Basic Difference of MDF & Particle Board

Did you know Basic Difference of MDF & Particle Board? MDF is short for medium density fiberboard. MDF and particleboard are two forms of inexpensive wood-based sheet goods used by home and furniture builders, sometimes as substitutes for plywood.

 

Construction

Very fine particle waste wood products, much more like layers of paper than wood, make MDF. Particleboard comes from very coarse sawdust mixed with special glues.

 

Water-Resistance

MDF is reasonably water-resistant, although you do not want to expose it to water if you can avoid it. Particleboard will soak up water easily, lose its stability and can fall apart.

 

Appearance

MDF has a very smooth texture and does not need edge banding; it also takes finishes well. Particleboard simply does not look good---any exposed edges will need to be finished, as will its flat surfaces.

 

Building Use

Did you Know Basic Difference of MDF & Particle Board? MDF is often used for built-ins. Particleboard is best used for under-flooring. Either material can become shelving and some types of furniture.

 

Warnings

Neither MDF nor particleboard is solid wood, so neither is as strong nor holds screws as well as solid wood. Some applications require special fasteners to use with these products. If you build with either material, use recommended glues in addition to any fasteners.

Type of Wood Grain

In this Post I would be explain about Type of Wood Grain. an engineering must know this wood grain before you select the best for you project, here they are Type of Wood Grain :

1. When you cut a board across the grain (perpendicular to the grain direction and the growth rings), you reveal end grain.
2. Cut wood parallel to the grain direction and tangent to the growth rings, and you’ll see plain grain (also called tangential or flat grain).
3. Cut it parallel to the grain direction but through the radius of the growth rings to see quarter grain .(also referred to as radial grain).
4. Both flat grain and quarter grain are sometimes called long grain.

Definition Cord of Wood

A cord of wood is a precise amount of wood, measuring 128 cubic feet (3.62 cubic meters). You may hear the term “a cord of wood” thrown about a great deal in the firewood industry, where wood is typically sold by the cord to consumers, and it also appears in some discussions of timber products. In the case of firewood delivery, it is very important to be aware of how much wood is in a cord, as many firewood dealers unfortunately skimp on their cords in the hopes that consumers will not notice.

The measurement of a cord is arrived at by stacking the wood, ideally as tightly as possible. A full cord measures four feet by four feet by eight feet (1.21 by 1.21 by 2.43 meters). As a general rule, the first stacking of the wood comprises the official measurement; if wood is stacked in the yard of a dealer and measured as a cord, for example, this is accepted as the true measurement. If, on the other hand, someone throws loose wood into a truck, delivers it, and then stacks it, this stack will be measured to determine how much wood there is.

The concept of a cord of wood emerged in the 17th century, when stacks of wood were literally measured with a cord. The standardized measure was supposed to make it easier for people to buy and sell wood, by creating a unit of measurement which reflected the most common configuration of wood. From the beginning, though, the measurement of a cord of wood fluctuated, as it can be influenced by how the wood is stacked and handled, gaining or losing as much as 10% of its volume.

People also sell wood in partial cords. A rick, for example, is a third of a cord. Some people refer to a “pickup cord,” which can measure anywhere from a half cord to a quarter of a cord, depending on the size of the pickup and how the wood is loaded. Since many dealers deliver in pickups, this can be frustrating for consumers, as they will not know how much wood they have until the wood is stacked, and of course payment is demanded on delivery.

If you are buying firewood, there are a couple of ways to ensure that the wood is measured accurately, so that you pay a fair price. One way is to go to the dealer's yard yourself and inspect a cord of stacked wood before it is delivered. You may be able to get a discount on the wood if you have a truck and you drive to pick it up. You can also insist that the dealer stack the wood on delivery so that you can see how much there is. The best way to make sure that you get a full cord of wood, however, is probably to rely on word of mouth recommendations from friends, as fair dealers generally become known in their communities.   

Softwood Plywood Grades

In years past, it was easy to find cabinet quality softwood plywood at just about any lumberyard or home improvement center. But not anymore. Today, with the high cost of lumber, all they usually stock are construction grades. To find a higher grade, you'll need to do a little legwork.

GRADES. But before you do, it's a good idea to be familiar with softwood plywood grades. The most common are A, B, C, and D. With the A and B grades, large knots are replaced with football-shaped patches. Small knots and slight gaps are filled with a synthetic wood filler, and voids along the edges are common.

