considering all 6 sides are the end grain it all soaks up moisture and it's the resins that are the bad parts, I mean worse than the saw dust it's made of
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This is just a wild shot, would a waterproof clear, but a flat coat of varnish work?
as long as you seal the wood it will be fine
Guys, I will drop out of this thread that I started. It is way off course. I wanted information on where to buy and how to spec from people that had bought and used it on ship models, but although I've tried, seems to be trapped in debate about it's suitability. I will close with this quote from Chris Watton, who has extensive research and practical experience with MDF material.
"It is funny, when I was first told to try MDF over a decade ago when at Amati, I probably felt the same, and said the same as ________. I am sure I have said the same on here all those years ago. Since then, I realised just how much better this material is compared to the ply, which has so loose a tolerance for thickness between batches, it is only really good for the most base of hull framing. It is because of the tight thickness tolerance of MDF that allowed me try different methods of hull construction. Again, I have written this ad-nauseum on this forum.
A couple of weeks ago, I did make an investment in both cheaper poplar ply (the kind of ply in a lot of European kits) and the more expensive birch ply. The 3mm poplar ply was all actually 2.7mm thick, and the bulkhead tabs broke as soon as I tried to fit the 0.8mm birch ply deck, and the birch 3mm ply was actually well over 3mm thick. These variations are no good. You see, that would be a disaster for a model like Victory, as there are literally hundreds upon hundreds of interlocking parts which rely on a constant thickness. If one batch of ply was a different thickness to the last, the parts would either be way too sloppy or way too tight.
It is not a question of being 'cheap', it is a question of using the most appropriate material for the designs. Once I realised just how much better MDF is to work with, I changed my mind, and since the last decade, I have used it for literally dozens of kits and prototype models, including Victory. I have never had an issue with it, and most certainly had no issue sanding or with strength - I know it is stronger than the poplar ply you find in a lot of kits. If people still think, after all of these years, that this material is used because of cost, they are wrong, ply is simply too unreliable for thickness and flatness, more so for the more complex designs." --Chris Watton.
If you are interested, you will find the whole debate on another forum. It is very illuminating.
"It is funny, when I was first told to try MDF over a decade ago when at Amati, I probably felt the same, and said the same as ________. I am sure I have said the same on here all those years ago. Since then, I realised just how much better this material is compared to the ply, which has so loose a tolerance for thickness between batches, it is only really good for the most base of hull framing. It is because of the tight thickness tolerance of MDF that allowed me try different methods of hull construction. Again, I have written this ad-nauseum on this forum.
A couple of weeks ago, I did make an investment in both cheaper poplar ply (the kind of ply in a lot of European kits) and the more expensive birch ply. The 3mm poplar ply was all actually 2.7mm thick, and the bulkhead tabs broke as soon as I tried to fit the 0.8mm birch ply deck, and the birch 3mm ply was actually well over 3mm thick. These variations are no good. You see, that would be a disaster for a model like Victory, as there are literally hundreds upon hundreds of interlocking parts which rely on a constant thickness. If one batch of ply was a different thickness to the last, the parts would either be way too sloppy or way too tight.
It is not a question of being 'cheap', it is a question of using the most appropriate material for the designs. Once I realised just how much better MDF is to work with, I changed my mind, and since the last decade, I have used it for literally dozens of kits and prototype models, including Victory. I have never had an issue with it, and most certainly had no issue sanding or with strength - I know it is stronger than the poplar ply you find in a lot of kits. If people still think, after all of these years, that this material is used because of cost, they are wrong, ply is simply too unreliable for thickness and flatness, more so for the more complex designs." --Chris Watton.
If you are interested, you will find the whole debate on another forum. It is very illuminating.
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Try aircraft spruce plywood they are in Toronto and the sell top quality wood in metric
Thanks for that tip. Closer to me now than Cambridge (A&M Wood Specialties). I will give them a shout.
For thinner parts Home Depot carries a brown board, 1/8 inch thick it is consistent thickness and inexpensive.
Do they have a web site?
This must be them, but they are not in Toronto, they are about an hour away in Brantford, home of Wayne Gretzky and Alexander Graham Bell.
Pilot Supplies and Aircraft Parts | Aircraft Spruce Canada
Aircraft Spruce Canada is a worldwide distributor of certified and homebuilt aircraft supplies.
www.aircraftspruce.ca
They must be famous just for their location
Thinking of all the dust....
Not if you use a vacuum attachment on the Byrnes thicknesser
Sorry about such a late response , if you haven’t found it yet , yes they do have a web site ,
I put the link up above a week ago, Jimsky should have it.
Yep, we have the link. It not only to me, it is for all members of SOS, should they ever need it.