Building out of wood

[musket the dog]

I have drawn up some plans for an articulated hopper wagon. I am considering building it from 3mm MDF or ply, to be laser cut at my school.

I was just wondering if any members have had any experience building stock from wood and what will I need to do for paint and such?

Many thanks,
ricky

 

[Gizzy]

If using MDF, then you can get an outdoor primer which will help protect it from moisture, before you paint with a suitable top coat....

 

[yb281]

There are loads of wooden kits on the market from the likes of IP, Brandbright etc. Ricky who use the same sort of wood. Basically you can use the same sort of paints that you use for any other kits including car spray cans.

 

[Old Tom]

If, like me, you won't be leaving your stock outside then there's no real reason for heavy weather protection. (If it looks like rain, my stuff is inside quicker than ..... something that goes very quick!)

MDF will give a smoother finish with less work than something made out of ply (the grain can be a pain to get rid of) and will take any type of paint so I'd opt for that.

Have fun with your project Ricky - that's the most important thing in my book..

 

[Madman]

There is an MDF product that is waterproof. The one that I am familiar with is Medex. There are other brands as well. I have a Korber Models building, Aunt Millies House, that has been outdoors for fifteen plus years. When I bought it, I couldn't determine what the material was. After I learned about Medex, I concluded that Aunt Millies House must be made from it. I first learned about Medex about seven years ago. One of my carpenters put a piece of it in a bucket of water. Weeks went by and the Medex looked as good as the day he dunked it. MDF wouldn't last a day in that situation.