# Blanks from MDF?



## Woodchipper (Aug 5, 2017)

I picked up a piece of countertop material with laminate.  Has anyone tried to cut blanks and make pens from the engineered wood material from a countertop?
If so, how did you turn it and finish it?  Thanks in advance.


----------



## eharri446 (Aug 5, 2017)

MDF is sawdust mixed with glue and cured under extremely high pressure. I have cut and routed it for wood working projects and it generates a huge amount of sawdust as a result. There is no reason that you could not turn it one the lathe, however for best results you would need to use carbide tools.

Let us know how it turns out if you go forward and try some.


----------



## geoffholden (Aug 5, 2017)

All the laminate counter tops I've seen around here are particle board, which might look interesting when turned, but I suspect you'd need extremely sharp tools to avoid a ton of tear out. 
MDF wouldn't be very interesting turned, as there's no real texture to it. And it gives very fine dust, which is pretty toxic. 

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk


----------



## chartle (Aug 5, 2017)

geoffholden said:


> All the laminate counter tops I've seen around here are particle board, which might look interesting when turned, but I suspect you'd need extremely sharp tools to avoid a ton of tear out.
> MDF wouldn't be very interesting turned, as there's no real texture to it. And it gives very fine dust, which is pretty toxic.
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk



Yes also I believe the glue will dull your tools quickly.


----------



## Woodchipper (Aug 5, 2017)

Thanks.  My thoughts- dull tools and a rather BLAH look.


----------



## keithbyrd (Aug 5, 2017)

Actually they look rather cool.  I made 6 for a customer a few months ago - they do tend to dull tools and I soaked with thin CA after I got it turned fairly close.  I have a picture somewhere I will try to find - try this link
http://www.penturners.org/forum/f13/bolt-osb-140911/


----------



## leehljp (Aug 5, 2017)

What Keith said is what I was going to suggest. Soak in CA when close to size. 

I have often wondered if it could be stabilized. AND I have wondered how well it could be dyed. I guessing that some dyes might do well on natural MDF.


----------



## chartle (Aug 5, 2017)

keithbyrd said:


> Actually they look rather cool.  I made 6 for a customer a few months ago - they do tend to dull tools and I soaked with thin CA after I got it turned fairly close.  I have a picture somewhere I will try to find - try this link
> http://www.penturners.org/forum/f13/bolt-osb-140911/



But yours are OSB not particle board. OSB is Oriented Strand Board. 

Particle boards is well particles aka saw dust and glue.


----------



## chartle (Aug 5, 2017)

leehljp said:


> What Keith said is what I was going to suggest. Soak in CA when close to size.
> 
> I have often wondered if it could be stabilized. AND I have wondered how well it could be dyed. I guessing that some dyes might do well on natural MDF.



By its nature I think Particle boards is pretty much stabilized. Its already soaked in glue under pressure.


----------



## keithbyrd (Aug 5, 2017)

chartle said:


> keithbyrd said:
> 
> 
> > Actually they look rather cool.  I made 6 for a customer a few months ago - they do tend to dull tools and I soaked with thin CA after I got it turned fairly close.  I have a picture somewhere I will try to find - try this link
> ...



I realized that right after I posted!


----------



## dogcatcher (Aug 6, 2017)

I bet you could dye them any color or with a little practice even do sort of a tie dye effect.


----------



## Woodchipper (Aug 6, 2017)

Actually, this thread and replies have gotten my curiosity up!  I have a lot of the countertop material.  Will experiment and let the forum know what I have done and the results.  Happy Turning!!!
BTW, I have seen some turnings on other forums where layers of plywood were turned.  Rather unique look.


----------

