Posted by Brian on 23, 2000 at 1:17 PM:
In Reply to: Another question... posted by shane on 23, 2000 at 8:55 AM:
Hi!
Just thought I'd throw my two cents in here as I'm in pretty much the same boat you are.
I recently bought a bunch of sheets of MDF for assorted projects around the house. I've used it on lots of stuff, and it's pretty good for the money, as long as you brace it properly. (That's not to say it's particularly weak or anything, it's just that because of it's contruction, the strength that is inherent in natural wood doesn't exist.)
See, natural wood gets it's strength from it's grain. It's strongest against pressures applied perpendicular to the run of the grain. Plywood is basically a crisscross of several thin sheets of natural wood to create stability in all directions against the wood. Basically it creates wood that has grains running perpendicular to each other, making it quite strong.
The construction of both particle board and MDF (which is basically a much finer particle board) eliminates all of the grain that natural wood has, therefore it has none of the inherent stability of natural wood. However, it is much denser (very heavy) compared to most woods and gains some strength from that.
(Hmmm, this is getting far more long-winded than I anticipated...)
Anyways, to answer your questions...
MDF will provide a nice smooth painted finish very easily, especially compared with particle board. For most arcade cabinets, either MDF or particle board will work just fine. Use either for the sides, control panel, front panels ,etc - anywhere where nice wide flat sheets are required. Inside the cabinet, attach across the width with 2x4's or 1x6's to add stability. Make sure you add a brace under the control panel. Also, for anything internal that will support something heavy, use 2x4's or some other natural wood, as it will last much longer and resist warping from the weight.
Also, don't forget that arcade machines don't really need alot of strength, especially upright ones. They are designed to basically hold themselves up and little more. Compared to say, a house, the strength requirements are almost negligible.
Personally, I am going to use 5/8" particle board for my cabinet. I am planning on using many layers of paint to compensate for the roughness of the panels, which should smooth out the finish nicely.
Also, I believe that most arcade cabinets produced by game manufacturers uses particle board.
Hope this helps!
Brian
: Is particle board and MDF the same thing?