ply or mdf

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ply or mdf

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29 March 2012 at 20:04 #33795
Nigel3a
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@nigel3a
I’m new to boat building so everything is alien to me. I’ve managed to get hold of some plans of a racing yacht. It says to use 5mm ply. Although it’s going to be sealed com varnished, would it be out of the ordinary T9 use mdf instead for the basic construction?

Nigel
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29 March 2012 at 20:04 #2107
Nigel3a
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@nigel3a
29 March 2012 at 20:36 #33796
Colin Bishop
Moderator
@colinbishop34627
Hi Nigel,

MDF has been successfully used in model boat construction but it is not generally considered to be a suitable material because if water or damp does find its way past the sealing coat the material can swell up and disintegrate. Plus the dust that comes off MDF when you cut it is not good for you.

For the quantities needed when making a model boat I would stick with WBP (Weather & Boil Proof) ply which is nicer to work with and far more durable. Like a lot of things, it's best to use the stuff that is designed for the job.

Colin
30 March 2012 at 00:46 #33798
Nigel3a
Participant
@nigel3a
Thanks Colin. I’ll probably use ply anyway, it was just a consideration
3 April 2012 at 08:40 #33840
Paul T
Participant
@pault84577
Hi Nigel

Colin is to polite…………..MDF is only fit for cheap kitchens and crappy stuff from IKEA please dont use it to build a model boat as you will only be upset by the inevitable outcome.

Stick with marine ply or balsa, they might cost more but they last a lot longer and are easier to work with.

Paul
4 April 2012 at 19:08 #33863
Tony Hadley
Participant
@tonyhadley
Is there a safety issue with the dust from MDF?
4 April 2012 at 19:13 #33864
Paul T
Participant
@pault84577
Hi Tony

The short answer is yes.

For the long answer go to http://www.hse.gov.uk/woodworking/woodnig/woodn16.pdf

Edited By The Fat Controller on 04/04/2012 19:14:17
5 April 2012 at 14:07 #33870
Kimosubby Shipyards
Participant
@kimosubbyshipyards
Hi guys,

putting on my old hat (analytical chemist), "all wood dust is carcinogenic" therefore if you are cutting and working quantities of wood in enclosed areas get a dust extractor – or at least make a simple one with a vacuum cleaner drawing the dust downwards away from the work. Hard wood dust is worse and has lower permitted levels in the work place. In your home it is up to you what to accept, quite honestly, try to reduce wood dust levels to as low as possible.

I went the whole hog and got a cylinder dust extractor hanging up in my attic workshop for airbourne dust. It HAD a white filter screen till the day I had it on whilst doing "a small bit of undercoating" with a spray can of red u/c. I was quite shocked to see the filter had gone red after only a couple of minutes.

And wood dust particulates are finer, and I bet a lot is contaminated with the glues we use during assembly as we finish off the work.

I know there are legal limits set down by the HSE for exposure in the workplace – we applied 1/10 of this value to public exposure (by accidental means). That still does not mean we should not reduce our dust too. All the modern cutters, sanders etc have the "dust extraction" port, I strongly advise everyone to use them, and when hand sanding rig up a funnel to the vacuum under your work, it'll also keep your workshop area a lot cleaner too.

Kimosubby

Edited By Kimosubby Shipyards on 05/04/2012 14:08:25
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