While I like MDF for many things, and have build stuff with it, I would not use it for an enlarger base board.
MDF is heavy, but it has very little shear strength. Also, unless you're inserting a fastener through MDF into hardwood or a threaded fitting, conventional wood screws will not hold over time. You need special screws to hold. If you've ever assembled a piece of knock-down furniture, you'll recognize them. Your local hardware may not have them. Try McFeely's -- they have a web site and a very helpful customer service department.
My 2 cents worth is to buy a piece of Baltic Birch plywood. It isn't cheap -- expect to pay double what you'd pay for a sheet of US made AB plywood (grade A on one side, and B on the other), and it comes in 5ft x 5ft, rather than 4ft x 8 ft sheets. Cut two pieces, and join them with wood screws and construction adhesive to give you one piece which is about 1.5 inch thick (not exactly, because the Baltic Birch is metric, and a nominally 3/4 inch piece is actually 19 mm). Laminate both sides (you can get a cover laminate which is a dull grey for the bottom, and whatever you wish for the top). Don't forget rubber feet for the bottom.
As with all plywoods, the plys in Baltic Birch alternate grain direction, giving the product better strength to weight properties and less expansion that you would find in a solid piece of wood of the same dimension. The advantage of Baltic Birch over conventional plywood is that it has more plies per inch of thickness than US plywood. Hence, for things that have to take a lot of stress, such as stools, bookcases, and avante-garde furniture, it's a better material.
Good shooting, and be careful in the shop. Wear saftey glasses, be careful with power tools, be VERY careful with laminate adhesive, and "Measure twice, cut once."
/s/ David
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Originally Posted by photoevangelist
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