Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) is inexpensive, durable, and a good choice for many woodworking and carpentry projects. MDF is a type of engineered wood product that is made out of wood fibers, and heavily used in the furniture industry. For pieces that will be visible, a melamine paper, a veneer or a layer of lacquer is often applied onto fiberboard to give it the appearance of conventional wood.

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Hardboard is a type of fiberboard, which is an engineered wood product. It is similar to medium-density fiberboard, but is denser and much stronger. It differs from particleboard and MDF in that the bonding of the wood fibers requires no additional materials. The hardboard variety is made without resin.