MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard, MDF Draft Board)

MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard; MDF Draft Board)

Description

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.

MDF is a very nice prototyping material because it’s inexpensive, uniform in texture and color, and takes paint very well. Don’t confuse MDF with particle board – which uses much larger and looser wood fibers. MDF is actually nice stuff, especially for laser cut prototypes. MDF is a little lighter (in both density and color) than high-density fiberboard (HDF), which is sold under the trade name Masonite, and sometimes called hardboard. Because it is so inexpensive and thus a good material for use in trying out a design, MDF is sometimes called MDF Draft Board.

MakerStock MDF is extra refined and is a light tan in color. 

Laser Cutting

Laser cutting MDF 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.

Specifications and Dimensions

We stock MDF in 1/8, 1/4 and 1/2 nominal thicknesses. The actual thickness of the “1/8” is 0.118in and of the “1/4” is 0.216in. Of course, MakerStock provides pre-cut MDF panels in the right sizes for the laser cutter, or to a size convenient for your project. All MakerStock panel dimensions are cut to tolerances of +0in/-0.188in. That is, the panel will always be up to 3/16in undersized so that it will definitely fit a machine with the corresponding nominal bed size.  All MakerStock panel dimensions are in inches. 

MDF paints very nicely, but for most prototyping uses, you can just leave it as is.

The density of MDF is about 788 kg/m3 or 0.028 lb/in3, a bit more than the constituent wood because of the addition of the polymer binder.

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).

Suggested Laser Settings 

These are only suggested settings. Please refer to your laser cutter manual for the optimal settings for your system.