Manufactured Boards

Most common:

1. Chipboard

2. Conti Board

3. Plywood

4. MDF

Various types of manufacture board are available and all usually come in 'thickness' of 4 mm, 6mm, 9mm, 12 mm, 15 mm, 18 mm, 24 mm. They are manufactured to be flat and 'stable' and this is the real advantage. They also are made in standard sizes to make it easier to plan. Typically we buy manuafctured boards in sizes of 1200mm x 600mm or 2400mm x 1200mm, which will be the size you get from a builders merchant (HomePro, MegaHome, ThaiWatsadu etc.). DIY stores (Mr DIY, B2S) will usually supply smaller sizes as well.

MDF laminated with veneer to make an expensive look.

MDF

MDF (medium density fiberboard) is very popular these days. It's made from powdered wood which is bonding with glue and compressed to form the sheets.

It is used widely for interior projects especially cupboards and shelving.
It's quite soft and very easy to work with.
It cuts and sands very easily and you can get a good paint finish on it.
It's not particularly strong when cut in thin strips for shelving so will need support if you want long lengths.
It gets very dusty when sanding it so you'll need to wear a dust mask.
It absorbs moisture and will swell up if it gets wet. Avoid using outside or in areas likely to get damp.
You can cover MDF with a wood veneer like cherry, oak, etc. These are quite expensive but do make the MDF more attractive.

chipboard

Chipboard is similar to MDF but made from actual wood chips and is used widely by kitchen manufactures who cover it with a laminate.

It is also used widely for low cost flooring. You can buy flooring packs in different sizes which come tongue and grooved and allows each section to slot together with the next before screwing or nailing down.

If used for shelving, it's fairly weak so needs to be well supported. It doesn't paint very well and the edges are quite rough. Rarely used these days for shelving, though it is very cheap.

Conti Board

Conti board is laminated chipboard commonly available in white but other colours and finishes are available. Used widely in kitchen carcasses. You can usually buy it in 6 feet lengths of various widths. Can be use for shelving but will need plenty of support. It is generally inexpensive.

Case study for further reading - Eams steam bent plywood chair.

Plywood

Plywood is made from thin laminates of wood glued together with each layer at a right angle to the grain of the other. It is very strong but also quite flexible, especially if you get thinner sheets.

It's used widely in the building industry as it's so strong. Used for things like boxing in, sub floors prior to tiling, and general construction.
It's tougher to work with and the edges tend to splinter when sawn. It doesn't paint very well due to the wood texture.
It's quite expensive, especially if you buy the most expensive, marine ply, which is very good quality and relatively water-proof.

Sterling board

Sterling Board can be thought of as somewhere between chipboard and Plywood. It is made of compressed fragments of wood which are bigger than those found in chipboard but it lacks the laminates or exterior veneers (and the higher cost) of Plywood. It is increasingly used for flooring in sheds and lofts as well as in building due to its high load bearing strength.

Flexi ply

FlexiPly is a relatively modern development of Plywood and consists of two outer layers of wood which are scored to allow them to flex without splitting. The two layers sandwich a thin layer of silicon which allows the whole sheet to flex without damage.

Flexiply can either be fixed to a curved or shaped frame where it will follow the contour of the frame or it can be laminated (two or more layers of FlexiPly) with glue in between the layers. If wrapped around a former and left to dry the FlexiPly will keep the shape of the former when removed.

It is much more expensive than traditional Plywood.

Flexible MDF

Flexible MDF works in a similar way to FlexiPly but the boards are kerfed (grooved) allowing the material to collapse into the grooves when flexed and allows the MDF to be curved while retaining a nice smooth and consistent surface on the outside.

Note that FlexiPly has the same surface on both sides while Flexi MDF will have only

one smooth side.

Aero Ply

Aero ply is a modern plywood which was developed for the aircraft industry as its name implies. It is very thin yet very strong and flexible and is still used in glider and airplane construction. It can also be laser cut for use in jewelry or other more delicate applications.

Maplex

Maplex is a relatively new material designed to replace MDF since, although it is made from wood fibres, it does not contain potentially toxic resins.

It is made from 100% pressed wood fibres with no binding agents and has similar working properties to MDF.

It is also completely recyclable.

Veneers

Veneers are thin slices of natural wood but are often put on manufactured boards to make them look more expensive. They are ‘peeled’ off the trunk of a tree much like you peel toilet paper off a roll! They are also used to make laminated plywood for products like skateboards.

Hexaboard

Hexaboard is an exterior quality birch plywood with a hard phenolic resin laminated surface.

This hard-wearing surface has been embossed with a hexagonal pattern making it safer to walk on making it particularly suitable for flooring in commercial vehicles and aircraft etc.

Test your understanding

What wood is the most suitable for this chair and why?

Reveal answer

Plywood as it can be made into complex shapes when formed

What wood is the most suitable for sub-flooring and why?

Reveal Answer

Chipboard as it is cheap but flat and easy to lay for sub-flooring.

What wood is the most suitable for an unpainted filing box and why?

Reveal Answer

MDF as it is flat, comes in large sheets and easy to paint

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