# The death of MDF!



## richardchaos (May 12, 2017)

Today I had some major traveling to do. 350 miles. Central Illinois
While doing it I stopped in every Home Cheapo, lowes and Menards… No one carries MDF any longer. Special order only.

The closest I got was MDF core Red oak Sheets.

ONE WORD!!!!

WTF!!!!!!

All in all wasn't too bad! Had some of the best Sweet and sour Shrimp ever.. HOLD THE MDF!


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## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

> Today I had some major traveling to do. 350 miles. Central Illinois
> While doing it I stopped in every Home Cheapo, lowes and Menards… No one carries MDF any longer. Special order only.
> 
> The closest I got was MDF core Red oak Sheets.
> ...


They just don't like your Rich. Maybe because they sell Ridgid tools and read this forum.


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## TheFridge (May 1, 2014)

Yep. He's back.


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## Carloz (Oct 12, 2016)

If someone shows at my door and start WTF I will tell him I do nothave MDF either.


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## fuigb (Apr 21, 2010)

> ...Home Cheapo…


Up in here in the urban and industrial midwest that's Home Dupa. Regional flavor, you know.


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## richardchaos (May 12, 2017)

What's not to like????


> Today I had some major traveling to do. 350 miles. Central Illinois
> While doing it I stopped in every Home Cheapo, lowes and Menards… No one carries MDF any longer. Special order only.
> 
> The closest I got was MDF core Red oak Sheets.
> ...


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## richardchaos (May 12, 2017)

Well this posses another question other than ?WHY HAVE THEY KILLED OFF MDF?"

What is going to be it's replacement?

It had its place and filled it quite well.. IT IS NOT PARTICLE BOARD….

AS I looked around all these stores they have only one replacement… NEAR BLACK HARDBOARD!... It falls apart with the slightest mishandling and Don't even think of spilling your drink on it.


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## gmc (Jun 30, 2012)

they must have known you were coming. i live just south of Springfield IL and have no trouble buying MDF. The nearest Home Depot is in Jacksonville so i am not sure about them but Lowes and Menards stocks 1/2" 3/4". Both full and half sheets.


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## dbeck (Jun 1, 2017)

mdf at all the borg stores here as well, not a great variety but 3/4 is all over, champaign ill area.


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## rbrjr1 (Nov 2, 2017)

huh?

I have to go exactly 2.0 miles from the house to get 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 mdf in 2×4 & 4×8 ..


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## wapakfred (Jul 29, 2011)

My Menards shows it in stock in 1/2" and 3/4", not sure whether Lowes ever had it (locally) and I don't have Home Despot. Is it possible that MDF is known to cause cancer in the state of Illinois? Maybe the state legislature abolished it?


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## Tennessee (Jul 8, 2011)

When I left the furniture industry in 2010, most of the frame work on upholstered was a form of MDF. Furniture grade, they called it. Supposedly, they put in more particle and less bonder, or something like that to make it stronger.

With that, Georgia Pacific had at that time nine plants pouring out this stuff, and they decided to close down 6-7 of them, "due to over supply", in their words. This was 7-8 years ago, and I am sure things have changed, but you get the idea.

What happened was the product price shot straight up. There was no over supply, they just wanted to make more money.
It may be why many big box stores stopped carrying it.
Who's gonna pay $25-30 bucks for a sheet of MDF at the retail level?
I'm sure a lot still do carry it, and my local Lowes does, but my Home Depot does not. They are less than 1/2 mile from each other. Go figure.


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## richardchaos (May 12, 2017)

Well I asm looking for 1/4 MDF I scoured every HW store in the towns I went to NO 1/4 MDF and only 3/4 at one Lowes!


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## richardchaos (May 12, 2017)

Tell you what, You got to any of your stores there Take a pic of a 4×8 sheet of 1/4 inch MDF and post it on the thread and then you all can call me a HUCKLEBERRY!


> huh?
> 
> I have to go exactly 2.0 miles from the house to get 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 mdf in 2×4 & 4×8 ..
> 
> - rbrjr1


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## richardchaos (May 12, 2017)

IN fact if any of you can go to a store in your area take a pic of a 4×8 sheet of 1/4 inch MDF. Make sure you can tell its 1/4 inch the post it on here then you can call me a HUCKLEBERRY!


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## mrg (Mar 10, 2010)

https://www.homedepot.com/b/Search/N-5yc1vZbtn1/Ntk-Extended/Ntt-mdf?Ntx=mode+matchpartialmax&NCNI-5
It's available, in quarter, half and eight sheets. 
How about your local lumber yard?


