MDF - The Pros & Cons!

Medium density fibreboard (MDF) is a wood panel material made from wood cutting by-products in the saw mill, such as saw dust and wood chippings. These are bound together at high temperature and high pressure using resins and wax to make panel products.

The materials used in MDF often come from Pinewood but just about any type of wood waste can be used.

MDF is an extremely versatile material. It can be used around the home, in shops and offices and other commercial premises and can even be used to make gift boxes. It's generally denser than plywood and has similar applications.

Large scale production of MDF board started in Europe and North America in the 1980's and is still going strong with more and more demand.

MDF Board

MDF is a relatively inexpensive material compared with real wood and it glues and paints well.

It has a smooth, even finish without the irregularities associated with other panel products and there is no grain direction to worry about.

It's also very strong in compression, having almost twice the strength of particle board and it can be easily sawn, drilled and screwed using suitable wood fasteners.

However, just like particle board, MDF acts like a sponge and will absorb water readily and quickly unless it's properly sealed.

MDF has less strength than real wood which means that it may crack or split under pressure. It doesn't take nails well, so screws are always a better option. However, even when using screws, more may be required to prevent 'drooping'.

MDF also has some major environmental disadvantages...

The resins and binders used in MDF may contain formaldehyde which is a substance capable of causing cancer and which tends to 'off-gas' for years. This means MDF should always be sealed using laminates, veneers or painting to lock the gas in and not left 'raw'.

MDF can be recycled but the re-cycling processes are relatively new and there are few re-cycling centres available, so it's generally burned, or sent to landfill after use.

Unfortunately, in landfill the chemicals in the MDF may leach out over time and pollute the surrounding ground and water supply.

Furthermore, the resins used to produce MDF are emitted as dust when the material is drilled or sawn, so this can create a serious health and safety issues in the workplace.

This means that effective and often expensive mechanical extraction systems need to be installed in the workplace and operatives must wear suitable masks to filter the air they breathe.

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North American Bent Wood Boxes!

Traditional square or rectangular wooden boxes sometimes have rounded corners for effect. The process comprises making wood boxes with 90 degree corners, using traditional jointing methods such as mitres, butt joints, finger joints etc. and then reducing the corners to a rounded shape, either manually or by machine.

Bent wood boxes however are traditional wood boxes made by the First Nations people of North America from one piece of wood that's steamed and bent at the corners to form a box. The rounded corners are therefore formed naturally by the way they're made.

North American Bent Wood Box

Uses for bent wood boxes were varied and included food storage, cooking utensils, clothing accessories, for ceremonial purposes and burials, water carrying, canoes and dwellings.

Bent wood boxes were often elaborately decorated and / or carved, particularly if they were made for trading purposes, whilst other more utilitarian boxes were left plain undecorated.

Today, many bent wood boxes of different shapes and sizes are made for specialist collectors and can be purchased online, from museum gift shops, as well as directly from the craftsmen themselves.

Bent wood boxes are made from a single piece of wood in which three grooves called 'kerfs' have been cut where the corners occur. The wood is then steamed at each groove position, bent and pegged at the final corner to create the four sides of the box.

A cedar wood base is then fixed to the underside of the box using pegs and finally a lid is made for the top which is usually rebated to fit.

Steaming the wood makes it softer and therefore more pliable, especially if the wood is green, so it bends easily at the groove positions where the wood thickness has been reduced.

The First Nation people of North America used cedar wood because it was readily available in the areas they lived and because it has a straight grain, lending itself to being bent and is also lightweight and easily worked, making it the ideal material for making boxes.

Important members of the tribe were able to demonstrate their status by the number of bent wood boxes they possessed and how elaborately they were carved and / or decorated.

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Counter-Top Display Stands - An Effective Sales Tool!

It's essential that products offered for sale at events such as exhibitions and retail premises are displayed in a visually attractive manner, so as to draw people's attention to the display.

In retail premises, particularly smaller ones where display space is often at a premium, it's important to fully utilize all available display space particularly on counter tops.

Polmac Jura Whisky Counter-Top Display Stands

Point of sale displays are very effective sales tools because potential customers are invariably drawn to them and encourage them to make a purchase.

However, if products are displayed haphazardly on counter tops, not only does this detract from the overall appearance of the products on display, it also tends to encourage pilfering, which is a serious problem in retail!

It's therefore useful to have a display stand that can be placed on the counter itself in order to present a neat and visually attractive display that attracts the attention of potential customers.

Polmac Aromatherapy / Homeopathy Counter-Top Display Stand

Point of sale, counter-top display stands allow the products on display to be fully visible at all times and displayed in a logical and attractive manner, so customers can make their selection quickly and easily.

They're also particularly useful for special promotions, because they will act as a centerpiece for the display.

Counter-top display stands also discourage pilfering because products are displayed in a logical manner and the display is closer to the salesperson, so a missing item can be more easily spotted.

