How to protect 6mm MDF edges ... wine rack

[GrinAndBearIt]

Hello hello

Built a very rough and ready place to store 12 bottles of vino next to the fridge ... made it out of 6mm MDF, simply ripping 5 notches out of the single vertical piece and notching each of the 5 horizontal bits so they all slatted together to make the framework.

I would now like to go one step further and protect the front edges of the MDF from knocks. I can't (I think) pin or glue oak stripwood to the front ... too thin ... so was wondering what other options I might have? Maybe create some thicker oak strips that have a 6mm channel routed out of them and attach those? I don't mind if the edges aren't flush with the MDF behind ... but I do want to somehow protect the MDF edges.

In an ideal world I'd have someone laser cut a single bit of hardwood lattice that would fit snugly over the top ... but don't know whether that is even possible.

Thanks all .... open to all ideas ...

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• GrinAndBearIt
• 28 Jan 2015
• 1

 

[Deleted member 174758]

I can't (I think) pin or glue oak stripwood to the front ... too thin ... so was wondering what other options I might have? Maybe create some thicker oak strips that have a 6mm channel routed out of them and attach those?

You certainly can't pin anything that narrow, it'll either split the lipping or the shelf, or both

In my own case I'd probably make-up U-profile pieces of timber to slip over the edges then glue them in place. Where they meet you'd have to mitre the joins. This just needs a router and a grooving cutter

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• Deleted member 174758
• 28 Jan 2015
• 1

Untitled

• Deleted member 174758
• 28 Jan 2015
• 1

Untitled

• Deleted member 174758
• 28 Jan 2015
• 1

Whilst I've shown those with square shoulders in reality I'd knock the arrisses off with a block plane

In an ideal world I'd have someone laser cut a single bit of hardwood lattice that would fit snugly over the top ... but don't know whether that is even possible.

It is possible, but it would highlight even the tiniest error in your original work, but more to the point the narrow strips of short grain you'd get would be very, very fragile

 

[GrinAndBearIt]

Thank you! And thanks for the lovely SketchUp work ...

Yes ... very good point about an all in one lattice ... those short grained bits would be ridiculously delicate. Hadn't thought of that.

So I think I'll buy a 6mm groove bit + bearing for my router and I can hopefully churn these out without too much fuss.

Also - pleased to have learned a new word .... it's an arriss not an edge for me every time now!

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Also - pleased to have learned a new word .... it's an arriss not an edge for me every time now!

Yes, an arriss is a sharp edge

 

[foxhole]

Plastic U channel would be harder wearing, bash a timber channel with a bottle and it's likely to split.

 

[GrinAndBearIt]

I'd like to think that a 18mm square bit of oak is going to be up to it, even with a 6mm groove taken out from it . Like if possible to stick with painted timber ... plastic just doesn't feel right to me ...

 

[Diyisfun]

Laser cut wood, that's a new one on me.

 

[GrinAndBearIt]

http://www.cut-tec.co.uk/materials/laser-cutting/wood-mdf-ply/wood-cut/#.VMonECxYTs0

Expensive for a one off ... but yup, can be done

 

[Diyisfun]

Well they say if you learn one thing a day, you will still die an idiot.
Thanks for the info.

 

[big-all]

mdf not the best choice

make sure you only ever put dry bottles at room temperature on the shelves
by room temperature i mean in the room the rack is in
any condensation will blow the mdf quite quickly

 

[GrinAndBearIt]

It's going to be primed and painted ... absolutely no problem to use MDF ...

 

[big-all]

It's going to be primed and painted ... absolutely no problem to use MDF ...

fine if you get 100% coverage
and no expansion or contraction to crack the paint

 

[amy leach]

Laser cutting is by far the best choice in my opinion, I've recently just read this article and it compares a variety of cutting methods.

Take a look: https://www.yorkshireprofiles.co.uk/laser-cutting-vs-alternative-cutting-methods/

 

[alan333]

How about some iron-on edge strip, the stuff made for cabinet edges? Obviously not as robust as other suggestions but fairly easy to do.