Build wardrobe shelves with MDF or Melamine colourboard ?

[ppp]

Hi All,

I'm planning to add shelves to the wardrobe shown in fig. 

In my previous project, I used MDF, primed and painted with white.  Now after doing bit of research, came to know about Melamine.

It seems they don't need priming and painting ( we can even have different colored melamine in Bunnings ).

As I have only Circular saw, is cutting Melamine without chipping easy for my beginner skill ( Not much of experience in wood working) ?

I can go back to MDF but it so much of dust while cutting and also priming/painting.

Your suggestions please ?

[MitchellMc · Accepted solution]

Hi @ppp,

It's entirely possible to get very clean cuts in melamine without much chipping. You'll likely want to invest in a new thin kerf blade with as many teeth as you can get. Something similar to the Irwin 184mm 60T Circular Saw Blade that suits your saw would be perfect. I'd then advise you to place masking tape on the front and back of the sheet where you intend to cut through it. This will assist in preventing tear-out. Also, set your saw's blade so the teeth only penetrate the far side of the board by 5mm. This allows the blade to cut with a large portion of its outer edge. If the blade is set too deeply, it cuts with a small portion on the side, which tends to be more violent.

If you take your time with the cuts and don't rush them, you'll see some excellent results.

Mitchell

[ppp]

Thanks alot Mitchell

[pstq]

I've always had trouble with this. Once I tried cutting halfway through running the saw backwards so the teeth are cutting as they go in, not as they come out. It's painful to set up though, and hard to get the other side lined up exactly when you turn it over. Plus a saw going backwards tends to suddenly jump.

For a big project, I used these people to do all the cutting:

https://www.allboard.com.au/services/cut-to-size/

It cost a bit extra, but the cuts were perfect. Might not be worth it for just a few pieces.