In the lower grades of plywood (C and D), there's more patching and filling -- even open gaps and defects are allowed. For shop use, we'll generally stick with a BC (utility) grade of plywood (around $25 for a 3/4" thick sheet). But if we're building a piece of furniture, we move up to a higher quality plywood.

HIGHER QUALITY. Here in Des Moines, Iowa, we can buy quality, high-grade AA and AB softwood plywood from a national lumber dealer -- one with with stores all over the US -- and from a local lumberyard that caters to the professional cabinet shops in the area.

If you have trouble finding dealers like these, try looking in the Yellow Pages under cabinets and cabinetmakers, or millwork shops. Then give them a call and ask where they're buying their softwood plywood.

FACE VENEER. When you do find some, take a close look at it. We've noticed that there's a wide range in quality -- even within a grade. For example, at one local lumberyard, we can buy two 3/4"-thick sheets of AB plywood that are both produced by the same manufacturer. One sheet has five plies with wild grain on the "A" face ($45). Knots have been removed and patched. Other surface imperfections have been filled. And since interior plies are a lower grade, there's a good chance the sheet will be riddled with voids.

The other sheet is a different product manufactured to a higher standard ($48). Instead of five plies, there are seven. The grain and color on the "A" face is straighter and clearer. There are no knots or patches. And with higher quality interior plies, the sheet is free of voids.

It's our experience that even though you'll have to pay a few dollars more for this type of softwood plywood (and do some extra legwork to find it), it's well worth it.

Particleboard

Lets take a look at particleboard. Most lumberyards and home centers carry at least two kinds: Floor Underlayment and Industrial.

Floor underlayment, as its name implies, is used under carpeting or tile. It consists of a single layer of coarse wood particles that are coated with glue and pressed into sheets.

But the large size of the particles creates a rough texture on the surface. So this type of particleboard doesn't sand or machine well. Nevertheless, it's inexpensive. And it's heavy (a full sheet weights 94 pounds). Because of this, I occasionally use it in projects like a tool stand to help dampen vibration.

If you're building a cabinet or piece of furniture, you'll get better results using an industrial grade of particleboard. It has a core layer of coarse wood particles that's reinforced by two outer layers of finer particles. The high density of fine particles in the outside layers increases the overall strength of the particleboard. And it creates a smooth, uniform surface that's ideal for applying wood veneer or plastic laminate.

While you can apply these materials yourself, many home centers offer particleboard with a number of different surface treatments already applied. For example, it's available with both melamine (a thin layer of plastic on each side) and wood veneer.

Besides a smooth surface, particleboard is also very stable -- there's almost no movement with changes in humidity.

Regardless of the product or the grade, it's best to use a carbide-tipped saw blade or router bit when working with particleboard. Because of its high glue content, even a good quality steel blade or bit will dull quickly.

Another thing to consider when working with particleboard is how to join the pieces together. To maintain its strength, avoid using joints that require cutting into the outside layers of the particleboard.

For example, a butt joint held together with biscuits produces a strong joint. Or simply glue and screw two pieces together. I've found that a screw with a straight shank and deep threads (like a drywall screw) isn't as likely to pull out as a standard wood screw.

TIP: To improve screw-holding strength even more, use a longer screw instead of one with a larger diameter.

Tips to Buying Hardwoods

I think the biggest trick to buying hardwood is to take your time. A friend of mine says the process we use to select hardwood is like a beauty pageant -- except the contestants are pieces of lumber.

For the preliminary round, each piece is quickly judged for color, grain, and lack of warp. The best of these are set aside as semi finalists. Then the semi finalists are looked over carefully.

Each piece is scrutinized for sapwood, knots, stains, checks, snipe, and chipout. This helps bring the board count down even further. Finally, we make our final selections based on color match and grain pattern.

Although this sounds like a lot of work, it's not. And besides, we enjoy rummaging through lumber. Who know what we'll find? The guys are the lumber store know we'll go through the entire stack, but they don't mind. They know we'll carefully restack the lumber after we're done sorting. There's nothing wrong with being finicky about lumber. It'll pay off in the long run -- you'll see it in the finished project.

SIX STEPS FOR BUYING LUMBER

1) The first step to buying lumber is to quickly sort for the flattest, straightest, and nicest-looking boards.

