carrying MDF

[eddy merckx]

Can anyone give me advice about carrying a sheet of 3/4" MDF by myself? I end up dragging a corner and ruining a few inches. I weigh 160 lbs after a large meal.

[japhyryder]

You could try one of the drywall carriers. Otherwise get it cut down at the store if you can

[JR]

I use a gizmo like one from Harbor Freight. It's called a Panel Carrier.



JR

[Tom Slick]

borg sells a bright orange plastic panel carrier, it helps alot but MDF is very heavy so then it will come down to strength. I would say I have average strength and it is a struggle to manhandle a full sheet of 3/4" mdf.

[mpc]

Cheap child skateboard or a moving dolly. Roll it around as much as possible and save your strength for when you really need to lift it.

Or make a sacrificial wood skid to rest the MDF on and drag that around. Imagine an upside-down "Y" shape: the two ears drag on the ground (with extra lips/ears screwed on to hold the MDF) and you drag the "handle" part of the "Y" shape. If you size it correctly, you can make it lean against your workbench or saw at a 45ish angle so you can slide the MDF into position rather than lifting it.

mpc

[SARGE..g-47]

Agree on the panel carrier is the best choice if you do a lot of panels... but if you want to keep it cheap (I don't use a lot of panels), mpc nailed it with a cheap furniture dolly. I've got 4 of them and have my sheet rack base on my wood-rack set up to just slide out a sheet from the sheet base right onto a dolly. Off you go!

If you get two dollys, they come in handy as a make-shift low-boy assembly table by drilling a few holes in their runners, placing a cut-down ply sheet on them to tie them together with bolts and quick release nuts. I've used as many as four working with long counters. So.. they become a dual threat as a panel mover and extended, mobile low assembly table.

Regards...

[scmhogg]

Eddy,

Try this from Popular Woodworking.

http://www.popularwoodworking.com/fe...ea.asp?id=1010

Steve

[RodKirby]

To me, carrying it would be the easy part.

Working with it would be a whole other question

[eddy merckx]

Wow. Thanks for the ideas. I think I'll build something like the wheeled platform with a handle. Didn't even think of having it cut up at the store. Those would be much more manageable chunks.

Rod, I am interested in why you don't like to work with MDF. The mess?

Thanks everybody
Eddy

[sweensdv]

..............I am interested in why you don't like to work with MDF. The mess?

1. It's heavy, but you already knew that.
2. Screws don't hold in it.
3. You can't stain it.
4. You can't let it get wet.
5. It makes way to big of a mess when you saw it.

I'll stop with just those as I'm sure others would like to chime in also.

[RayintheUK]

Rod, I am interested in why you don't like to work with MDF. The mess?

I'm sure that Rod was referring to plywood Eddy - which was the stock mentioned in the previous post.

In fact, Rod is one of the foremost, most creative users of MDF the Forum has.

Ray.

[SARGE..g-47]

It dulls a sharp saw-blade quickly and the dangerous dust from it is not your lungs best friend.

If you work with it... wear a dusk mask as you should on all saw-dust and try to come back after the floating saw-dust settles and get up as much of the fine particles that settled as possible.

Regards...

[Kensrock]

Carry the sheet goods.

I've had good luck with this. Take about a twelve foot piece of rope. Tie a loop in each end and place it over the lower corners of the sheet. Make certain you can reach over the side of the sheet to grab the middle of the rope, lift and walk away.

[TheRic]

Get someone to help you

[eddy merckx]

Thanks Ric. The problem is that I don't have any friends and the dog won't help.