DudleyAZ has given you some great advise there for working with MDF. In terms of how to proceed, for me the seat is central to everything. Once you have that, it makes matters a whole lot easier in designing the rest of the pit. Even though it's for a racing cockpit, the thread I put together on the build I made may be useful and give you some ideas if nothing else (lots of pics). I'll be building mk II shortly which will be modular so it can be used for flight and racing sims and will have the same basic shape.

R-pod

Yeps, thanks for that pic, Dudley.

Thanks for the link, ericleroi! I think I've seen you pit sometime before and yes, that is more or less the idea I'm going for.

With payday coming this week, I'm thinking of heading off to the local B&Q to buy some 3/4" MDF. Sells for about £17 for a 8x4 foot board, with free cuts. I was wondering how long a 'pit needs to be, from chair to screen? Or at least maybe chair to foot pedals? Just so I know how long the "floorboard" part needs to be.

Finally going to Wickes/B&Q later today (1:30am, gasp!) to buy some MDF. The initial plan was to bore through MDF to a brace of timber, then essentially bolt the MDF to the timber. However, considering the amount of "joining" I would need to do, this may be quite a pain. I do understand screwing MDF-to-MDF isn't a very strong hold, what if I just screw THROUGH the MDF to the timber behind it? Kinda like substituting a screw for a bolt. Thoughts?

Does poplar tend to split? If so, pre-drill a sample with varying diameter drills and see what size you need to stop the wood splitting.

Don't depend on the screws alone. Use (PUR-)glue on the surfaces where MDF meets MDF.

My suggestion (for what it's worth) is:

Drill a clearance hole through the MDF AND a couple of inches in to the MDF you're fixing it to.

About 1" in from the edge drill a 1/2"hole through the MDF intersecting the clearance hole.

Glue a piece of 1/2" dowel in to the hole and cut off flush with the surface.

Now when you drive the screw in the dowel can't split because it's surrounded by the MDF and the MDF can't split because you're only exerting compression force on it's side.

You can buy fiffings that are like this and are used a lot in flat pack furniture (and that's chipboard!!!).

cheers,

Andy

Thanks for the suggestion guys.

Would like to avoid glue on some parts, I like the idea of being able to break down the pit if I need to. I will be drilling pilot holes, at least the MDF won't have to expand too much. Also going to screw into kiln-dried wood... hopefully won't split easy but if it does, it's easier to replace a secton of wood than an MDF panel.