# MDF for Steambox?



## Andries (Feb 3, 2013)

Hi Everybody, 

I want to build a cheap but durable steam box, can you please advise if MDF will be a suitable material to use if the inside is painted with enamel paint. I wont be using it that much, but want to make it only once and then use as needed. It seems that Plywood is the most popular but is double the price of MDF. I understand that some guys use PVC pipe which apparently does not last long.

Thank You

Andries


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

Andries said:


> Hi Everybody,
> 
> I want to build a cheap but durable steam box, can you please advise if MDF will be a suitable material to use if the inside is painted with enamel paint. I wont be using it that much, but want to make it only once and then use as needed. It seems that Plywood is the most popular but is double the price of MDF. I understand that some guys use PVC pipe which apparently does not last long.
> 
> ...


MDF,,,, for a 10 seconds or less...
use a piece of metal double walled stove pipe...
single wall will work fine if that's all ya have...
wood...
PVC...
MDF detests moisture...

.


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

Andries said:


> Hi Everybody,
> 
> I want to build a cheap but durable steam box, can you please advise if MDF will be a suitable material to use if the inside is painted with enamel paint. I wont be using it that much, but want to make it only once and then use as needed. It seems that Plywood is the most popular but is double the price of MDF. I understand that some guys use PVC pipe which apparently does not last long.
> 
> ...


a little more information...
if you have stove pipe available use the PVC design and mimic the assembly...


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

An old hot water tank would make a larger version but you would need some metal skills to fashion a door for it.


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## Garyk (Dec 29, 2011)

I would consider MDO (medium density overlay) instead of MDF. MDO has an outside layer of a kraft paper product which makes it more of a water resistant product. It is what many states use for the signs you see along the interstates. Well suited for wet environments. I have used it for outdoor signs and never had one delaminate.


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

The one I made from PVC lasted 45 min before it melted down, and the MDO one that I made after that did fine.
You can see in the last couple of pics ofit starting to sag, just got worse after that.
Herb


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

My Email goofed up ,here are some more pics and the MDO box.
Herb

Note I did not have any success with either, found out later that KD lumber does not work, has to be air dried or green is the best. Must be held in form for weeks to dry, a real PITA, never do that again. Good Luck.
Herb


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

nice work Herb...


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## Stargate (Oct 2, 2014)

Herb, that's a nice looking MDO Steam Box you made there. Did you use 1/2" or 3/4" MDO? I've got almost a full sheet of 1/2" MDO left. I love working with MDO Plywood.


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## lowracer (May 22, 2015)

will "shutterply" work? not sure what it is called elsewhere. it might be called "construction ply". it is a "rough" plywood, not as smooth as normal plywood, but not as expensive (and hardwearing) as marine ply


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## gjackson52 (Jul 4, 2015)

Does anyone know if Titebond III would survive steam in a steambox ?

Gary


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

gjackson52 said:


> Does anyone know if Titebond III would survive steam in a steambox ?
> 
> Gary


no it plasticizes and lets go at around 130/140°... 
let your titebond glue dry...
now go hold it under hot water....
in a little bit you got your brush back...


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## gjackson52 (Jul 4, 2015)

Thanks Stick ! Do you know if there is a glue that I could use to bookmatch flame maple in a 1/4"x13"x20" sheet ( hopefully without a visible seam ) then soften with steam to bend it over a mold ? Or will I have a better chance at winning the lottery ?

Gary


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

gjackson52 said:


> Thanks Stick ! Do you know if there is a glue that I could use to bookmatch flame maple in a 1/4"x13"x20" sheet ( hopefully without a visible seam ) then soften with steam to bend it over a mold ? Or will I have a better chance at winning the lottery ?
> 
> Gary


bend it 1st....
tune the seams w/a plane..
build it over sized...
which way you bending??? length or width???....

for the glue or adhesive... google is your friend...


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

@gjackson52...

FWIW Gary there is some information lacking in your post...
which are the panel boards to be bent???...
how wide are they...
what's the radii???...


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

I used 1/2" MDO, Larry. The cross pins are coated gutter nails from the hardware store and the gauge is a BQ gauge from Lowes. I screwed and glued it with Construction adhesive. You can get MDO either one side or both, I like it and use it a lot. We used it for concrete forms for years,over,and over ,and over and it kept getting small er and smaller until we had to buy some more. Big box doesn't sell it have to go to a lumber yard.

Good to hear from you Hentie, I am not sure what Shutterply is,does it have a coating on it? I would recommend sealing the inside as there is a lot of condensation from the steam cooling. also put a small (3/8") hole in the upper end to let out any pressure, don't want it to blow apart. And slope the box an 1" or so to allow the condensate to run down and out the lower end.

Herb


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## gjackson52 (Jul 4, 2015)

Stick486 said:


> @gjackson52...
> 
> FWIW Gary there is some information lacking in your post...
> which are the panel boards to be bent???...
> ...


I am not sure how to exactly answer...but here are a couple of pics that show the end result.


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## gjackson52 (Jul 4, 2015)

Stick486 said:


> bend it 1st....
> tune the seams w/a plane..
> build it over sized...
> which way you bending??? length or width???....
> ...


Bending on the length. I have tried google, but haven't really found a solution that uses glue. I did find one person that used relief routs on the back side to enable the bending and gluing without breaking the wood. I could do that, but was still looking for a steam bending possibility...assuming it exists. What I am trying to do is to build a fender stratocaster guitar clone. There is a forearm cut on the front of the guitar that the maple would be bent over.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

What Stick said originally. 
After all is said and done, galvanized sheet metal piping just makes way more sense. _Any_ kind of plywood is going to cost more than a length of sheet metal ducting. End caps are a stock item and insulation is cheap, if you feel the need.
It's also way lighter and easier to handle.
The HVAC shop will knock together any size you need, in pretty much any shape from round crossection to rectangular.