Furthermore, counter-top display stands and the products displayed can also be more easily cleaned to ensure an attractive appearance is maintained at all times.

Counter-top display stands may be manufactured as permanent display items, or supplied as flat packs to be quickly assembled for an exhibition or disassembled and shipped to another event.

Polmac (UK) Ltd supplies customized, wood counter-top display stands for a wide range of sectors including the health and beauty and premium quality whisky industries!

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Wood Presentation Wine Boxes - Elegant & Appealing!

Wooden boxes are an elegant and appealing way to present wine and make great gift ideas. On the more practical side, wine bottles in wood presentation boxes can be securely stored and easily accessed by means of hinged or sliding lids.

For most wine aficionados what counts of course is the finest vintage wine. However, I'm sure anyone who loves wine will enjoy any vintage even more when it comes in a finely crafted, wooden wine box.

Fortnum & Mason Single Bottle Wine Box

Wood is an extremely versatile material so wine boxes come in all shapes, sizes and designs. They can contain a single wine bottle or multiple bottles of wine. These 'wine cases' typically hold up to 12 bottles of wine and have a carrying handle because of the excessive weight.

Wine gift boxes can also include wine accessories such as cork screws and glasses to provide a complete wine tasting package.

There are also many variations on the theme such as champagne boxes, port and stilton boxes, with personal touches added, such as engravings, scrolls and hand written, or printed personal messages.

Fortnum & Mason Port & Stilton Box

Personal touches add value and an 'emotional charge' to the entire experience, so make the wine box, or wine gift set more memorable and therefore more marketable.

That is why many companies give gifts of wine in elegant wooden boxes to their customers particularly at Christmas time, as an expression of thanks for their continuing custom.

This custom is reminiscent of the time when wine was packed in rustic wooden cases to provide a perfect addition to anyone's wine collection.

Wine makes a wonderful gift for family, friends and business associates who take wine seriously. Nothing makes a more thoughtful statement than a fine bottle of wine in a beautifully crafted wooden gift box.

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Polmac Wood Presentation Boxes - Building Brand Recognition!

Building brand recognition has been a key marketing tool to boost product sales and profits for many years and this is one reason why Polmac, wood presentation boxes are so powerful.

Polmac, branded, wood presentation boxes are designed to be retained long after the contents have been consumed, or have come to the end of their useful life. This means that recollection of your company brand is made a lot easier.

Polmac Branded Perfume Boxes - Fit For A Queen!

The impact of branded Polmac wood presentation boxes on customers can be significant because they are more likely to recall the specific type of product they received and the brand or name of the company, for a much longer period of time.

The purpose of wood presentation packaging is to increase the perceived value of the product being marketed, to  generate more sales and ultimately, to increase brand awareness. This is achieved by making the wood presentation packaging visually stunning and as irresistible as possible.

However, it is important to demonstrate that branded products do have a positive impact on sales and profits, particularly as it's very easy now to track products on the Internet.

The British Promotional Merchandise Association (BPMA) has shown that branded products do increase sales and yield better returns on investment.

BPMA research has concluded that a significant percentage of people receiving a branded product could recall the brand after a year, would be likely to do business with the company again and the company's image is significantly boosted!

Naturally, the longer a branded product is retained, the greater the impression it makes on the recipient and anyone else who comes into contact with it.

Polmac, branded, wood presentation boxes are designed to be retained and are proven to increase product sales and profits and build brand awareness for your company.

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Craftsmanship - Adds Value + More Sales!

Polmac (UK) Ltd comes from a craft tradition of making decorated wooden boxes that was developed and refined over many years. We have continued this tradition because we believe our clients deserve the very best and the craftsmanship we provide underpins their success.

Unfortunately, today we often sacrifice real craftsmanship for the sake of expediency. Although we can still recognize the value of a beautiful object, we frequently choose the cheap and easy option.

Polmac Decorated Wooden Boxes

Craftsmanship is a quality that comes from creating something with a great deal of passion and skill that often equates to 'love'!

It comes from practicing and honing the skills necessary to achieve the level of craftsmanship required over a lifetime. It's the difference between let's say a Ford Focus and a Rolls Royce.

So, how do we recognize craftsmanship? One way is to look at the attention to detail. When you handle a wooden box for example, does the lid open and close correctly? Are the wood joints perfectly constructed and is the finish blemish free?

We can also recognize craftsmanship through it's functionality. Is the wood box fit for the purpose it's intended? In other words, does it proclaim and add value to the object inside and does it have the visual impact necessary to attract the attention of a potential buyer?

Another way to recognize craftsmanship is to look at durability. If an object is well made, it will generally last longer and provide greater value over a much longer period of time, particularly if it's made from wood.

Some people believe that craftsmanship adds cost and therefore reduces buying potential. However, what should be remembered is that craftsmanship adds value and when people see value they're always prepared to pay more! In a competitive world, that's an advantage worth having!

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