Red Oak Veneer with MDF/Draftboard Core
Red Oak Veneer with MDF/Draftboard Core
Description
Our plain sliced red oak plywood has a high grade, reddish-brown A face veneer with a MDF core. The back, or 4-grade side, can vary, but is typically an oak, maple or birch face.
Plain sliced/Flat cut veneer is generally made by cutting a log parallel to the center. This results in an attractive cathedral shaped grain pattern.
Medium Density Fiberboard Core panels have the most uniform thickness and consistency of any panel core option. Because the veneers are laminated to an MDF core, the material is very smooth, solid, and dimensionally stable. MDF panels are heavier than veneer core panels with reasonable screw holding ability.
MDF (medium-density fiberboard) is made from pre-consumer recycled wood, usually sawdust from a sawmill or wood chips from lumber operations. The wood particles are mixed into a dough with a polymer binder (e.g., “glue” or “resin”) and consolidated under heat and pressure to form a panel.
Historically the glue used in MDF (and in plywood for that matter) contained formaldehyde, which could result in off-gassing and potential human health risks. Since Spring 2019, all plywood and MDF sold in the US must comply with quite stringent California and US regulatory standards. The level of formaldehyde is very, very low. (For the details, see https://www.epa.gov/formaldehyde/formaldehyde-emission-standards-composite-wood-products.)
Applications
Like all plywood, the faces are graded for quality. Our cherry veneer plywood is A4, which means the better side is grade A and the worse side is grade 4. The A side is beautiful, with no knots or patches.
The backside is usually very good, but will usually have a few pin knots, some color variation, open knots, filled knots, visible veneer joints or seams. and perhaps patches. Typically you design your object such that the “4” face is on the backside or inside of an assembled object.
You can finish MDF core veneer plywood like any hardwood. We like the wipe-on Minwax polyurethane. Sand first, and then apply thin coats, with light sanding between applications.
Laser Cutting
Laser cutting red oak with MDF Core works beautifully, with most lab cutters cutting up to 1/4in and many cutting up to 1/2in or more. The laser does leave a dark charred edge. Most people leave it as is, but if you prefer, you can easily sand the edges to remove the charring.
Laser cutting veneer opens up a multitude of projects and creative applications. Try wood veneer sheets for coasters, jewelry, game pieces, art work, signage, furniture and shell inlays, keychains, marquetry and more!
Specifications and Dimensions
- Nominal 1/8" and 1/4" thicknesses
- Thickness tolerance 1/8" (0.093-0.133) and 1/4" (0.180-0.240)
- The outer veneers on veneer plywoods are quite thin, typically 0.010-0.020in (0.25-0.50mm)
- Cut tolerances of +0in/-0.188in.
- All MakerStock panel dimensions are cut to tolerances of +0in/-0.188in.
- All MakerStock panel dimensions are in inches.
- Density 788 kg/m3 or 0.028 lb/in3
- Wood veneers are not masked
- MIdweight and durable
- Easy to stain, seal and finish
Uses
- Laser Cutting
- Laser Engraving
- Display Fixtures
- CNC Routing
- Furniture
- Signage
- Speakers
- Wall Art and Frames
