AxlMyk

You can get 2x4' MDF handy panels at HD for under $9 ea.. 1/2" or 3/4"..

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gregW

Hi bekandcurt,

here's a link to some pictures I posted of the mdf rosette and plinth blocks I made:

door project

I also made the fluted side mouldings and the headers out of mdf and I think it came out to about $7 a door for everything including paint. Like everyone else has said the pluses are that mdf is easy to work with, very uniform in thickness and it doesn't expand and contract like solid wood which makes it good for painted trim work...but it does produce a lot of very fine dust when you cut it so you need to be sure to use a good dust mask, and the full sheets are pretty heavy to move around, so I just used my circular saw with a guide to break the sheets down to the proper width strips in my driveway.

Greg

Drugstore Cowboy

Just throwing in my .02 in favor of MDF for what you are describing.

I am normally a proponent of 'real' wood --- BUT --- that is because I love the feel of the wood and the look of the grain.

Actually its BECAUSE I love 'real' wood that I recommend MDF for your project -
If you are going to PAINT it -- then - why WASTE good wood.
Unless someone tries to strip it on down the line no one will ever know the difference.
Conserve the good stuff for places where it matters.

And yes -- MDF is a WONDERFUL alternative.
It's also great for desktops.

Joe Lyddon

With that qty, MDF.

I would plan out the cuts and have them cut it up in nice strips to reduce the size of the pieces. They ARE heavy. Would be worth the extra cuts in just moving the stuff to/from the truck.

Dr.Zook

Welcome to the Router Forums Rebekah and Curt. Glad to have you as a new member. Keep up with the questions. Glad to have you as members.

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harrysin

I agree with all those who say MDF, why pay for quality timber when it's going to be painted. The rosettes can be routed in the plunge mode or like Bj suggests in the drill press using a rosette cutter, several designs are available. Of course, breakout is a thing of the past with quality MDF, some is like compressed cardboard whilst others are very dense, I guess that price is an indication of quality.

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Harry

Routhound

MDF also makes great template material. My sons use Poplar and MDF all the time for almost anything. Both materials are relativly cheap, soft, and easy to sand/paint.

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bekandcurt

Thanks for the pictures! I am headed to pick up a sheet tomorrrow and we'll play with it this week. I never would have thought of that at all (obviously). Thank you all so much for your input! It will be a little while, but I will be sure to post an update and some pics to let you know how they turn out.

Thank you - and Happy 4th!

Rebekah