I am in Canada and picked up some scrap 3/4" MDF at Lowes to practice on. Did a few signs and the finished carved faces were super smooth after using a 60 v bit, did not have to sand anything. Next I picked up some MDF from Windsor plywood. After carving the finished surfaces are noticeable rough. You can actually see the tool paths. I have to sand everything but this is very tedious and does not produce the same finish as the initial MDF from Lowes. I have sharpened my v bit and check all the settings. Even tried some superlite MDF but got the same result. Realize that Lowes and Windsor probable source their MDF from different sources, and the Windsor MDF is softer in the interior layers. Have gone back to Lowes and picked up some more MFD but have not carved it. Anyone have the same issue? Has anyone ever tried the moisture resistant MDF, is the interior hard?
I am not sure, I have cut a ton of MDF. I will definitely start paying attention. There is 100% different EMT sources between stores so I am sure the wood is the same.
Yes. There are multiple different MDF qualities out there.
Home Depot carries two different types. One with a really fine grain and one with a larger grain. The really fine grain cuts smoother than the rougher stuff.