# Forum Home Renovation Kitchens  Best way to cut MDF?

## uncoversports

Hey guys 
Just looking for some ideas from the members out there on the best way to cut MDF sheets up for kitchen cupboard doors? 
Is there a decent way to get a straight cut with a circular saw, or is a tablesaw the only way to go? 
I'm open to the possibility of buying a tablesaw, although I'm not sure I can get one that will cut the width I need without dropping some serious dough. 
Thanks
Greg

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## Vernonv

The easy option is to use a table saw, however you can get very good results using a hand held power saw and a fence clamped to the MDF sheet. 
You can use a metal or timber fence as long as it is straight.

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## Ronaldo451

If you don't have one and do a fair bit of DIY consider getting a Triton work/saw bench. I did not particularly want one but SWMBO bought it for me as a Birthday present as I was starting some serious renovations on our old place at the time. I was surprised how versatile and handy they are. 
If you are just doing Kitchen cupboards the place you are getting the material from may be able to cut them to size - our local Mr Ply & Wood will cut a sheet as required for a flat rate of $6.00 when bought from them...

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## Ronaldo451

PS......I was getting some MDF skirting board from Bunnings the other day and asked them to cut it to fit on the ute as it was only available in lengths which were a bit long to transport. 
They advised that 'due to OH&S' they are not allowed to cut MDF - will cut most other timber products but not MDF, not even just 70mm wide skirting...don't know what that's all about...

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## Blocker

If you give your measurements to a specialist supplier like Mr Ply&Wood etc they will cut it for you.
Regards,
Blocker :Happydance:

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## GraemeCook

Your local joinery shop  can buy mdf at a much better price than you and they will probably sell it to you cut to your specifications for a surprisingly competitive price. 
Cheers 
Graeme

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## montiee

> They advised that 'due to OH&S' they are not allowed to cut MDF - will cut most other timber products but not MDF, not even just 70mm wide skirting...don't know what that's all about...

  If you've ever cut MDF with a saw you'll realise just how fine and how much dust there really is and it hangs in the air for a while. No amount of suction from a vacuum will ever get it all. I once cut MDF inside my garage and I will never ever do that again. I can understand why they don't want to cut it inside an enclosed area. If you are going to cut it do it outside. Personally for skirting I wouldn't touch MDF but that's just me..  
As for the tablesaw you don't need it but it makes life a hell of alot easier. My recommendation is if you do go and use  a straight edge and a normal saw that you always leave one of the original edges untouched and use that as the reference if you want straight cuts. Otherwise after a few cuts you do get sligtly off and the error compounds.  
Personally if I was doing alot of cuts I'd shell out for a table saw or get the measurements and pay someone to cut them for me who has the equipmemt after my experiences. Job takes 4x longer, clamps can get in the way sometimes making it a real pita, sometimes there is not enough material to rest your saw on and have the edge etc and getting repeated perfectly straight parrallel cuts is a challenge and hell of a lot fiddling about..

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## uncoversports

> Our local Mr Ply & Wood will cut a sheet as required for a flat rate of $6.00 when bought from them...

  $6 bucks to cut up a whole sheet? Hardly worth considering anything else! 
Thanks guys
Greg

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## montiee

> $6 bucks to cut up a whole sheet? Hardly worth considering anything else! 
> Thanks guys
> Greg

  Yeh but I have a feeling it $6 per straight cut, not as many cuts as you like per sheet. Might be wrong but worth checking before you give then a bunch of cuts :lol: 
Then one has to look at the price a sheet costs in relation to what other charge.. If the price is right why not but be cautious of deals that look too good to be true. I had the same misconception when I went to a metalfab place. They say it costs $7 to cut up a sheet. What they mean is one cut costs $7  :Rolleyes: . For the cuts I did it would of cost me the equivalent price of another 3 sheets... I also had a rod cut to length since they only had 3m lengths. The cut cost more than the actual rod. Thinking back it probably would of been more economical to buy the entire rod at not too much more and have it handy for other applications. 
The other option is ring around a few cabinet makers and see whether they are willing to offer to make the pieces for you if you know the exact measurements required. Might not be too much dearer in the end.

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## Ronaldo451

_Yeh but I have a feeling it $6 per straight cut, not as many cuts as you like per sheet. Might be wrong but worth checking before you give then a bunch of cuts_  
Fair caution - I was getting a price to make a shoe 'pigeon hole' set with 15 compartments for SWMBO from a 1200 x 2400 double melomine sided chipboard - if I bought the sheet they would make however many cuts I needed for $6 total. Yes, I checked to make sure it was right as it sounded like too much of a bargain. 
May be subject to 'fair usage' in how many cuts they would do (and possibly how slow business is on the day) but if you don't ask you don't get....

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## pawnhead

They would probably use a CNC, so it's not that much trouble punching the dimensions into a computer. The machine does the rest.

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## Bloss

:Wat they said:  A lot of joinery places will supply & cut at a quite reasonable rate - just often need some notice. Advantages are great whatever you are cutting unless you have high quality gear - no dust or large heavy sheets for you to deal with and exact and accurate cutting. Just make sure you measure twice - you give them the measurements they cut - measurements wrong and that's your problem.  :2thumbsup:

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## PlasterPro

your just not a serious DIYer if you don`t have one of these in the shed   560) width=560;" border=0 name=homeimage>

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## Terrian

:Roflmao:  
overkill to the extreme

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## snowyskiesau

I've gotten MDF and ply from Lifetime Industries in Leichardt. 
They charge $5 per sq metre for cutting to size.

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## rod1949

Hey Greg I assume you have a higher authority to answer to?  You now have the perfect excuse to buy that decent bench saw :2thumbsup:

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