# Best wood to use for spoil board

**URL:** <https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/t/best-wood-to-use-for-spoil-board/20594>\
**Category:** Uncategorized\
**Created:** [May 16, 2023, 4:32pm UTC](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/t/best-wood-to-use-for-spoil-board/20594 "2023-05-16T16:32:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Terryjames](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5e925/32.png) [@Terryjames](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/u/Terryjames)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2023, 4:32pm UTC](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/t/best-wood-to-use-for-spoil-board/20594/1 "2023-05-16T16:32:06Z")

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Hello everyone  
What else can I use for a spoil board other then MDF and how often should you change it? I have had mine on for just over a year.  
Thanks

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**Author:** ![Echd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/779978/32.png) [@Echd](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/u/Echd)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2023, 4:45pm UTC](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/t/best-wood-to-use-for-spoil-board/20594/2 "2023-05-16T16:45:27Z")

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Stability and flatness are almost always the prime considerations, so you can use anything- but there isn’t a generally compelling reason to use anything other than mdf, as it’s pretty darn stable and flat already. Given the low cost it’s hard to imagine why you would use anything else for a wood cutting or plastic cutting cnc.

Just change it when you need to- it will vary based on how often you use it… Resurface it periodically if it is too worn to be reasonably flat along the surface.

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**Author:** ![Terryjames](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5e925/32.png) [@Terryjames](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/u/Terryjames)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2023, 5:45pm UTC](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/t/best-wood-to-use-for-spoil-board/20594/3 "2023-05-16T17:45:42Z")

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Great I was hoping some one would say this .  
Mine is so for a change it’s getting a bit thin from resurfacing.  
Thanks

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**Author:** ![AndyP](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex022/user_avatar/forum.onefinitycnc.com/andyp/32/1106_2.png) [@AndyP](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/u/AndyP)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2023, 10:14pm UTC](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/t/best-wood-to-use-for-spoil-board/20594/4 "2023-05-16T22:14:09Z")

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I received a few ideas in this thread.

> [@EP3 Onefinity CNC - 3 Must Haves in a CNC Wasteboard: Includes MATCHFIT Dovetail Wasteboard System Files FREE. Includes files for Vectric and Carveco. Sizes support Foreman, Journeyman, and Woodworker!](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/t/ep3-onefinity-cnc-3-must-haves-in-a-cnc-wasteboard-includes-matchfit-dovetail-wasteboard-system-files-free/14303/79):
>
> MDF or Plywood or something else? I’ve changed my wasteboard for the matchfit system using Morgans files. it’s a brilliant concept and this thread is a great source of people’s experiences. I’ve made my own dovetail sliders with various thread lengths and fixings. I made my wasteboard with MDF and I find it structurally unstable. I understand that the “pinching” action of the system negates tearing the dovetail pieces out of the track but I quickky discovered cases where the “pinching” acti…