How do you make a corner joint with MDF?

MDF is a board material consisting of lots of small wood fibres glued together and compressed under high pressure and temperature. Boards produced in this way are also called fibreboards. This makes it very different from board material consisting of (layers of) solid wood. It has a smoother and more even surface, will not splinter during processing, but can split. Machining MDF is therefore different from what you are used to with solid wood. So if you want to make nice and solid corner joints with MDF, you will have to pay attention to a few things. With the right sawing, you can also make invisible corner joints. You can read how to do this below!

Making joints with MDF

MDF can be joined in several ways: you can screw, nail, dowel and also glue it. The best way to do that with MDF is explained here:

MDF screws

MDF can be screwed easily. The material will not splinter, which solid wood can, but it can split if you are careless. It is therefore important to pay close attention while screwing MDF.

What to watch out for when screwing MDF:

1. Do not use large screws. If you use chipboard screws, it is useful to pre-drill a hole first to prevent the MDF from splitting. If you use special MDF screws, this is not necessary. They are made so that you can use them without pre-drilling and don't have to worry about the material splitting.
2. Do not screw too close to the edges of the material, this way you reduce the risk of splitting. A distance of about 15mm to the edge and 25mm to the corner is recommended. At the ends, a distance of 70mm from the sides is recommended.
3. MDF has a smooth surface. If you want to keep that, you can countersink the screws and then fill the hole with putty. After the putty hardens, you can lightly sand the surface.

Nailing MDF

If you are going to nail MDF, you can use the same edge distances as when screwing MDF, so a distance of about 15mm to the edge, 25mm to the corner and at the end edges a distance of 70mm to the edge. Note that nails do not adhere as well to the MDF as screws do. As with screws, it is also important to use small-diameter nails to reduce the risk of splitting.

MDF adhesives

The best way of joining is, of course, with glue. This way, no gaps are created in the material and you can finish the end result nice and even. This can be done with most wood glues. If you want to glue the ends together, a construction adhesive is also a good choice. This material effervesces a little more during drying and can thus fit better into the unevenness of the somewhat rougher surface of the end edges. Structurally, glued MDF boards are somewhat weaker than screwed or nailed MDF boards.

Different corner joints in MDF

Angled connection

The simplest and most common joint is an angled joint. In this joint, the MDF boards are placed and assembled at right angles. Although it is a simple way to make a corner joint of MDF it results in a visible end edge. These are often a bit rougher than the top and bottom of the board material and are therefore less attractive. The end edges also have a stronger suction effect and a primer will be less flat than a primer on the top and bottom, for example.

Made-to-measure MDF

Want to get started with MDF corner jointing on your project now? Then order your customised MDF from OPMAATZAGEN.nl! We will cut your MDF to the millimetre. Of course, we can do this in squares and rectangles, but we can also cut it into other shapes. For example, we can have MDF round cut for a tabletop, but we can also cut it into shapes such as a trapezium or a parallelogram. If you are satisfied, you can leave a reivew at kiyoh. Thanks to our computer-controlled sawing machines, we can cut to the millimetre.

Not quite sure yet which variant of MDF is best for your job? Then read up on waterproof and moisture-resistant MDF, coloured MDF, laminated MDF or the Different thicknesses of MDF.

Then order your customised MDF from OPMAATZAGEN.nl!

Check out our offer in the webshop