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## gjackson52 (Jul 4, 2015)

Trying again


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

For that small amount you might try rags soaked in hot water and wrung out, along with a clamp. I would make a form to clamp it and bend it, and apply hot water rag to the bottom and the face and clamp it down then let it set overnight.
Herb


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## lowracer (May 22, 2015)

Herb Stoops said:


> Good to hear from you Hentie, I am not sure what Shutterply is,does it have a coating on it? I would recommend sealing the inside as there is a lot of condensation from the steam cooling. also put a small (3/8") hole in the upper end to let out any pressure, don't want it to blow apart. And slope the box an 1" or so to allow the condensate to run down and out the lower end.
> 
> Herb


it seems that the name "shutterply" is very much a South African moniker. If I search on google, the first 5 pages only had 2 non .co.za links that I could see. Shutterply /construction /packaging ply is used for packaging, formwork for concrete pouring. its is more like "c grade plywood" in terms of finishing. it is real ply, not sliverboard/blockboard/etc. it is glued together with "brown" glue, which seems to be a phenol formaldehyde glue, that is more heat/water resistant. (not sure how green that is?)

the standard sheets is 2440mm x 1220mm which works out to 8ft x 4 ft, commonly available thickness is - 18mm that is around 3/4 inch. 

there isn't a coating on it

I would pay around the same price for 18mm shutterply that I would pay for 9mm plywood. 

this seems to be the most descriptive links to explain what it is
Universal Plywoods Packaging

it also says : all glue lines are tried and tested WBP (Water Boil Proof).


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

Herb Stoops said:


> For that small amount you might try rags soaked in hot water and wrung out, along with a clamp. I would make a form to clamp it and bend it, and apply hot water rag to the bottom and the face and clamp it down then let it set overnight.
> Herb


you got he plan herb...


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

"this seems to be the most descriptive links to explain what it is
Universal Plywoods Packaging"

Henti, I see the MDO on the bottom of the page there. I would say that if you want to use the Shutterply, seal it good with a waterproof paint , Epoxy if possible. If you use it for pouring concrete , form oil might work it is a formula of oil and wax.

Herb


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

just use a piece of stove pipe...


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

The piece he described is 12"X20" ,or there abouts. Kind of big for a stove pipe, a piece of 14"X 24" metal duct with end caps might work.
Herb


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## Andries (Feb 3, 2013)

Thanks for all the answers guys.

Herb, great job! From my "research" on Google I must say that your box have a few extra details which I would have overlooked when making my box, like the drain pipe and the pressure relief hole drilled in the top. I also like the "boiler/kettle/steamer" that you have but I think the chances are slim for me to get something like that here in South Africa at an affordable price, So I`ll settle for a makeshift version from a pressure cooker or maybe an old kettle.

Stick, If I have a box "made Up" from stove pipe or ducting, here by us they will make it from .5mm or 1mm galvanized plate, will I then have to "insulate" the outside with something to prevent heat loss?


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## Andries (Feb 3, 2013)

Hentie nice to see other SA`s here on the site. I think you would agree that the problem we have here is material prices. Often I see the guys posting jigs or small projects they made using plywood, then we, or rather me have to settle for the cheaper MDF version which is not that durable and long lasting. I also found that it is cheaper to import certain router bits from the USA than it is to source locally.


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

Herb Stoops said:


> The piece he described is 12"X20" ,or there abouts. *Kind of big for a stove pipe,* a piece of 14"X 24" metal duct with end caps might work.
> Herb


that's glued up size...
heat raises Hades w/ glue joints...
best method 99% of the time to get them apart...


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

Andries said:


> Stick, If I have a box "made Up" from stove pipe or ducting, here by us they will make it from .5mm or 1mm galvanized plate, will I then have to "insulate" the outside with something to prevent heat loss?


No. the insulation is to protect you more than anything but it does help your process...
wall paper steamers for a steam supply are great...
if you use a kettle and run out of water in the kettle swap the empty for a kettle of already boiling water so that steaming process isn't interrupted..


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Andries; don't they 'call' sheet metal by gauge #. over there?
Here, it'd likely be something like 24 gauge or even lighter (the higher the number the thinner the metal)
Sheet Metal Gauge Size Chart
1mm would be something like 19 or 20 gauge...that's pretty heavy for furnace ducting. Heavier meaning costing more.


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

@DaninVan...

this has become a mixed thread... 3-4 asking.. 5-6 answering...
seems there is now some cross over...

Andries said he had .5mm metal.... that would work....
is forced air HVAC systems don in S Africa.. if they are it be parts off of the shelf assembly...

double wall stove pipe if it's available would be even easier... B vent would work too...
single walled stove and a thermal blanket....


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## neville9999 (Jul 22, 2010)

All good information. N


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## Dr Neon (Apr 15, 2010)

Ya get out what you put in.
Any steam device bending critter responds to two things: time and temp. One hour per inch of thickness. Real, live, steam.
Make sure your mandrel is accurate, has the correct pockets to hold a steamed piece, and you have the clamps at the ready. Steamed and clamped pieces will dry out to about 80% of the clamped size. Well curved, though. Better too much steam than too little. Curved units will easily glue/screw to base units. Finish as suits. Cut off edges with special equipment.
Further paint/finish is up to the creator.  T


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