Weight of Boards

[brianhabby]

I may have to make some trestle tables with folding legs. They need to be about 5 feet long so I figured I would try to get hold of 10' x 5' sheets of ply. When I enquired from one of our local suppliers (Richard Williams in Deganwy) the chap suggested I use MDF instead of ply. I said that I would prefer ply primarily because of the weight, these things will need to be moved up and down stairs and need to be as light as possible.

When he came back to me with the prices he said he had been checking the weights of the boards and that the MDF weighs 53 kilos per sheet while the ply is 52 kilos per sheet. I find this hard to accept, that there is only one kilo difference between a 10' x 5' sheet of MDF vs ply.

What do you guys think?

Incidentally, I would have preferred to use block board because it is very light in comparison, but apparently it is not easily obtained and certainly not in the sheet size I need (unless someone knows differently of course).

regards

Brian

 

[jasonB]

A lot depends on the MDF, something like Medite Premier is a lot lighter than Medite or Caber MR MDF. Same again with the ply, a softwood plywood is a lot lighter than a Far Eastern ply and birch heavier still. Less suppliers are doing the lightweight or ultralite MDF these days as the standard grade boards are getting lighter. Typical MR is 750kg/m3 and the light MDF about 500kg/m3

I can get veneered blockboard locally but its about twice the price of veneered MDF and only in 8x4

J

 

[brianhabby]

That's interesting Jason, I didn't realise there were such differences. I might go with the MDF then which he said would be about £62.00 + VAT per sheet as opposed to the ply at about £90.00. I think he said the ply was malaysian.

Blockboard would definitely be a better choice (weight wise) but as you say, when it is available it is only in 8' x 4' sheets and I could only get a single table top out of a sheet. (they will be 5' x 2' 6")

regards

Brian

 

[jasonB]

£62, thats at least twice what I would be looking to pay for a single sheet of 10x4!! standard MDF, Have a look at this ultralight MDF though not a sdurable as ply

http://www.meyertimber.com/default.aspx ... &catid=607

Have you thought of using 10x5 birch ply would cost similar to what you have been quoted but you would get 4 tops per sheet and no waste

http://www.meyertimber.com/default.aspx ... &catid=595

 

[brianhabby]

Been thinking about this more today and it is going to have to be ply, not MDF because the place where the tables will be stored is a damp atmosphere which isn't good for MDF.

Huws Gray quoted about £60 for either ply or MDF but Richard williams have the facility to cut it to size for me.

Will have to think about it a bit more as those two suppliers are my only real option locally

regards

Brian