Best way to join particle board?

[AceTKK]

Well, I cheaped out on the wood for my control panel and went with particle board instead of MDF.  It was about half as much at Lowe's, plus they didn't have 5/8" MDF in stock.  After the purchase I read that one isn't supposed to use screws in particle board because they will strip out easily.  Is this true?  If so, what is the proper method of joining the boards for my cp box?

thx,
-Ace-

[_Iz-]

Screws into the edges will strip out easily (and maybe even split the board). Screws into or thru the face are fine (just don't try it too close to the edges).

So, using this advice, the best method for joining two pieces would be with "L" brackets or with a corner block or make a 2x4 or 2x2 frame and screw the panels to that.

Gluing all your joints will help too, that way, the screws just have to hold long enough for the glue to dry.

*IMPORTANT* If you are going to glue the joints make sure you don't glue anything that has to be removeable later! For example, if your cabinet itself will fit thru the door but with the control panel box attached it won't then make sure you just screw the box to the cabinet and don't glue it! You need to be able to remove it later if you want to take it back out of the house.

[AceTKK]

Thanks Iz, that's what I needed to know.

-Ace-

[hyiu]

for particule board....

if you screw and then unscrew....
it might be hard to screw back into the same hole again...
(cos the hole is already there and it'll be loose for you....)

if this happens to you, you can get some toothpicks... (the thinker round ones...) and stick it into the hole and fill the hole.... break off the extras.... then sequeeze a little glue into that toothpick filled hole....

now... you can screw it back in and it should hold fine.....

(this would also work with plywood....)

but if its too close to the edge.... it might put too much pressure and split....

hope it helps....  

[crsdawg]

here's my take on dealing with mdf/partical board. first off what size did you buy? you said they were out of 5/8".  did you get 1/2" or 3/4". if you got 1/2" options 1 and 3 will be out.

option 1:
if you got 3/4, screwing through the edges is possible without splitting the wood, you just need to be very careful and hit the center.  i built a simple little jig to help with the centering of the holes when i do this. drill a pilot hole first then put in the screw. you need to realize what splits the wood isn't the screw, it's the wood your displacing with it. plan on screwing the pieces together once, eveytime you take out the screw the joint will weaken. also spread wood glue across the edges between the joints and in the pilot holes to add strength.
easiest and weakest way to go.

option 2:
use a corner brace. this is similar to using L barckets, but stronger. get some 1x1 stock to run along the  inside corners and screw into this instead of the mdf. attatch it completely to one side first, then align the second side up, clamp it together, then screw. pilot holes will make things easier. again use wood glue on all wood to wood conections. this is a more time consuming method but will give you much better joints and the only extra tools needed is some clamps.

option 3:
use a router/biscuit jointer and biscuits. once you've notched the edges and ran a bead of glue, slide in the biscuits, and clamp the sides together. i would still use a few braces, but it's not as important for it to run the length of the joint. just put small ones at the beginning and ending of the joint, if it's a long one brace it in the middle as well. this will make a rock solid joint, but you will need the tools do it.

option 4:
build a frame for your cabinet first. you could use cheap 2x4's. then attatch the mdf. this is a solid way to go, but will require some framing skill.

personally i'm going to use a combination of 2 and 4. frame the top and bottom of the cabinet(and of course the monitor area) and use braces for the rest. hope this helps.

[kspiff]

I'm putting a Pac-Land back together that's particle board.. I'm just using poplar 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" furniture repair strips for support, gluing them in with Gorilla glue and then screwing them down with coarse thread 2" drywall screws for extra support.

Seems to be working well.. and if your wood is new then it should be a little harder than what I have to work with (have had to back a few screws up a bit after going all the way through ).

[zorg]

So, using this advice, the best method for joining two pieces would be with "L" brackets or with a corner block or make a 2x4 or 2x2 frame and screw the panels to that.

*IMPORTANT* If you are going to glue the joints make sure you don't glue anything that has to be removeable later! For example, if your cabinet itself will fit thru the door but with the control panel box attached it won't then make sure you just screw the box to the cabinet and don't glue it! You need to be able to remove it later if you want to take it back out of the house.

don't know if it will help, but I'm planning something like that.

as I'm living in a flat, and plannig to move I need to have the cab easily unmounted..

for that I'm planning to use some shape made of L brackets with fixed pieces to hold BTR screew (i'll post a drawing latter to explain better) on the wood panel screewed  
I'll drill  a T hole  to made the screew head "quite invisible"
 
this way the Cab could be quite totally unmounted and no wory about the abilty to screew agian on the same hole, the wood will be unaffected . side effect, it will be easy to acces the marque ligths (just 4 screw to remove, and here you go)

      Eric

[zorg]

I'm planning to use some shape made of L brackets with fixed pieces to hold BTR screew (i'll post a drawing latter to explain better) on the wood panel screewed  
I'll drill  a T hole  to made the screew head "quite invisible"

here is the drawing. Hope is more clear than my previoius text.

only the back part of the cab will be fixed this way, I don't want to have screew head visibles on the side and fornt of the cab.

the front side will be fixed from the interior

   Eric

[AceTKK]

Thanks for all the tips everyone.  I went with the 1x1 corner pieces (screwed from the inside) and it worked like a charm.  

-Ace-