Solid Wood, Plywood, MDF, HDF or Film-Faced Plywood: Which Material?

Solid wood (oak, walnut)

I enjoy milling it, and for visible parts it's the material where the effort shows most clearly. When milling, it's mainly a question of grain direction: across the grain it tears out more easily, so I plan toolpaths and milling direction accordingly. And solid wood keeps moving after machining – a solid wood part isn't an engineering component with a fixed tolerance.

Oak is hard, light and coarse-textured, and engravings and chamfers stand out strongly in it; the hardness costs tool life and therefore a little on price. Walnut is softer and finer, gives a very clean edge and dark, calm surfaces – but the board is more expensive. For both: knots and interlocked grain are where a contour becomes unsettled. If you have a particular look in mind, say so, and I'll position the part in the board accordingly when cutting.

Use it for: visible parts, signs, handles, engravings, one-offs where looks matter.

Plywood (birch)

The all-rounder and my standard suggestion when a part needs to take loads. Cross-laminated plies mean: dimensionally stable in both directions, high strength even with narrow cross-sections, a good milled finish. The edge shows the plies – depending on taste, a drawback or exactly the look you want. Drawbacks: more expensive than fibreboards, and there can be voids in the glue lines that only show up during milling.

Use it for: jigs, gauges, templates, load-bearing parts, functional prototypes.

MDF

Homogeneous, non-directional, very accurate to mill – which makes it the first choice for fronts, signs, engravings and 3D reliefs. The milled edge is dense and smooth, which looks better on a chamfer or milled profile than on any other fibreboard. On the other hand, it's heavy, not very strong in thin webs, can't handle moisture and produces very fine dust. Important: the edge is absorbent and needs priming before painting – I don't do finishes, so plan that in on your side.

Use it for: furniture fronts, front panels, signs, engravings, moulds for indoor use.

HDF

The denser relative of MDF, usually thin. Comes into play when you need a thin, stiff panel: back panels, inserts, flat templates, milled parts with fine contours. Very clean edge, but brittle – thin webs break.

Use it for: thin inserts, back panels, fine contours, drawer organisers.

Film-faced plywood

Plywood with a phenolic resin coating. The surface is hard, non-slip and largely insensitive to moisture – making it the best choice for templates and jigs that live in the workshop and get used. The milled edge is open plywood and therefore unprotected; where it gets wet for long periods, you need to seal it. The coating is abrasive and costs tool life, which is reflected in the price.

Use it for: routing templates in constant use, stops, jigs, load floors.

Chipboard and melamine board

Cheap and the norm in furniture making, but the most thankless type to mill: the edge is coarse, the coating likes to tear out on the exit side, and fine contours don't hold. Fine for a straight cut with a few cut-outs; for contours and details I'd advise against it.

Use it for: simple carcass parts, hidden internal parts.

Plastics

I mill these too. Engineering plastics behave well when milled and are the right choice where sliding, moisture or chemicals matter. Each type has its own behaviour regarding heat and chip evacuation – tell me what you have in mind, and we'll clarify in advance whether the sheet you're thinking of is the right one for it.

Use it for: sliding surfaces, machine covers, parts in contact with moisture.