Tempe
May 13 2003, 02:22am
This is a constantly-updated tutorial I began a few years ago….
Shoppin' at The Home Depot
4x8 sheet of 3/4" MDF $20
1 Tube of Liquid Nails Heavy Duty for Construction and Remodeling Adhesive $2
Quality Caulk Gun $4
1 Pound 1-5/8" Coarse-Threaded Drywall Screws $2.50
#6 Countersink $5
Corner Clamp $10
Latex or vinyl gloves $1
When shopping for Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF), you want to look for a non-grained brown board with 5 neon green stripes on each end. These stripes may or may not be there, depending on the area which you live in. For more information on MDF, please consult the following web pages:
Production of MDF (http://www.starwood.com.au/prodtion.htm)
MDF and Related Subject FAQ (http://www.lungster.com/l/speakers/mdffaq/mdf.html)
http://members.aol.com/Dertaboy/Pictures/Clamp.jpg
I did not use a corner clamp until recently. Spending the extra $8-10 for each one is well worth the investment. The time it took for me to pre-drill all the holes on my last box took FAR less time than any of my past boxes. I suggest that you get two so you can use one on each end of the butt joint.
http://www.liquidnails.com/artwork/adhesive_art/ln901_tube.jpg
Liquid Nails Heavy Duty Construction & Remodeling Adhesive (LN-901) (http://www.liquidnails.com/adhesives/ln-901.html)
Liquid Nails is VERY strong.. The first time I used it, I messed up and had to remove a board. After removing the screws, it took a lot of pressure to remove that board! After using this Liquid Nails a few times, I got tired of the rather thick viscosity. This made the product rather hard to dispense from the tube. There were many times where it would come out into a ball, instead of adhering to the MDF. For my most recent box, I decided to try something different.
http://IMG.photobucket.com/albums/v145/Tempe/PL.jpg
PL Premium Polyurethane Construction Adhesive (http://www.stickwithpl.com/products/detail.asp?PLProductID=14)
One of the guys in the paint department at my old Home Depot recommended that I try a tube of PL Construction Adhesive. I was ecstatic with the results! PL dispensed in a clean, straight line that always stuck to the MDF. I never had any problem at all with my last box. Regardless of which product you choose, I suggest you pick up two tubes and return the other if you don’t need the second one. It sucks to be almost done with your project and run out of adhesive!
I HIGHLY recommend spending a few extra bucks to get a good-quality caulk gun. Look to spend $4-5 because a cheep $2 one tends to take some serious pressure to get it going. Unfortunately that pressure you expended into the caulk tube doesn't go away; it keeps on coming out after you let off the trigger!!! This can become rather messy after a while. Hey, you get what you pay for. Ask someone at the store you go to for a drip-less caulk gun.
For fasteners, I personally use 1-5/8" coarse-threaded drywall screws. I recommend that you do not get screws longer than these. In a previous box, I thought I would go a little overkill and try longer screws. Although I predrilled plenty deep, the board cracked anyway. I had to cut a new board :(
I once advocated the use of a special type of drill bit, called a countersink. If you do not know what it is look here:
http://www.trendmachinery.co.uk/snappy/snapcb.jpg
The one I used had a main bit of 7/64. What it does is simultaneously pre-drills MDF while drilling a countersink hole so that the screw-head will either sit either flush or below the wood. This will prohibit bumps every few inches if you were to carpet your box. Here is a picture of an old box of mine. You can see what I am saying about the countersunk screws:
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/5/web/149000-149999/149127_22_full.jpg
I no longer countersink my screws. Here is the reason why. Many moons ago I created the enclosure for my RE SE 12” that I still use to this day. I took all the time to put a screw every two inches. Honestly that is overkill. The less screws you have the stronger the joint will be. Screws are there to hold the pieces of MDF properly while the adhesive or glue fully cures. Once that happens there is no longer a need for them. Therefore I remove all screws. You can save money by recycling them for your next enclosure! With the screws removed, there is no longer a need to countersink your screws; just fill the holes in with some wood putty!
In the past, I used silicone caulk to line the inside corners of the box to make it air-tight. The Liquid Nails or PL Adhesive will do the same thing.
In past revisions, I forgot to mention to purchase latex or vinyl gloves. Anyone who has ever used construction adhesive will know that it is a HUGE pain to get off of your fingers. Once it’s on, it’s on! The wearing of gloves will prevent many headaches!
I believe I covered it all.....
MDF
Construction Adhesive
Caulk Gun
Drywall Screws
Countersink
Corner Clamp
Latex Gloves
Also, I should make a reminder to use a nice cordless drill that has an adjustable clutch on it. This way, you can set it so the tension on each screw is about the same. It is great because you are less likely to split or strip your MDF (which it loves to do when screws are over-tightened).
Box Construction Hints
I begin by marking off where I want the screws to go. Since the MDF is 3/4" thick, I would want the screw to be centered at 3/8" from the end of the board. With previous boxes I put screws as close as 2" apart from each other! That is just insane http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/icon_twisted.gif I usually put one at each end of the joint along with one more every 12-18".
