Hi, I'm thinking of making some adventure/play furniture for my kids out of mdf. i.e. a bed that looks like a castle. Just wondering if it's possible to screw mdf panels to a timber frame and then fill the screw holes so that they're completely invisible? Will wood filler shrink over time and be visible?
I did think of this, but if i screw into it from behind and use 18mm, or even 22mm mdf, will that be enough of a fixing? It doesn’t seem much to me?
MDF will absorb moisture way faster than real timber ...... think of a sponge Worse again than real timber, it will then swell and fall apart Guess your going to be painting the finished work ? so choose ur paint carefully and the moisture issue won’t be a problem Ever painted MDF before ? Read up on sealing the cut edges first, takes a little more work to get a good finish on cut edges The smooth faces are a joy to paint however - sounds like an interesting project
For kids, i think it would be more than strong enough before they naturally destroy it anyway, just put more fixings in
Regarding dust, I presume you'll cut this outside then paint in a garage, then only a final assembly in the bedroom? Please please get a decent dust mask and change your clothes when you've finished or you'll be coughing for a week - the fibres can cause permenant damage to your lungs. This is my preferred type https://www.screwfix.com/p/gvs-elipse-half-mask-respirator-p3/6922g As for strength, a bead of glue with a screw from behind will be stronger than the MDF an no filling required. You could use a PU glue for extra strength, but be aware that any over spill that squeezes out the joint needs to be wiped off straight away. https://www.screwfix.com/p/geocel-joiners-mate-liquid-wood-adhesive-1ltr/67369 or https://www.screwfix.com/p/evo-stik-polyurethane-wood-adhesive-310ml/40778 This stuff is the Rolls Royce... https://www.axminster.co.uk/cascamite-powdered-resin-wood-glue-ax21688
Just a point on this. I use PU all the time. I always let and that squeezes out dry and whizz it off with a chisel. Not sure I would fancy trying to wipe it away.
Admittedly I've use it for structural stuff (box beams and glued decks) where aesthetics aren't important and we're dealing with hundreds of metres of glue lines. So a quick scrape with an offcut gets rid of any big blobs and runs, sometimes a second swipe in case it bubbles up after the first pass. We found it took longer to scrape off when dry, although that was on rough cut timber and OSB. Maybe it's easier to pop it off the surface of smoother timber? Or maybe it was the limitations of the chisel operator.
And of course keep it off your hands or wear gloves. PU glue turns your hands black and can't be washed off
Three days is the average for it to wear off, learned through bitter experience. After doing a set of joists and flooring on a Friday, the amount of weekends on the lash/pull over the years where I've sheepishly handed a note over the bar between pinched finger and thumb and tried to receive the change as quick as I can without the attractive barmaid noticing my black and white minstrel hands I have honestly lost count. Nice clothes and a smile count for nothing it turns out when it appears you have gangrene at the end of your wrists.
I think its definitely the material rather than the user! PU glue is great stuff. Been doing lots of balustrade renovations recently. Stuff is a lifesaver! When doing the oak slips between spindles on a handrail/baserail I put a dob of pu in the middle of the slip to be fixed then a bead of mitrebond around the edge. Spray the baserail/handrail section with activator and then pop the slip in. The mitre bond goes off instant and clamps the slip and the pu gradually goes off giving the bond strength. Saves loads of time.
I have been using PU glue, Dulux primer which is blue/green, white undercoat and exterior mastic - I have had some odd looks at the tills. Some days I think there is more on me than goes on the material
I once was machining up a load of really soft softwood so big fluffy shavings. I had a sort of softshell top on with a fleece back to it. The shavings slipped off the front of it but stuck to the back like a magnet. I ended up looking like the Gruffalo.
Bin the silly flimsy gloves that come with the PU spray. They are cunningly designed to flip around on your wrist to catch any glue /foam and then work it up the inside the glove. These are my gloves of choice at the moment, they last all day. https://www.screwfix.com/p/ansell-t...e-disposable-gloves-teal-large-100-pack/37232