What's everyone using?

[tsenfw 10+ year member]

What's everyone using to build their mdf boxes? Screws? Brad nails? Staples? How long?

I've searched, some say screws, some say wood glue and brad nails. I'd like to wood glue and brad nails but just doesn't seem like enough to hold a mdf box together.

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[Rattlebrain 10+ year member]

Brad nails and screws are only there to hold the wood in place until the glue dries. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/hide.gif.2d479cfd917eedfe201353b91522ceab.gif

 

[Anniku989 10+ year member]

If you use some decent wood glue (I use titebond II or III), it can hold the box together itself. The woodglue, when dry, will actually be stronger than the wood.

The brads are just to hold it together during construction to make it easier.

I've actually make a box with glue and screws, and taken the screws out after it dried. That was over a year ago and its still holding up fine.

Just don't use liquid nails, although it dries like a rock, and will seal the box good (after its glued, if you want), it won't "soak" into the wood like wood glue, more or less sit on the surface, and won't end up holding it as good. The liquid nails for wood I heard wasn't much better. Might as well stick with whats proven and go w/ real wood glue

 

[grassroots 10+ year member]

i built a 9^3 ft box with just liquid nails and brad nails for a MT 18... solid as a rock... my current box is 7.5^3 ft for two MT 15s and i used finishing nails (1.25") and liquid nails... again, solid and not a bit of flex... you could clamp your box and use just glue without any fasteners and be fine...

 

[tsenfw 10+ year member]

Ok, sweet, that makes life much easier. We are talking about mdf though right? Everyone keeps saying wood just want to make sure.

 

[Rattlebrain 10+ year member]

Ok, sweet, that makes life much easier. We are talking about mdf though right? Everyone keeps saying wood just want to make sure.

yes

 

[tsenfw 10+ year member]

I've just got a bad impression of mdf but i must be thinking of like particle board or the older furniture mdf that sucked balls.

Thanks, guys. Off to home depot! woooo

 

[seedubs1 10+ year member]

I've just got a bad impression of mdf but i must be thinking of like particle board or the older furniture mdf that sucked balls.
Thanks, guys. Off to home depot! woooo

You're definately thinking of particle board. MDF=heavy and strong.

 

[iagrdshaka 5,000+ posts]

clamps work wonders

 

[Anniku989 10+ year member]

Yeah, I always assumed mdf was particle board (not the same, but my dad showed me a few years back a piece of p board and said it was mdf) So my first two box's were out of particle board. My last few that I made out of actual mdf, went SOOO much easier (although heavier). The stuff sands down so easy too

 

[audiobahnuser18 5,000+ posts]

Gorilla glue here and Make the screws flush just for extra added hold. And i also used two woden dowels in the center of the box so did not flex.

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

Gorilla Glue **** for building boxes. I've actually seen it crack and bow the wood between screws and clamps because it expands as it dries. It also is only about half as strong as wood glue.

BTW, MDF is not particularly strong. It is heavy, dense and non-resonant, but is isn't very strong. It will flex quite easily and breaks fairly easily as well. Birch ply is much stronger and lighter but can have some issues with internal resonance unless you spend the extra $ to get the high ply count, void free type.