MDF Canopy?

[RONCGIZMO]

Has anyone here made a canopy out of MDF? I was going to use white paint as well as a clear coat on the inside and paint the outside to match my stand...so it should be sealed I would think...

if you used it did you have any issues with the evaporation swelling the boards? or did it work out fine?

if you did have issues did you cover it 100% with a paint of some sort?

Thanks,

Ron

[Drag Racer]

I dont see any problem with it as long as its sealed well. The only down side I see to it is weight. MDF isnt light. Ive built quite a few sub boxes out of them and there heavy.

[RONCGIZMO]

yeah, that's what I like about it...I did Car stereo for 20 years and all my work was with MDF...I was thinking about using 1/2 for the canopy the tank is 30x12 and I was only going to go about 7~8 inches

[shyland83]

mdf doesnt handle moisture well. I used mdf for my stand on my last tank and it swelled up pretty good. I used birch plywood on my canopy on my 120 and it worked great.

[kraash]

I have made a canopy out of veneer covered MDF. It was very heavy, but I had no problems with swelling as I sealed it with 3 coats of poly.

IMO, you would be okay with paint or poly sealing every surface

[sasscuba]

Just use cabinet grade plywood. Very good material to make canopy and will take stain and sealer very good.

[Conesus_Kid]

You can get sanded birch or poplar plywood for a few dollars more than MDF and not have to worry about it swelling.

If you wanted to use MDF for trim pieces that you could machine, I think that would be fine if both sides were sealed before being attached to the canopy.

[BeanAnimal]

Yeah the MDF would work, but the plywood is a much better choice.

[RONCGIZMO]

I was going to paint not stain thats why I thought the MDF might be good as well..especially after seeing the junk they sell at LFS... I would hate to buy a nice looking cut of wood just to paint it to match my stand...Knowing me I will also step up on tank size within a year...
To top it off if I do make something out of birch poplar etc. it will but the death out of me..I will have to make a new stand to go with the canopy...lol and I'm not going to go that far right now, I just changed tanks about a month ago...not fun! 4 hours of total stress as most of you know.

[sasscuba]

Why can't you paint the plywood? Cabinet grade plywood with a sealer with look just as good as MDF after paint?? I would not use MDF around water and it is too heavy for a canopy.

[BeanAnimal]

Just use the birch plywood and seal and paint it (as mentioned above). It will weigh less, be easier to work with and easier to finish.

[joy solomon]

Will birch plywood show the wood grain through the paint?

[Donw]

Originally posted by joy solomon
Will birch plywood show the wood grain through the paint?

Not if you use a grain filler and a good sandable primer.

Don

[sasscuba]

You will not see the grain through cabinet grade plywood with a simple sealer/primer and paint. No grain filler or sanding necessary. There is a reason they paint it and use it in kitchens and baths.

[Donw]

Originally posted by sasscuba
You will not see the grain through cabinet grade plywood with a simple sealer/primer and paint. No grain filler or sanding necessary. There is a reason they paint it and use it in kitchens and baths.

The grain filler will make difference between a happy homeowner diy finish vs a professional finish. Production cabinet manufacturers use grain fillers. You use less paint and get a smooth even finish. It just depends on what you are expecting for an end result.

Don

[BeanAnimal]

I use the grain filler because I don't have the patience to work the layers of paint and primer needed to get the finish I want.

[RONCGIZMO]

Thank you everyone... I just had a plan change...I got a stand and canopy from another great local reefer for trade...It's an older oak all-glass model with a honey finish..I more then likely will refinish once I decide on a stain...but for now I'm going to use the canopy as is.