What glue works on painted MDF?

6 years ago

Would prefer something not totally permanent. In case we need to tweak it or remove it later.
It will have to be fitted and glued in place as we go. Do not want to nail in.
We tested a few things we had around. Wood glue is not working, nor is silicone.
We are making our own decorative "inserts" for windows in our new garage door. There are slots made for such inserts, so I bought a thickness that would fit well.
Real wood was too thin. 1/4" vs. The just under 3/8" that fits very neatly.
Yes, I know we can buy them. But what the company offered was cheesy looking.
Thanks

Featured Answer

ci_lantro

6 years ago

MDF hates water. I would not use it on garage windows--certainly not the exterior side and not on the interior side because garage windows tend to mist over on the interior when conditions are right.

There are slots made for such inserts, so I bought a thickness that would fit well.

You could mill the wood to the appropriate thickness (planer) or do a glue up lamination or cut rabbets.

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Comments (7)

User
6 years ago
Titebond
lilylchen
6 years ago
Linnea - is your garage door MDF? What brand is it and can you take a picture? I'm looking to replace mine, and want to know if MDF is a good option.
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User
6 years ago
MDF loves water, readily soaks it up and to show its affection, MDF will swell and discolor.
linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago) thanked User
lilylchen
6 years ago
Ci_lantro and Jim, that's what I would think too (and just to be technical, the products seem to be using MDO [overlay], but I assume its more or less the same as MDF). But I've seen that several different products - garage doors, exterior doors, SIDING?? - are available as an MDO choice. I've also read that MDO has been used to make traffic signs [though the durability requirements of those are obviously different). So I'm looking to see if anyone has any real-world experience and can share it.
User
6 years ago
The assumption is wrong.
linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago)
Original Author
6 years ago
Lilylchen the garage door is steel. It is only the window inserts that we are making from MDF.