Great thread
Scott, I should have some when I finish my workbench over the next few days.Anyone have a scrap I can look at? I am curious for use in speaker cabinets. Regular MDF is pretty "dead" which is good, but not quit as rigid as I might like, epically for front baffles which are hard to brace.
Dennis built the entire frame of his table out of plywood. Only the top of his bench is Valchromat. I think he chose it because the surface is much harder than plywood. This stuff does mill up very cleanly, much better than regular MDF or plywood.I've been reading this thread, after enjoying the hooked-on-wood YouTube videos. I also want to make the guy's workbench-table. What I don't get is, why use MDF? Wouldn't a sheet of 3/4" hardwood plywood be more durable? It's also readily available (Lowe's/Home Depot), and cheaper (ca. $80 vs. $100), although in the long run, the cost is immaterial to the effort to build and long use of the bench. The MDF looks nicely planar, but a sheet of maple plywood could be sanded to be equivalent (that's kind of a question in it's own right)?
Part of the reason is the aesthetics, I’m sure. The color pigments are added into the resin+fiber mix, so the Valchromat retains its color throughout, instead of being a surface finish. It also feels incredibly hard and is moisture resistant, as well as supposedly being easier on your cutting tools than MDF (dunno how it compares to plywood).I've been reading this thread, after enjoying the hooked-on-wood YouTube videos. I also want to make the guy's workbench-table. What I don't get is, why use MDF? Wouldn't a sheet of 3/4" hardwood plywood be more durable? It's also readily available (Lowe's/Home Depot), and cheaper (ca. $80 vs. $100), although in the long run, the cost is immaterial to the effort to build and long use of the bench. The MDF looks nicely planar, but a sheet of maple plywood could be sanded to be equivalent (that's kind of a question in it's own right)?
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Bumping this back up from the dead - Martin or anyone else who got some of the Valchromat, what is your impression a year later? Did you ever build the table top with it and can share some observations?
Back in the day I got high-grade mdf for a speaker build from Wurth Group in Raleigh. They also had really nice Baltic birch if I remember correctly.I called Horizon Forest Products and they have better grade mdf than the standard home improvement stores. I'll try to swing by there this week and get some. Thanks for the recommendation!!
Double refined mdf is a better grade mdf than the home improvement stores. That's really the only name I've seen referenced when looking for better quality. At this HFP store, it's called MDF Trupan Plus. I have a cnc and want better finishes when cutting mdf.
Martin,I built a MFT-style workbench with it that turned out well. It machines well and is harder than regular MDF.
I'm going to make some Shaker drawer fronts with what I have left.
I don't really know. My design is a torsion box with a 30mm top, sides, and spars, and a 19mm bottom. It's very strong.Martin,
How much span does the 30mm valchromat take between supports before sagging?