2) Once you have about twice the amount of lumber you'll actually need, check the stack for boards containing sapwood.

3) When shuffling through your stack, also sort carefully for knots, stains, checks, and chipout.

4) After the field has been narrowed, compare each board to the others and select the best color match.

5) If you still have more lumber than you'll need, sort the stack one more time for the boards with the straightest grain.

6) After making your final selections, tally up the board footage (thickness x width x length -- all in inches -- and divide by 144) to make sure you have enough lumber.

Note: We always get 15% to 20% more than what the project calls for. This gives us room for waste and to make a mistake or two. It also lets us be a little more picky in matching color and grain when we're actually building the project.

Tips to Buying Woodworking Tools and Equipment

 Before you buying woodworking tools and equipment you must knowing of you need to process in projects.

Value in Tools

   None of us likes paying more than we have to for anything. Unfortunately, trying to get a good deal can, if we are not careful, cost us more money.

   The popularity of woodworking has made that marketplace attractive to more and more companies who offer an ever-increasing line of power and hand tools. The law of supply and demand may have lowered the price of some tools, but it also spurred the marketing of bargain-priced tools that may or may not be the best value for your situation.

   When I first started buying woodworking equipment I tended to look for higher quality when making larger purchases. However, I was just as likely to put emphasis on price when considering smaller tools like drills, sanders, or routers. It did not take long in the shop to learn that regardless how well one tool was performing, inadequate performance of bargain-priced tools used afterwards could still produce unsatisfactory results. Sometimes, I had to remake parts of a project when mistakes or the limited capabilities of a lower priced tool rendered a part unusable. These situations were not only frustrating; each occurrence increased the cost of the tools I thought I had saved money on.

   An experienced woodworker once told me those of us who build projects regularly have to consider ourselves to be job shops, not hobbyists. We use tools more frequently, work with tougher materials and expect more precision than bargain priced tools were designed for.

Working Within a Budget

   Like most woodworkers, I would love to have my shop full of top-quality tools, all from the best names in the industry. Unfortunately, my budget steadfastly disagrees. Therefore, I have to compromise. Like most of you, I have to get the best equipment I can without having to convince my wife living in a tent would improve our quality of life.

   Having to operate your shop on a budget does not automatically mean buying cheaper tools. Planning purchases effectively, taking advantage of promotions and careful assessment of your shops needs go a long way towards stretching your tool dollars.

   It is also important to understand the capabilities of each tool and how jigs or techniques can expand its uses and effectiveness. All of the woodworking magazines and web sites regularly show us how to build jigs and fixtures that allow us to perform various tasks accurately and safely. Some of these adaptations allow one tool to do the job of another, and do it well. Knowing the needs of your shop and being able to match them to the various jigs and fixtures could increase your capabilities without having to add more equipment.

What You See Is What You Get - Sometimes

   Sometimes the difference between a quality tool and its bargain priced counterpart is obvious. Other times the differences are less apparent. Price, in some cases, can be a general indicator of quality, but we need to look beyond a price tag to be sure a tool is right for our needs. There are high-dollar tools that were designed with specific capabilities that if exceeded, can shorten the life of the tool or affect the quality of the work it produces.    Case in point. I bought a rail and stile router bit set with a ¼-inch shank. The set consisted of a single mandrel on which cutters were changed to complete a set of rails and stiles. The small set worked, and I did build acceptable cabinet doors, but before long, it was increasingly difficult to get clean cuts and tight fitting joints.

   Later when I purchased a heavy-duty plunge router with a ½-inch collet, I also bought a heavy-duty kitchen cupboard bit set with ½-inch shanks. Laying these production quality bits next to my old ¼-inch shank set was revealing. The better set not only had the heavier shanks, they were much heavier overall. The flywheel effect from the additional mass of the production set would obviously produce smoother cuts. In addition, the new set had individual bits for rails, another for stiles and yet another for raising panels. My ¼-inch rail and stile set did not even offer a panel raising bit, and there few of them on the market with the smaller shank. The first doors I made with the heavy duty, and more expensive, bit set proved this was a wise purchase. They worked great, as I hoped the first set would have.

Penny Wise, Pound Foolish

   It is important to understand the needs of the work you are doing so you can temper your buying decision with that knowledge.

