The Best Wood Substitute;


Medium Density Fiberboard, MDF, is the ideal wood substitute. In recent years, it has gained plenty of popularity as the best composite material. MDF is not only uniform, dense, smooth, and free of knots but it has desirable grain patterns, which makes it a brilliant substitute for solid wood. It can be used in numerous applications in place of wood. The only exception being when stiffness is a requisite quality as is characteristic of solid wood, like when making a particularly long bookshelf.

The MDF has smooth surfaces that make it an excellent base to apply veneers, pre-laminates and laminates. Normally, we can use MDF anywhere that its heavy weight does not raise an issue. It is also ideal when we don’t desire to show any wood grain, for example projects that involve painting the wooden surface.

Since MDF is denser than most woods, it is recommended to use the highest quality tools to machine it. Today, there are numerous specialized tools made from specifically designed carbide, ceramic, or diamond tools for cutting MDF. Safety tip: Use a dust mask when sanding or machining since it may release airborne wood particles and resin.

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