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## rwe2156 (May 7, 2014)

They don't sell 1/4" MDF because they sell 1000X more 1/2 and 3/4.

Quit complaining and just go buy it at pro supplier.


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## richardchaos (May 12, 2017)

Home depot does not repeat does not any longer carry 4×8 sheets of 1/4 MDF! Some have stock in 2×4 1/4 but they say they are discontinuing that as well.



> https://www.homedepot.com/b/Search/N-5yc1vZbtn1/Ntk-Extended/Ntt-mdf?Ntx=mode+matchpartialmax&NCNI-5
> It's available, in quarter, half and eight sheets.
> How about your local lumber yard?
> 
> - mrg


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## richardchaos (May 12, 2017)

They use to carry 1/4 4×8 MDF I got scraps in my shop with the 4×8 labels still attached..



> They don t sell 1/4" MDF because they sell 1000X more 1/2 and 3/4.
> 
> Quit complaining and just go buy it at pro supplier.
> 
> - rwe2156


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## richardchaos (May 12, 2017)

OKAY the heck with you all… I am going to go back to writing my MANIFESTO on how the World should operate and put a shine on my foil hat!


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## mrg (Mar 10, 2010)

Maybe sales don't warrant carrying 1/4in MDF for the big box stores. People hate working with the stuff, it makes a huge mess, it breaks if you drop it, corners get messed up if hit and water makes it swell. If you need it go to a lumber yard. It is not being discontinued, just your size is not being carried. Can you use a half sheet? There is more ways to make things work or use a different material.


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## richardchaos (May 12, 2017)

Have already gone to that Poisonous Dark Brown hardboard. Plywood will just not work here. ALSO I did see these sheets of what looked ike a felt like Hard Black Plastic in 1/4 4×8 sheet in this case may work!!!!












> Maybe sales don't warrant carrying 1/4in MDF for the big box stores. People hate working with the stuff, it makes a huge mess, it breaks if you drop it, corners get messed up if hit and water makes it swell. If you need it go to a lumber yard. It is not being discontinued, just your size is not being carried. Can you use a half sheet? There is more ways to make things work or use a different material.
> 
> - mrg


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## richardchaos (May 12, 2017)

Also like to ad that while at Menards yesterday them had a SIC looking 1/4 Knotty pine plywood with a red oak veneer on the back side it was super looking BUT wont work here but I could use that on some projects


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## wapakfred (Jul 29, 2011)

I have to admit I can't get 1/4" mdf around me…except in small pieces at Home Despot (a long way off). They sell (or used to sell) 2×4 pieces.


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## jerryminer (Jun 15, 2014)

> . No one carries MDF any longer. Special order only.
> 
> - richardchaos


In your universe: If it's not at Home Depot, it doesn't exist.

In my universe: 1/4 mdf is readily available from my local hardwood dealer.


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## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

Maybe you need to find a real lumber yard. I haven't bought any sheet good from the big boxes is 30 years

GOOD LUCK ON YOUR MANIFESTO


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## Kazooman (Jan 20, 2013)

Why don't you buy a sheet of 1/2" MDF and find someone with a band saw with a four foot high throat to resaw it for you? These problems are so easily solved if you just use a little ingenuity.


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## ssnvet (Jan 10, 2012)

MDF has few applications for the home repair crowd that the big box stores target, and those stores have data focused management, so if they stopped carrying it, they most certainly weren't making enough money on it to justify the floor space.

We crunch through a tractor trailer load of 1/4" MDF every month at work routing circles with hub holes on the CNC for a packaging application. Our only issue is that we can't always get the 5'x10' sheets we need to optimize our utilization per sheet and machine time.

Trust me, MDF is alive and well.

:^)


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## richardchaos (May 12, 2017)

I will send you a $50 check if you can buy a 4×8 sheet of 1/4 MDF at LOWES, HOME DEPOT and or MENARDS!



> . No one carries MDF any longer. Special order only.
> 
> - richardchaos
> 
> ...


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## richardchaos (May 12, 2017)

are you retarded?


