My husband is the above. Did custom homes, custom cabinets, stairs...etc for many many years. And his father before him and his father before him. He says Guerilla Glue. :o

I have no problem with Guerilla Glue, but the men in my life are on a quest for the holy grail of glue!

Jean

How necessary is it to cradle mdf panels?

I think that MDFpanels at 1/4" x 20" x 30" would do fine without any support on the backside, but it looks good. Bigger formats should be cradled though.
I also believe that we should do these little things for our clients if they like the look of it. ;)

I have made several paintings on Masonite 1/8" x 24" x 24" and never had any problems with them winding. Normally I prime both sides to avoid moisture to bend the panel.

1/4" MDF panel would be more stable than the thinner Masonite.

I could be wrong, Allan :sunnysmil

The cradling keeps them from warping; smaller panels don't need it but the larger ones need some stability. I also like the look of the cradling and it helps protect the edges of the panel from chipping. I also paint all the way around the sides, as if it were a gallery wrap. All in all, I love this surface.

Jean

ps, I forgot to add that Guerilla Glue is just fine (I knew you were right all along, Kim!) ;)