put a small biscuit in the miter in the frame.” “I would use MDF for the substrate and glue the solid wood edging directly to the veneered panel, after sealing the edge of the substrate with glue. Splines are a lot of work compared to biscuits. Don’t put glue in the biscuit slots, if you’re worried about telegraphing. After the edging is glued on and flattened, rout a 1 /8"-deep groove over the joint line for your feature strip. Use pieces of masking tape as your clamp to hold it in while the glue dries, then scrape it flush with the table top.” “Anytime you edge-glue MDF, you should size the porous edge of the MDF first. I wet the edge with yellow glue and rub it in. Also, MDF is very dusty, so be prepared when you rout or saw it. It is also very heavy and comes in oversize sheets, because the edges are tender and often need trimming.” “Definitely, size the edges of MDF before glue-up; because, otherwise, they wick the glue away from the joint, leaving it weak. You can also use dewaxed shellac to seal the edges to control glue absorption. And, I use a spline instead of biscuits, as they can telegraph through to the top surface.” “I’m just not a fan of MDF for fine furniture. Apple Ply would be my choice.” “Chippendale did not use MDF, and I tend to agree with those who are reluctant to use it in fine furniture. You build some really nice stuff, and I just don’t think I could bring myself to use MDF on anything that fine.” “Most of the criticisms of MDF, such as how it performs in wet conditions, hold true for any plywood. And Chippendale didn’t use plywood, either.” “I don’t think you need use a spline for this application, as today’s glues are better than ever.” “My advice is to not use plywood for your substrate. Your thick veneer and your glue line may be fine, but you will be trusting the face veneer of the plywood to be glued on better than it probably is. If you do use plywood, I would test the actual plywood that you are going to use first to make sure the face veneer is bonded well. If the edges chip badly when sawing it, that’s an indication that the face veneer is flaky or not well bonded to the underlying layers. Industrial particleboard is another good substrate, if you want a flat panel. It is harder and stiffer, but even heavier than MDF.” You decide what you would do in the face of these recommendations. Let us know on the messageboards at WoodCentral.com.
PROFESSIONAL WATER BASED FINISHES
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