Next I line up the corners of the MDF with the clamp(s). Once I know that the angle is at 90°, I begin drilling the holes with the countersink bit. Again, this bit will simultaneously predrill the hole for the screw while also creating a hole for the screw's head to be countersunk. Having the boards clamped together at this point ensures that the holes line up perfectly. I finish this step up by test-fitting the screws into each hole. No adhesive is applied just yet. The screws hold the box together until all the holes are predrilled and the box is "assembled." If I make a mistake or a board does not line up, the whole box can be disassembled at this point.
Now I take a moment to mark each joint with a pencil. I place tick marks to identify each joint. The first joint is marked with a | while the second is marked with | | and so on. I find that this helps me maintain that picture of how the box goes together even with the boards disassembled. Then I remove each screw and take the boards apart.
Now comes the time where your gloves should be on. Clip the end of the caulk tube. Use a pointed object to pierce the foil lining at the top of the caulk tube (which is of course inside the clear tip). Pop that tube into your caulk gun, depress the trigger until a little bit of adhesive begins to come out, and get ready to make a mess!!!
What I do is apply the adhesive liberally on the edge of the one board. This way, when I screw the boards tight, all the extra adhesive oozes out. Just be sure to NOT over-tighten your screws. You want to retain the adhesive within the joint. Find a clutch setting that works well for this. On my Ryobi 9.6v drill, I set the clutch at 10 on a scale of 1-20. For a more powerful drill, you may want the clutch to be set a bit lower.
After all of the screws on that joint are tightened, I take a rather damp sponge and spread all that extra adhesive over both sides of the joint. This will ensure an airtight seal. This method has worked very well with my most recent boxes. I make sure that I do not leave that much adhesive on the outside of the joint. If I plan on finishing the box, sanding all that extra adhesive smooth becomes a laborious chore :(
I continue to do this exercise for each of the joints of the box. Once the adhesive fully cures, I remove all of the screws. They are only there to hold the MDF together. Being the frugal person that I am, I reuse them for future projects! :)
Closing
Keep in mind that I am unaware of anyone’s woodworking experience. I apologize if I made this tutorial sound like "Box Buildin’ for Dummies." I just try to be as complete as possible. Please feel free to hit me up on IM if you have any questions.
Good luck!
Tempe
Originally composed on April 20, 2002
Box Construction Hints composed on November 17, 2004
Minor additions composed on January 30, 2005
Shoppin' at The Home Depot
4x8 sheet of 3/4" MDF $20
1 Tube of Liquid Nails Heavy Duty for Construction and Remodeling Adhesive $2
Quality Caulk Gun $4
1 Pound 1-5/8" Coarse-Threaded Drywall Screws $2.50
#6 Countersink $5
Corner Clamp $10
Latex or vinyl gloves $1
When shopping for Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF), you want to look for a non-grained brown board with 5 neon green stripes on each end. These stripes may or may not be there, depending on the area which you live in. For more information on MDF, please consult the following web pages:
Production of MDF (http://www.starwood.com.au/prodtion.htm)
MDF and Related Subject FAQ (http://www.lungster.com/l/speakers/mdffaq/mdf.html)
http://members.aol.com/Dertaboy/Pictures/Clamp.jpg
I did not use a corner clamp until recently. Spending the extra $8-10 for each one is well worth the investment. The time it took for me to pre-drill all the holes on my last box took FAR less time than any of my past boxes. I suggest that you get two so you can use one on each end of the butt joint.
http://www.liquidnails.com/artwork/adhesive_art/ln901_tube.jpg
Liquid Nails Heavy Duty Construction & Remodeling Adhesive (LN-901) (http://www.liquidnails.com/adhesives/ln-901.html)
Liquid Nails is VERY strong.. The first time I used it, I messed up and had to remove a board. After removing the screws, it took a lot of pressure to remove that board! After using this Liquid Nails a few times, I got tired of the rather thick viscosity. This made the product rather hard to dispense from the tube. There were many times where it would come out into a ball, instead of adhering to the MDF. For my most recent box, I decided to try something different.
http://IMG.photobucket.com/albums/v145/Tempe/PL.jpg
PL Premium Polyurethane Construction Adhesive (http://www.stickwithpl.com/products/detail.asp?PLProductID=14)
One of the guys in the paint department at my old Home Depot recommended that I try a tube of PL Construction Adhesive. I was ecstatic with the results! PL dispensed in a clean, straight line that always stuck to the MDF. I never had any problem at all with my last box. Regardless of which product you choose, I suggest you pick up two tubes and return the other if you don’t need the second one. It sucks to be almost done with your project and run out of adhesive!
