Stacked Lam- Ply or MDF?

[BigguyZ]

Hi all-

I'm about to start in a week or two a project for a curved 4T speaker via a stacked lamination.

Something along the lines of this: http://profile.imageshack.us/user/or...0602270684.jpg

What I'm wondering is: should MDF be OK to use, or do I really want to go with a much more espensive option of baltic birch? If MDF will do fine, I'll just use that, as I'm going to veneer the sucker anyways. But I figured I'd see what the community of experts says first.

Thanks!

[cjd]

MDF is fine.

Doesn't mean I want to work with it if I can avoid it.

[gmed]

MDF is perfectly fine and less expensive. The only advantage the BB ply is going to have over the MDF is esthetics, and more rigidity which shouldn't be an issue with MDF since you're going to stack them.

Once you finish BB ply, you dont have to finish with a veneer. You can just sand and poly.

You can check out my post on my project.

[JonMarsh]

Either can work, but they do have different strengths and weaknesses... doh! MDF has good compression strength, but not that much bending strength. If you go with MDF, try using something stiffer and stronger for the front panel- say, LBL panel. (laminated bamboo lumber).

[gmed]

Jon is right. The other thing you can use is a BB ply front baffle, sandwich 2x 0.75 and that should make a very stiff baffle.

[Rolex]

For the stacked lamination projects I've done, I always used MDF. I veneered both times and can't see spending the money on the BB plywood. I never cared for the ply look anyway. On my most recent project, I left the baffle integrated into the cabinet. The side walls were 1 1/8" thick and the front baffle was 1 1/4" thick.