Wood Cutting

elwiz

Hi guys, i'm putting up my own shelving, and i'm just looking for simple mdf boards supplied and cut to a certain specification. Is there anywhere in dublin i could go to get this done ? (Dosn't have to be mdf really)
Thanks.

Fingalian

Larrys in Gracepark Rd in Drumcondra will cut up a sheet of mdf to your specs.

dubtom

B+Q will cut up a board also,first 4 cuts are free, a nonimal amount after that. Double check your measurments when the board is on the machine though,some of them who do the cutting are muppets.

JoeB-

Woodworkers on Mount Tallant Avenue, Harolds Cross, Dublin.

see www.woodworkers.ie

recipio

I'm afraid 1/2 " mdf is just about the worst choice for shelving unless you want to display light objects only. It's got less strength than 16 mm veneered chipboard and that needs support every 40 cms (16 inches).It will sag under the weight of books even at 12 " centres.
you could go up to 5/8 or 3/4" mdf but it gets expensive and weighs a ton.
I'd suggest 5/8" plywood or blockboard ( cut on its long dimension ).
Solid hardwood looks better anytime but of course its all down to your budget.

cheers.

Mahatma coat

solid timber FT W(ood)

seriously tho real timber, even sh1tty pine, aint that much more expensive than the MD*spits*F option.

if you dont have much experience just buy more, if you dont have the tools then I suggest you cozy up to some mates in the timber industry ( a 'gift' of a nights passion with the missus may get you a few hours tooltime )

doozerie

The Sagulator is a useful tool for calculating sag on shelves and determining how thick the shelves should be and how far along each support should be.

As for cutting of wood, I have used Woodworkers on Mount Tallant Avenue in the distant past, but they were pricey enough at the time (about IR£1 per cut as far as I can remember). Mind you, that might be a standard price elsewhere too.

As regards choice of wood, MDF is a good choice if you plan to paint the shelves as it requires no additional preparation. Chipboard and plywood both need the edge to be treated before being painted - iron-on veneer will do the job easily enough, but it is one more thing to factor in.

JoeB-

I consider Woodworkers current rates of about 1.50 Euro + VAT per cut piece to be good value. There are usually two cuts per cut peice, a rip cut and a crosscut. Most people may only need 8 or 10 cut pieces and to have all the cutting done on a 12,000 Euro panel saw for 15 Euro or so sounds good to me.

Surely the edges of MDF need to be sealed and sanded before painting? Using a dedicated MDF sealer or else something like a shellac polish.

doozerie

JoeBallantine wrote:

Surely the edges of MDF need to be sealed and sanded before painting? Using a dedicated MDF sealer or else something like a shellac polish.

It'll certainly need to be sealed (on all faces), but then any of the alternatives such as chipboard and plywood should be sealed first too on all faces. The additional treatment that I was referring to though is the need to first cover the edges of chipboard and plywood with edging, iron-on veneer being the easiest, before sealing/painting as no amount of paint can conceal the pitted edge faces that you'll end up with otherwise.

Iron-on veneer is easy to use (fiddly to trim though), but the need for it is something to take into account when choosing between the various material options.

JoeB-

So why not consider solid wood? After all using the iron on edging is a major weak point, once it starts to come off there is no stopping it.

Morgans Timber in Dublin sell staircase components.. including laminated (edge glued) solid pine, 24mm thick x 270mm wide x 3.6meters long.. this is perfect for shelving and I use a lot of it. It is supposed to be for stair risers I think. (One long edge has a bullnose moulding)

They also have several other thicknesses as well like 18mm, 28mm, 32mm, 40mm etc etc

Or woodworkers will supply and cut solid pine panels to size as well...

I can also put you onto a supplier of solid Birch panels in 18mm or 32mm thick, more expensive than the pine but Birch is a quality hardwood.

doozerie

JoeBallantine wrote: »

So why not consider solid wood? After all using the iron on edging is a major weak point, once it starts to come off there is no stopping it.

Personally, I am a fan of solid wood, and so long as stable planks are chosen it should be just as reliable for shelving as the alternatives of plywood and MDF. If the shelves are to be painted though, then it may be hard to justify the extra cost of solid wood. By comparison, MDF is cheap and easy to work with (with the caveat that while any sawdust can be an irritant and therefore really requires the use of a dust mask the very fine dust that MDF generates is certainly particularly horrible and dangerous).

As regards iron-on veneer edging, I have used it on shelves and other bits of furniture, all of them built with birch ply, and never had any of it come off. I have also used iron-on veneer edging with veneered MDF, and I have never had a problem with that either. If it were to ever peel off, it should be easy enough to stick back on with wood glue.

Mahatma coat

its nice to see that people still like to use real timber, OP what are you makin?

specifics like, got a sketch or a notion of what its s'posed ta look like?

270 is a bit big for a riser :eek: and 24 s defo too thin for any decent width of steptread.

davgtrek

joe. what sprt of money would a 270 x 3600 x 24 pine tread be roughly.
I am going at some shelving and that sounds like great stuff.
Is there a big difference in cost between typical SW planks like that and HW ?

Thanks

P

JoeB-

Hi

I had written a long answer, it got lost.

About 7 to 8 euro plus VAT per meter for the 270mm x 25mm or so... in pine. You can also buy this in 1 meter lengths i think.

Same thing in Oak is about 3.5 to 4 times as expensive.

Woodworkers sell some solid panels, oak and birch, sizes about 600mm x 3,000mm.. check the website www.woodworkers.ie for prices..

Cheers

springwood.ie

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