Decorative surfaces can be broadly separated into two groups – overlays and coatings – and are applied by various techniques to panel products like particleboard, medium density fiberboard (MDF) and hardboard. Provided by the Composite Panel Assn., a brief overview of the different types of overlays is presented below.

Pressroom temperature and more best practices for quality pressing.

The following are some of the possible problems and causes that can occur during the edgebanding process.

In furniture and cabinet manufacturing, hardboard is probably only used to add rigidity to a box-like structure.

Part III in the Wood Dr.'s series on composite panels focuses on particleboard

MDF, as the name implies is made with fibers and small clumps of fibers.

Veneer is easy to define but can be challenging to use for woodworkers.

Part one of in-depth article on composite panels and their properties.

Q. We have some veneered panels and the veneer is actual narrow pieces of veneer that are glued into a large sheet. The problem we are having is that when we finish these panels after sanding, there is a region, perhaps 1/8 inch wide on each side of the glue line that interferes with finishing, so now the glue line is obvious. Any ideas?

It’s time we told the truth about composite wood decorative panels.