Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum
Main => Woodworking => Topic started by: darkje on January 15, 2008, 09:27:24 pm
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I'm trying to locate a sheet of 5/8 MDF locally with no luck at all to build my control panel top.
I tried several lowes, home depots, local lumber yards, noone has it or can get it!
The only thing that comes close is a 5/8 sheet of poplar, it looks like it's build from 3 layers of wood, would that work?
Or does anyone have any tips where to get a sheet of 5/8 thick mdf? I'm following saint's book but I'm now stuck on that part =/
Thanks for reading
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I use a lumber yard that cater to custom kitchen cabinet builders when I want stuff like that. They either have it in stock or will special-order it for me. I would think that any full-service lumber yard (e.g. not Lowe's or Home Depot) should be able to do the same.
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i just made a router sled and made a section of 3/4" mdf into 5/8"...worked like a charm... :cheers:
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Thanks for your comments, I found a do it yourself type store that caters to woodworking and they were able to order me a sheet!
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Why do you need 5/8" and not 3/4"?
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Why do you need 5/8" and not 3/4"?
Match a 5/8" CP top with a 1/8" piece of plexi and you have a 3/4" top that lines up with T-molding.
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Lowe's tends to use metric fractional sizes on their sheets... if you run the conversions on whatever size they have, they may actually be carrying something very very close to 5/8, but they have it listed as something like 21/32".
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Lowe's tends to use metric fractional sizes on their sheets... if you run the conversions on whatever size they have, they may actually be carrying something very very close to 5/8, but they have it listed as something like 21/32".
Actually, it has nothing to do with metric measurements. Much like a 2x4 isn't actually 2" by 4", plywood which is "nominally" 3/4-inch thick is in fact only 21/32 inches thick.
Note that MDF doesn't follow this rule. A piece of MDF sold as being 3/4-inch thick is actually 3/4-inch thick.
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Figures. I asked one of the Lowe's monkeys about it and that's what he told me... note how much thought I apparently put into his explanation.
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Here's a thought...
If your control panel top sits atop a box made from 3/4 mdf, you could just router 1/8 off the outer 3/4 where it meets the box it's sitting on. The panel would fit down into the box 1/8, but the edges would be 5/8. Has the potential advantage of anchoring the top better than hinges alone.
I dunno, I just made that up but I might try it on my own CP.
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Here's a thought...
If your control panel top sits atop a box made from 3/4 mdf, you could just router 1/8 off the outer 3/4 where it meets the box it's sitting on. The panel would fit down into the box 1/8, but the edges would be 5/8. Has the potential advantage of anchoring the top better than hinges alone.
I dunno, I just made that up but I might try it on my own CP.
This would only work if the edges of your CP top are designed to be square with the CP box sides, although it is a great idea.