Replies

1. 
   Bioman | May 24, 2005 01:49pm | #1

   If it is not crumbling, but separating...perhaps a low viscosity epoxy made by West systems.  These penetrate fairly well.  How deep is the separation?

2. 
   jackplane | May 24, 2005 06:03pm | #2

   With a syringe or small glue injector you can force yellow glue into the affected areas then clamp. Be sure the bottom of the table is also veneered to avoid separation in the future. Reglue or replace the edge banding to seal the perimeter.

    

1. 
   ELCard | May 25, 2005 04:40am | #7

   Thanks for the advice. I didn't think to check the bottom to see if it had been veneered. It's a fairly cheap table that was bought from a flea market and I expect you're right.

3. 
   WillGeorge | May 24, 2005 08:07pm | #3

   NOT FIGHTING anybody here.. Just a question...

   How can MDF seperate when there is no grain? .. just a bunch of dust glued together under ALOT of pressure..

   Or is it made in layers?

    

1. 
   JohnWW | May 24, 2005 11:18pm | #5

   Common MDF is in fact made in layers, the two faces are denser and contain more glue, the inner part of the sheet is less dense and is usually the part that fails under stress. 

   MDF is also made in a form where the density is consistent all the way through, it is used for applications that leave the edge exposed such as raised panels or edges that are shaped with a molding.  The consistent density machines better, avoiding the fuzziness of a machined edge seen in standard MDF.

   John W.

1. 
   jbones39 | May 25, 2005 07:45pm | #8

   How do you know the difference?
   Johnboeh

1. 
   JohnWW | May 26, 2005 06:53pm | #9

   Jbones,

   Looking at the edge of a sheet, the even density variety is almost as hard in the middle of the edge as it is close to the surface.  On conventional MDF the center portion of the edge is quite soft, you can easily dig into it with a fingernail or a knife tip. 

   So far as I know, the even density version is only available through sheet good suppliers, everything sold in lumber yards is the soft center variety. 

   John W.

1. 
   WillGeorge | May 27, 2005 08:33pm | #10

   I pulled out my knife at the local lumber yard and they called 911~

4. 
   Lilshaver | May 24, 2005 08:17pm | #4

   First you must decide why the mdf is seperating. A few years ago I made a veneered table using thick shop made veneer. The veneer acted more like a lumber and caused the mdf to fail (the glue affixing the veneer did not). The only solution to this was to remake the table top. Regluing would have been a short-term fix only.

   Jeff

5. 
   nikkiwood | May 25, 2005 01:34am | #6

   I too use a glue syringe -- but I also have a very thin artist's spatula (with a blade about 4" long) that is useful for speading the glue about inside the crack.

   Plain yellow wood glue works just fine.

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