For really dense chip board one could use a fire door (Halspan as was). Equally a solid core dor makes a great bench top.

 

[Anonymous]

Chipboard, not MDF

 

[Anonymous]

Perhaps y'all would recognize particle board by it's other common name: termite barf. Much easier to understand.
Here in the states we can get "high density" particle board that is much stronger than the other "chipboard" stuff and extremely heavy. The surface is glossy. I believe this is what Sam Allen was referring to.

 

[SlimShavings]

I can agree with Rodger. Except around here MDF is know as Termite Barf (it is more digested) and Chipboard,particleboard is called sawdust board. The high density is only used for cheap counter tops and really really cheap (aka WalMart) furniture. Most of that being made close to where I was born. MDf and particle board both weigh in at about 70-90 pounds for a 4x8 sheet. Knot sure what that is in MM 101cm x 202 cm ???

 

[Jake]

1220 by 2440, which coincidentally is the sheet size sold in metric Britain.


Jake

 

[Anonymous]

Particle board is between chipboard and MDF - denser than the former and less dust when working than the latter (larger particles!). If anyone wants to see some I've got a few bits lying around in my workshop somewhere, and a desk stand in the office which raises the monitor to a decent height above the desk surface... Like chipboard and MDF - don't ever get it wet!