Particle Board as a Spoil Board? Anyone tried it?

[tuck]

So I went to Home Depot today to buy a new spoil board for my Bot. I've been using 3/4" MDF for years. I happened to notice that the 3/4" particle board was roughly half the price of the MDF and I started to grab a sheet but I'm a creature of habit and went with the MDF once again instead.

One annoying thing about MDF as a spoil board is that it leaves little "pooges", slightly raised on the surface when you extract hold-down screws and these need to be sanded down for a completely flat surface.

Has anyone tried the particle board as a spoil board? I'm not asking you guys with vacuum hold-down systems. I know what you use. I'm asking the stone-agers like me that still screw and/or clamp their substrates down. Anyone tried it?

[knight_toolworks]

it does not hold screws very well it will crumble and break and crack and chip chunks when you screw it. but other then that it should be fine.

[tuck]

it does not hold screws very well it will crumble and break and crack and chip chunks when you screw it. but other then that it should be fine.

Thanks Steve, and yes I know it's **** material for holding screws and/or building anything worthwhile. But for a spoil board,...well,...maybe that's all it's really good for? :cool:

[gene]

I wonder how it would machine , doing a where you level the table top (i am having a senior moment and cannot remember what you call that routine) by shaving off the top layer ?:confused:

[tuck]

I wonder how it would machine , doing a where you level the table top (i am having a senior moment and cannot remember what you call that routine) by shaving off the top layer ?:confused:

I don't think it would machine worth a ****, Gene. I don't machine the MDF. I just bolt it down with counter-sunk lag screws and when it's wore out and eaten up with through-cutting, I replace the sheet.

Particle board is soft, like MDF, and not likely to snap small diameter router bits when you are through-cutting. That's why I'm wondering if it may be good for a spoil board for half the price?

[srwtlc]

Mark,

Just like you, I use MDF. Two layers on top of a base of baltic birch. Yes, you do get the little pimples from screws, but I just keep a sanding block on the table to knock them off between surfacing. If you pre-drill the holes with a tapered countersink and use some square drive fluted point screws, it's not as bad.

With particle board, you'll have craters instead of pimples. ;)

Scott

[tmerrill]

Mark,

With the exception of trying one sheet of MDF, all I have ever used is particle board and I have had my machine for over 8 years.

I do pre-drill - keep an old battery drill chucked up at the machine - and find particle board holds screws much better than MDF, is more stable and requires less surfacing, at least in my shop's environment. I would pre-drill MDF also, so dont' consider that an extra step.

I used to be able to get a better quality particle board in my area, meaning the chips were smaller and it surfaced very smooth. Now all I can get is particle board underlayment, which I assume is what you found. It does just as good of a job, but the chips are larger it after surfacing it is level, but rough. I don't consider this a bad thing, with just a few screws it helps hold the project from moving.

My bottom layer is 3/4" birch plywood which is bolted to the frame. On top of this I keep two layers of particle board which are glued on with Titebond 1. When I get close to the bottom sheet of particle board, I will do a deep surface cut to get to that sheet and then glue a new top one on. Let it dry overnight, surface in the morning, and I'm good to go.

Tim

[CNYDWW]

I used particle board on my old small cnc as a replacement for mdf. It worked better in my opinion and if you use kreg or other brand pocket hold screws to place your hold downs the pollups are not bad at all. Matter of face due to the nature of the particle board, most of them come off easy enough with a putty knife. The pocket hole screws are self drilling too. Made life a lot easier with my old machine.

Regards
Randy

[gerryv]

I think I recall a fairly recent discussion here or on another forum about a couple of screw types that (I think) some of the fellows said helped reduce or eliminate this problem. One was called SPAX as I recall and the other was supplied by one of the companies that manufacture aftermarket woodworking jigs etc. I'm not finding that discussion in a search here though. Maybe someone else knows of these?

[CNYDWW]

Sounds like it might have been Kreg as i mentioned before for the screws. I do a nice job. Self drilling screws. I use them for my cabinets, furniture and face frames.

[tuck]

Aaaahaaa,...I knew there had to be someone that had tried or was using particle board. Thanks, Tim & Randy. My next spoil board will be p.b..

Where does one buy these Kreg screws that you speak of, Randy?

As far as surfacing, I don't surface the spoil board itself. I have a wooden table and years ago I planned (surfaced) the 2" x 4" cross members that the bottom sheet of MDF is screwed to. That should make everything level enough. I don't sweat 0.0000001". :cool:

[CNYDWW]

Locally lowes and home depot carry them. They're usually in the tool section with the pocket hole jigs and the like. 1" have a socket head 1 1/4" and above have a washer head and all square drive. I can't tell you how many times i've reused the same screws. Just try and blow them off with an air hose before removing them. Keeps them from getting clogged up. I actually use these screws for everything. No more sheet rock screws in my shop. Just make sure you set your clutch on your driver.

Regards
Randy

[Gary Campbell]

Mark...
For some of the nicest pocket screws I have found, try McFeely's. I use the fine thread. No drilling required, dont puff up a big crater and hold very well.

http://www.mcfeelys.com/pocket-hole-screws

[tuck]

Bookmarked the link. Thanks, Gary. ;)