Material:Particle Board

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Particle Board

Particle board.jpg
Synonyms: chipboard, particleboard, pressboard;
DE: Flachpressplatte, Spanplatte, Pressspan
Suggested Tools: same as for wood
Contains: wood chips/rough sawdust, binder
Similar (More or Less): OSB

This engineered wood is the stuff cheap furniture is made of. It is very flat and even, but hideous unless you cover up all visible surfaces with wooden or artificial veneers.

It is not very dense and holes tend to tear out easily.

You can often find very cheap pieces in the scrap bin at Bauhaus (1 € each)!

The U.S. startup "Ecovative" has developed a particle board with mycelium ("mushroom roots") instead of glue which was not available for private customers as of 2017.


Melamine

Particle board laminated with melamine resin and decorative sheets is usually simply called "melamine" or "laminate" (DE: Möbelbauplatte). Its surface is very flat, a property that can be used when you need to sharpen blades that are too wide for the bench grinder - just stick some sandpaper on it and slide your blades (or worn wetstone) around to straighten the edge! [1]