I have always liked the topic of veneers/MDF vs solid wood. It's an opportunity to dispell some old myths about which is "better". I get asked this question with some frequency & my answer is always "It depends"....on what is being built, where in the construct it is & what specie of wood is being used. If one goes to a museum, you will find some of the most valuable pieces are a mix of solid wood & veneers. The reasons for using a veneer are not new--it's stability.
The short version is it's all about stability not cost. Using a veneer/mdf combination for the case work is more stable & ensure generations of service.
Heres the long version.....
Humidors represent a particular challenge-- a 25" deep cabinet,if made of solid wood, one has to accomodate movement of the wood of up to 1/8" across the grain. It can be done to some degree with frame & panel construction, but there is still some movement remaining, which makes it more difficult to create & maintain a proper door seal interface with a door that we build from solid wood.
A furniture thickness veneer on a stable MDF substrate eliminates the issue of movement. It's stable to within a couple of thousandths of an inch. One always gets a solid seal. There are approximately 40 different grades of MDF available--ranging from the large flake pattern usually associated with inexpensive production furniture to high density, water resistant "medex" material that is not inexpensive. Most custom humidor makers are using the higher end materials.
The thickness of the veneers is also can vary quite a bit. We use a furniture grade thickness that if ever damaged is repaired exactly the same way one would repair a piece of solid wood. If one tried to "sand away" the defect, there would be a rather noticable dish like depression that would not be acceptable.
Wood choice is also critical--There are high density exotic woods, like ebony, cocobolo, bloodwood, and highly figured woods like crotch mahogany, walnut burls & quilted maples that lack either the structural strength or have inherent instablility & should not be used as solid woods in certain areas of a humidor.
This is why even furniture from even 100+ years ago was often made with veneers when these woods were incorporated into the design. Without having modern technology to create veneers, these folks invested significantly more hand labor than would have been required with solid wood--but they knew that a veneer in that instance was the only way to make a piece that would last for generations.
The same is true today. It costs more use a veneer/MDF layup of a wood like crotch mahogany or burl than it would to just cut up a piece of solid wood & try to use it.
To not use any veneers, one would be limited to building humidors only from woods with exceptional stability & live with the possibility of significant wood movement even in those. On the other hand if someone does use species like crotch mahogany, burls, etc in solid wood form,then the risk of that humidor failing is quite high in comparison to using a veneer in that application.
It's not about cost--it's about choosing the best material to ensure a heirloom quality piece that grandkids will fight over & still be working perfectly.
Just my .02
cheers,
Bob Staebell