> Why don t you buy a sheet of 1/2" MDF and find someone with a band saw with a four foot high throat to resaw it for you? These problems are so easily solved if you just use a little ingenuity.
> 
> - Kazooman


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## richardchaos (May 12, 2017)

Thats the most educated statement I have heard in some time


> MDF has few applications for the home repair crowd that the big box stores target, and those stores have data focused management, so if they stopped carrying it, they most certainly weren t making enough money on it to justify the floor space.
> 
> We crunch through a tractor trailer load of 1/4" MDF every month at work routing circles with hub holes on the CNC for a packaging application. Our only issue is that we can t always get the 5×10 sheets we need to optimize our utilization per sheet and machine time.
> 
> ...


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## jerryminer (Jun 15, 2014)

> I will send you a $50 check if you can buy a 4×8 sheet of 1/4 MDF at LOWES, HOME DEPOT and or MENARDS!
> 
> . No one carries MDF any longer. Special order only.
> 
> ...


I guess you missed my point. The big box store is not the only source for materials. I'll bet 1/4 mdf is available in your area-- but you might have to use a real lumber dealer.


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## jerryminer (Jun 15, 2014)

richardchaos-you are in central Illinois, right? Anywhere near Owl Lumber? They stock 1/4 mdf in 4×8, 4×4, and 2×8


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## Magnum (Feb 5, 2010)

All kinds of it available up here in Canada at Home Depot & Lowes. Including 4×8x1/4" And 4×8x1/2".

I just bought 2-2×4x1/4" Handy Panels for a Project.


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## jerryminer (Jun 15, 2014)

> I will send you a $50 check if you can buy a 4×8 sheet of 1/4 MDF at LOWES, HOME DEPOT and or MENARDS!


Maybe you could send the check to Rick above.


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## Magnum (Feb 5, 2010)

> I will send you a $50 check if you can buy a 4×8 sheet of 1/4 MDF at LOWES, HOME DEPOT and or MENARDS!
> 
> Maybe you could send the check to Rick above.
> 
> - jerryminer


Thanks Jerry but I don't need the $50.00 Bucks that badly. Appreciated though! ..LOL ..

Regards: Rick


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## Kazooman (Jan 20, 2013)

> are you retarded?
> 
> Why don t you buy a sheet of 1/2" MDF and find someone with a band saw with a four foot high throat to resaw it for you? These problems are so easily solved if you just use a little ingenuity.
> 
> ...


Hey Mr. Chaos: I just logged into Lumberjocks and saw your nice rejoinder to my obvious tongue-in-cheek post.

NO, I am not retarded, and actually I never use that term to describe individuals who either have some innate cerebral deficit or who have not enjoyed the education I have been privileged to obtain. We can compare educational pedigrees off line if you want to delve further into my intellect.

On the other hand, one might question the wisdom of stopping at every Home Depot, Menards and Lowes along a 350 mile trip looking for 1/4" MDF in 4×8' sheets, starting a rant about not finding it, and challenging others to prove otherwise. Or perhaps the wisdom of starting a thread about Rockler that was quickly shut down, or starting another thread about off topic posts only to be scolded by Cricket to stop posting in the wrong Forum (last warning). Oh, and you can easily Google magnetic latches to find a whole host of ideas for your project.


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## Andybb (Sep 30, 2016)

I thought it was only me. Nobody seems to carry MDF, only particle board, which the people at Lowes and HD said is the same thing. Did anyone answer the question, WHY & WTF??


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## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

The answer is go to a real lumber yard or a place the sell cabinet making supplies.


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## jerryminer (Jun 15, 2014)

> I thought it was only me. Nobody seems to carry MDF, only particle board, which the people at Lowes and HD said is the same thing. Did anyone answer the question, WHY & WTF??
> 
> - Andybb


I think the "why" question was answered well by Maniac Mike in post #27 above.


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## robscastle (May 13, 2012)

I have heaps of it drop by and I will give you some!


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## Andybb (Sep 30, 2016)

> I think the "why" question was answered well by Maniac Mike in post #27 above.
> - jerryminer


Thanks. I figured it was stated somewhere. I just didn't want to read all 35 posts to find out. I stopped at about 15 or 20.

About a month ago I was at Lowe's and then Home Depot just assuming they had it. I probably go through a full sheet in a year and realize the last year or so I've gotten 4×4 sheets at the lumber yard when I was there so I don't know how long it's been since they carried it. It just seemed strange because they looked at me like i was asking for a loaf of bread. Makes perfect sense now.


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## bigblockyeti (Sep 9, 2013)

There's a decent sheet goods supplier not too far from me that carries most anything a cabinet shop might need and good quantities of what moves on a regular basis. There prices are good for in stock, not so much for special orders unless you're ordering quite a bit.


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