MDF vs. ???

[oldhudson]

In posts recently mdf has been criticized as being 'dangerous' because it contains formaldehyde. Yes it does but so does hardwood plywood. I've never read any article on the matter that is both definitive and authoritative. I find mdf a dimensionaly stable material, cost effective and it paints up very nice. I'm not saying everyone should use it but it seems to me to be getting an excessively bad rap. Yes it is dusty so proper precautions are in order, but the should be anyway.

[Rockytime]

MDF cuts nice, no fuzzies, affordable but in humble opinion the dust is so much finer than sawdust that without air filtration, a good respirator and really good dust control the fine dust permeates everything. With proper equipment I would love cutting it. Unfortunately I do not have most of those things. Wish I did.

[Sycamore67]

I will not use MDF on my scroll saw due to the dust issues.  It gets into everything and on everything including your clothes.  Even with a dust mask you still have on your clothes and unless you take them off you spread it everywhere.

If you want to use it, good for you.  But not me.....

[Lucky2]

I would never cut MDF because of the dust and chemical issues, I don't like the stuff at all. Sure it takes a coating of paint well, but since I don't ever paint any of my work, that's a non issue for me.

Len

[dgman]

I agree with all three above. I never paint except backer boards.

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

2 hours ago, oldhudson said:

In posts recently mdf has been criticized as being 'dangerous' because it contains formaldehyde. Yes it does but so does hardwood plywood. I've never read any article on the matter that is both definitive and authoritative. I find mdf a dimensionaly stable material, cost effective and it paints up very nice. I'm not saying everyone should use it but it seems to me to be getting an excessively bad rap. Yes it is dusty so proper precautions are in order, but the should be anyway.

All wood products are health hazards so take nothing for granted. Solid woods can cause skin rashes if allergic as well as dust problems. MDF and particle boards are more highly dangerous because of the content of finely ground dust mixed with lots of glue that contains formaldehyde. Pressure treated lumber is even worse because of the toxins added to prevent rot. You have a new player that is used in homes today that is just as bad and that is lvl lumber and people use that to scroll also and is bad for you. Yes hardwood plywoods as well as Baltic Birch plywood is a hazard because of the glues used along with wood dust. Why MDF gets all the press is because of all things I mentioned that product produces the finest health hazardous dust and being so fine it stays in the air the longest, gets onto everything when working in a closed shop and hard to control even with the best dust collecting systems. It is used in the sign industry because of being stable and flat but great care is taken when used in shops.

I personally would never use it to scroll with. I have used it to make sleds for my tablesaw as jigs because of flatness but take great care with dust control and try to cut outdoors. I do use BB and other hardwood plywoods but the dust is more manageable.

The moral of this is always work safe and use dust collection at the source and if most of all a dust mask rated for the materials you are working with. Many other materials such as natural hardwoods to work with safer. my opinion.  

[SCROLLSAW703]

I wouldn't use mdf for a scroll project of any kind for the fine dust & the dust gettin into the workin parts of my saw, not to mention the fact that it gets into the workin parts of every other piece of equipment in the shop. 

I don't use pretreated lumber of any kind, either. Once you open the wood up, you're more at risk of breathin the chemicals in it & imo, it's not worth the chance. I use strictly hardwood material. No plywood of any kind. Just walnut, cherry, etc. Rough sawn at an 1" thick & mostly 10" - 12" wide. I plane to the thickness' I need.

[lawson56]

Well for me I trie it yrs ago, didn't like.Haven't used since, for the reasons named.

[NC Scroller]

I like Dgman do not paint except backers.  I like to incorporate the grain in my projects.  Wood has life and beauty.  MDF does not. 

[Bill WIlson]

MDF, like any other material, has its pros & cons.  For me, the cons limit its use to very selected applications.  I usually avoid it whenever possible.  Yes, it is stable, flat and takes paint well.  So do some other materials.  The dust is a big drawback for me.  It's heavy and prone to breakage.   In the proper application and with the right precautions, it can be quite useful, but it isn't for everything.

[Ron Johnson]

MDF has it's place and usefulness but definitely not in my shop. I don't want to be one dragging an oxygen tank behind me.The only ply I cut is BB, otherwise I only cut and use hardwoods using a high quality dust mask.