@mttaggart@irenes@krusynth I'm also thinking that the prevalence of particle board and MDF has parallels to a discussion from last week about Sears kit homes and how the plans and lumber could be delivered all across the country 100 years ago.
We simply don't have that much lumber to cut anymore. Nearly the old growth forests outside of national parks are gone, replaced by faster growing softwoods and thinner trees that don't yield big planks for cabinet sides and table tops.