   If in trying to save money, we have to replace a tool that will not do the job, we simply increase the cost of the correct tool by the price of the "bargain" we thought we found.

Understand Your Needs

   Knowing what tool you need is important when having to make a list for someone who wants to give it as a present. Friends and relatives may have a true desire to get you a good tool, but they may not understand your needs and could easily present you with a tool that simply will not work."

   Now, after replacing several tools I thought would "suffice," I opt for the best tool I can afford. If we consider that our skills and capabilities are expanding, and the projects we build increasing in complexity, our need for quality tools is never reduced.

Types of Wood for Woodworking

Let's look more into the various types of wood for woodworking. The type of wood you choose determines the beauty and strength of the pieces. Many varieties of wood are available and each has its own properties. The following sections introduce you to the most common types of soft and hardwoods. check this below : 

Hardwoods

Mahogany: is finely grained wood with reddish brown color. It is highly durable and can resist swelling, shrinking and warping. It is extensively used for quality furniture such as wooden cabinets, boat construction, wood facings and veneers.

Walnut: has fine texture and is strong, easy to work with. It resists shrinking and warping and can take all types of finishes very well. It is mostly used for making gunstocks, solid and veneered furniture, novelties, cabinetry and wall paneling.

Oak: has good bending qualities apart from being durable. It finishes well and resists moisture absorption. Oak is good for furniture, trimming, boat framing,  wooden desks and flooring.

Maple: is a fine textured wood with immense strength and hardness. With moderate shrinkage, maple machines well and is best used in flooring, fine furniture and woodenware such as bowling alleys.

Cherry: is close-grained wood and as resists warping and shrinking. It gets red when exposed to sunlight. It ages well and is extensively used in cabinet making, boat trim, novelties and solid furniture handles.

Rosewood: is close grained hard wood with dark reddish brown color. It has an exclusive fragrance. It is hard to work upon and takes high polish. It is good for making musical instruments, piano cases, tool handles, art projects, veneers and furniture.

Teak: is a hard and moisture- resistant wood. It resists warping, cracking and decay and is best used in fine furniture, paneling, shipbuilding, doors, window framing, flooring and as a general construction wood.

Shesham: is also known as Indian Rosewood and is a rich medium brown wood with deep grains. It is a fast-growing hardwoods and the functional furniture made from it can deal with everyday stresses and strains without loosing its attractive appearance. It is highly durable, easily carved and is exclusively used for making furniture, particularly almirahs and cabinets.

Softwoods

Pine: has a uniform texture and is very easy to work with. It finishes well and resists shrinkage, swelling and warping. It is widely used in house construction, paneling, furniture, molding and for making wooden boxes.

Hemlock: is lightweight and machines well. It is uniformly textured and has low resistance to decay. It is mainly used for construction lumber, planks, doors, boards, paneling, sub flooring and crates.

Fir: is uniformly textured and has low resistance to decay. It is nonresinous, works easy and finishes well. Fir is used for making furniture, doors, frames, windows, plywood, veneer, general millwork and interior trim.

Redwood: is light, durable and easy to work with. It has natural resistance to decay and is good for making outdoor furniture, fencing, house siding, interior finishing, veneering and paneling.

Spruce: is a strong wood that finishes well and has low resistance to decay. It possesses moderate shrinkage and is light. It is a good option for making masts and spars for ships, aircraft, crates, boxes, general millwork and ladders.

Cedar: is a reddish wood with sweet odor. It is very easy to work with, uniform in texture and is resistant to decay. Cedar is extensively used in chest making, closet lining, shingles, posts, dock planks, novelties and Venetian blinds.

Other Woods

There are many other types of wood that are made by wooden sheeting. These various types are available in thickness ranging from 4 mm to 24 mm.

MDF (Medium Density Fibre Board): is made from powdered wood bonded with glue and compressed to form the sheets. It is quite soft and very easy to work with. It cuts, sands and finishes very easily. It is used widely for interior projects especially for cupboards and shelving.

Chipboard: is made like MDF but from actual wood chips. It is used widely for  kitchen furniture for which it is covered with a laminate. It is also used widely for low cost flooring.

Plywood: is made from thin laminates of wood glued together. Each layer is at right angle to the grain of the other. It is very strong but also quite flexible, especially if there are thinner sheets. It is used widely in the building industry.