welcome N/A to the forums...
I used a single thickness of torsion frame supported laminate covered AC fir eons ago and have had no issues......
you'd be miles ahead by using a ready made piece of laminate covered ¾'' Baltic Birch...
it'd be a one time deal and here's a bit of information on Baltic Birch... please don't confuse Birch plywood and Baltic Birch..
https://www.woodworkerssource.com/b...-birch-plywood-why-its-better-when-to-use-it/
now, about that MDF...
it's............................
Low on strength:
Particle board anything is quite weak compared to other kinds of engineered woods such as plywood. It is less dense and can easily get damaged while handling. It's important to note that their particle board anything just doesn't survive much of anything.
Low life, low durability:
Apart from being low on strength, particle boards are also prone to getting damaged because of moisture and humidity. This means that items made from MDF will not last very long. This is without doubt the major drawback...
Experienced sources and even some shopkeepers selling these particle board furniture clearly inform the customer that they can expect the particle board furniture to last for around 2 to 3 years (and there are others who will say the lifetime is 5 years). Now compare this with plywood which lasts easily for 15-20 years, or with good quality solid wood furniture that lasts for several decades and is handed over from one generation to the next.
Finally the choice of wood depends on the needs of the customers, whether they want cheaper furniture that they are willing to dispose off in the next few years or they want furniture that want to buy once and that which will last a lifetime.
Cannot support heavy loads:
Particle boards are almost never used in applications where the boards will be subjected to heavy weights. Being low on strength, particle boards are only suitable for holding low weights, or as forming the walls of cabinets and the like.
Not as eco-friendly as solid wood furniture:
Particle boards are made from small particles of wood such as sawdust and small chips which are glued and pressed together to form a sheet. The glue used is a plastic resin (phenolic resin), the same that is used in the making of decorative laminates. This is not as eco-friendly as using good quality solid wood furniture that is 100% natural.
So, to summarize the discussion, I would say that the only major advantage of particle boards is that its cost is very low compared to all the other types wood available in the market, and the major disadvantages are its low strength and low durability.
Best to avoid damaging or removing the surface, as the surface is quite different to the inside and it contributes to the strength...
MDF is basically glorified particle board.
Basic MDF is not very good at handling high moisture levels. Water begins to degrade MDF into fine particles, think wet cardboard. Because it consists of such fine particles, MDF doesn’t hold screws very well, and it’s very easy to strip the screw holes. Humidity alone can cause it to puff and crack.
MDF is not a long term product. MDF crumbles easily, so finding pieces that have a clean edge are hard to find.
MDF is not as strong as plywood. It is not suitable for most joints
MDF dust from working it is horrible and it contains toxic VOCs (urea-formaldehyde). so wear a mask. Cutting this material will cause faster blunting of bits and blades as compared to wood
MDF is rarely the best material.
MDF is a pain to work with if you have to remodel later or install hardware several times, as the more you drill it, the less sturdy it becomes and begins to flake.
Verdict: Use anything else, seriously. MDF is cheaper, but you will pay for it in the long run. Especially true for cabinets, as weight of the wood will decrease the amount your cabinet can hold, plus MDF will begin to sag from stress.
Hey!!! it is initially cheaper than plywood...
More:
Medium density fiberboard is weak compared to wood. This means that when you install the medium density fiberboard, there is a good chance that it could split or crack. It is not very durable when compared to the real thing. When you are installing it, you need to be very careful and make sure that you don't break it.
Since the medium density fiberboard is not as dense as real wood, you will have to use more nails when installing it. If you do not place nails at close intervals, the board can droop in the middle leaving you with what looks like an amateur installation.
Another problem with medium density fiberboard is that it does not take nails very well. When you hammer a nail into real wood, the wood will move out of the way and then come back around the nail. When you nail into medium density fiberboard, this will not happen. You will get a "volcano" effect on the outside of the medium density fiberboard. When this happens, you will need to sand down the outside of the MDF. This will result in you having to do a lot more work than you would have had to do if you purchased real wood.