Overheard a guy at the lumber yard say something about MDF that made me stop

I was picking up some birch plywood and this older cabinetmaker told the guy next to him that MDF is fine if you treat it like particle board with a good attitude. Made me think about how I've been using it for drawer bottoms and backs for years but always feel a little guilty about it. He said the trick is to seal every edge with shellac before assembly, not just paint over it later. Has anyone else tried that method or do you just avoid MDF altogether?

2 comments

2 Comments

harris.aaron18d ago

Whoa, I used to be one of those "real wood or nothing" snobs but this actually makes a ton of sense. I might give that shellac trick a shot next time I need some cheap drawer parts.

jason1118d ago

Yeah, have you tried using a wax-free shellac for that? I did the same thing on some MDF shelving and it kept the edges from swelling up even in a damp basement.