Baseboard refinishing question

[MrFujicaman]

Here's a random thought-How about a slab of granite from a counter maker? No way that will warp.

[Ulophot]

Yes, but I'd be worried that rubber cement might not hold the column steady with the head up above mid-column.

[Luis-F-S]

When I needed a baseboard for my Chromega F, I went to a kitchen counter shop and had them make a double thickness formica baseboard. No way it was going to warp, and a lot lighter than a slab of granite!

[Drew Wiley]

Paul ... MDO (medium density overlay) has a rather thin melamine coating, nowhere near as thick as the formica-style laminate on most enlarger bases, so one has to be careful not to scratch it. But it is relatively cheap, and is handy for a number of darkroom applications. After sawing it to size, you can end up with some very sharp melamine edges which need to be sanded or filed slightly to keep you from getting cut. The edges should be sealed. If it's MDF (medium density fiberboard), which is apparently what you actually meant, be aware that there are several quality grades of varying weight, density, and price. It is not waterproof unless properly sealed. Get the thickest, most dense type you can, if you can find someone willing to sell you a scrap or partial sheet. It can also be laminated with Formica. And you're incorrect about grain magnifiers. The expensive tilting-mirror types like the Peak Critical Focus are specifically designed to work precisely at the corners as well as the center of the easel, making it a handy to not only for focussing the neg in the carrier, but for checking parallelism between your carrier and easel. ... Ulophot, how did rubber cement sneak into this conversation? Was contact cement actually meant? - very different. Contact cement is used for laminating Formica to a surface. Rubber cement isn't good for much except to a glue sniffer.

[Paul Ron]

Paul ... MDO (medium density overlay) has a rather thin melamine coating, nowhere near as thick as the formica-style laminate on most enlarger bases, so one has to be careful not to scratch it. But it is relatively cheap, and is handy for a number of darkroom applications. After sawing it to size, you can end up with some very sharp melamine edges which need to be sanded or filed slightly to keep you from getting cut. The edges should be sealed. If it's MDF (medium density fiberboard), which is apparently what you actually meant, be aware that there are several quality grades of varying weight, density, and price. It is not waterproof unless properly sealed. Get the thickest, most dense type you can, if you can find someone willing to sell you a scrap or partial sheet. It can also be laminated with Formica. And you're incorrect about grain magnifiers. The expensive tilting-mirror types like the Peak Critical Focus are specifically designed to work precisely at the corners as well as the center of the easel, making it a handy to not only for focussing the neg in the carrier, but for checking parallelism between your carrier and easel. ... Ulophot, how did rubber cement sneak into this conversation? Was contact cement actually meant? - very different. Contact cement is used for laminating Formica to a surface. Rubber cement isn't good for much except to a glue sniffer.

mdo is a waterproof composit unlike mdf which is modtly used indoors for cabenets. mdo was used for road signs and outdoor situations. its much more stable than mdf and will hold a screw better as well. mdf will swell if it gets wet.... mdo will not.

https://www.hunker.com/12316947/what-is-mdo-plywood

anything you use will need to be sanded so whats the problem with sharp edges?

btw melamine is not mdo... thats another product made with mdf used in cheap cabinets.