Supplier of 25mm MDF 10×5 Sheets (for CNC spoil boards)

[David Hammond]

Savoy Timber aren’t showing any stock.

Trafford Timber / Illingworth Ingham
Robinson Timber

Are two we use but are more Manchester based, not sure if they’ll deliver over that way.

[Michael Cunney]

I’ll carry it on my back at this point if I have to 😅

Have tried a few Manchester ones but not those guys, will give them a call thanks David

[David McDonald]

Hi mate, Preston plywood LTD ?

Have helped us with some tough to obtain sheets in the past.

Cheers

Dave

[Michael Cunney]

Thanks Dave, no luck anywhere unfortunately, it’s allowed us to come to up with a better way of doing things though as is usually the way when you can’t have what you want!

• This reply was modified 2 years, 6 months ago by  Michael Cunney.

[David Stevenson]

Slightly off topic but please excuse my cnc newbie question. Why do you use 25mm? We got a cnc last year and have been using 12mm on it. I’d have thought the thinner the sheet the stronger the suction? I could be completely wrong and maybe missing a trick.

[Michael Cunney]

Maybe but the vacuum pressure has to travel somewhere so don’t think the thickness would affect it too much, sealing the edges makes the biggest difference I’d say, also want to make sure you skim both sides of the board prior to first use (rather than just the side you plan to use) to that smooth finish off as that won’t help with the vacuum.

Reason we use thicker is so it’s more stable generally with the weight, need a good depth to sink the fixings into and also it’ll last much longer than using a thinner board.

[David Stevenson]

Cheers Michael, appreciate the advice. Never though of sealing the edges but now you mention it it makes perfect sense, as does skimming both sides. Every days a school day as they say 🙂 Could be worth trying a thicker sheet too as we notice they tend to wrap with the moisture in the air although the vac sucks it down again in most cases.

[Michael Cunney]

You’re welcome pal, I’ve found that no matter what you try with the vacuum you still get flex in the MDF, think it’s probably with it getting warm and cold all the time in a unit, but depends what type of work you do as to whether the flex matters.

We ended up going belt and braces with it while we were due a new sheet, sunk brass threads into the vacuum bed, then routered into the top MDF sheet to allow bolts to sit within, which are then tightened into the threads pulling the MDF sheet down flat keeping everything flat, definitely recommend it, wish we’d done it years ago, it’s now cutting straight through without marking the spoil board at all.