I HIGHLY recommend spending a few extra bucks to get a good-quality caulk gun. Look to spend $4-5 because a cheep $2 one tends to take some serious pressure to get it going. Unfortunately that pressure you expended into the caulk tube doesn't go away; it keeps on coming out after you let off the trigger!!! This can become rather messy after a while. Hey, you get what you pay for. Ask someone at the store you go to for a drip-less caulk gun.
For fasteners, I personally use 1-5/8" coarse-threaded drywall screws. I recommend that you do not get screws longer than these. In a previous box, I thought I would go a little overkill and try longer screws. Although I predrilled plenty deep, the board cracked anyway. I had to cut a new board :(
I once advocated the use of a special type of drill bit, called a countersink. If you do not know what it is look here:
http://www.trendmachinery.co.uk/snappy/snapcb.jpg
The one I used had a main bit of 7/64. What it does is simultaneously pre-drills MDF while drilling a countersink hole so that the screw-head will either sit either flush or below the wood. This will prohibit bumps every few inches if you were to carpet your box. Here is a picture of an old box of mine. You can see what I am saying about the countersunk screws:
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/5/web/149000-149999/149127_22_full.jpg
I no longer countersink my screws. Here is the reason why. Many moons ago I created the enclosure for my RE SE 12” that I still use to this day. I took all the time to put a screw every two inches. Honestly that is overkill. The less screws you have the stronger the joint will be. Screws are there to hold the pieces of MDF properly while the adhesive or glue fully cures. Once that happens there is no longer a need for them. Therefore I remove all screws. You can save money by recycling them for your next enclosure! With the screws removed, there is no longer a need to countersink your screws; just fill the holes in with some wood putty!
In the past, I used silicone caulk to line the inside corners of the box to make it air-tight. The Liquid Nails or PL Adhesive will do the same thing.
In past revisions, I forgot to mention to purchase latex or vinyl gloves. Anyone who has ever used construction adhesive will know that it is a HUGE pain to get off of your fingers. Once it’s on, it’s on! The wearing of gloves will prevent many headaches!
I believe I covered it all.....
MDF
Construction Adhesive
Caulk Gun
Drywall Screws
Countersink
Corner Clamp
Latex Gloves
Also, I should make a reminder to use a nice cordless drill that has an adjustable clutch on it. This way, you can set it so the tension on each screw is about the same. It is great because you are less likely to split or strip your MDF (which it loves to do when screws are over-tightened).
Box Construction Hints
I begin by marking off where I want the screws to go. Since the MDF is 3/4" thick, I would want the screw to be centered at 3/8" from the end of the board. With previous boxes I put screws as close as 2" apart from each other! That is just insane http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/icon_twisted.gif I usually put one at each end of the joint along with one more every 12-18".
Next I line up the corners of the MDF with the clamp(s). Once I know that the angle is at 90°, I begin drilling the holes with the countersink bit. Again, this bit will simultaneously predrill the hole for the screw while also creating a hole for the screw's head to be countersunk. Having the boards clamped together at this point ensures that the holes line up perfectly. I finish this step up by test-fitting the screws into each hole. No adhesive is applied just yet. The screws hold the box together until all the holes are predrilled and the box is "assembled." If I make a mistake or a board does not line up, the whole box can be disassembled at this point.
Now I take a moment to mark each joint with a pencil. I place tick marks to identify each joint. The first joint is marked with a | while the second is marked with | | and so on. I find that this helps me maintain that picture of how the box goes together even with the boards disassembled. Then I remove each screw and take the boards apart.
Now comes the time where your gloves should be on. Clip the end of the caulk tube. Use a pointed object to pierce the foil lining at the top of the caulk tube (which is of course inside the clear tip). Pop that tube into your caulk gun, depress the trigger until a little bit of adhesive begins to come out, and get ready to make a mess!!!
What I do is apply the adhesive liberally on the edge of the one board. This way, when I screw the boards tight, all the extra adhesive oozes out. Just be sure to NOT over-tighten your screws. You want to retain the adhesive within the joint. Find a clutch setting that works well for this. On my Ryobi 9.6v drill, I set the clutch at 10 on a scale of 1-20. For a more powerful drill, you may want the clutch to be set a bit lower.
After all of the screws on that joint are tightened, I take a rather damp sponge and spread all that extra adhesive over both sides of the joint. This will ensure an airtight seal. This method has worked very well with my most recent boxes. I make sure that I do not leave that much adhesive on the outside of the joint. If I plan on finishing the box, sanding all that extra adhesive smooth becomes a laborious chore :(
I continue to do this exercise for each of the joints of the box. Once the adhesive fully cures, I remove all of the screws. They are only there to hold the MDF together. Being the frugal person that I am, I reuse them for future projects! :)
Closing
Keep in mind that I am unaware of anyone’s woodworking experience. I apologize if I made this tutorial sound like "Box Buildin’ for Dummies." I just try to be as complete as possible. Please feel free to hit me up on IM if you have any questions.
Good luck!
Tempe
Originally composed on April 20, 2002
Box Construction Hints composed on November 17, 2004
Minor additions composed on January 30, 2005