Hi,
Good, interesting post this, as I'm planning on building these speakers as well.
On the topic of MDF expansion due to moisture, I found in this thread diyAudio Forums - A 'how to' for High Gloss Finishing - Page 1
that someone mentions sealing the MDF with wood hardener, such as you would use for treating rotten wood in a window frame.
I used it on the MDF subchassis of my Shigaclone, and apart from getting stoned on the fumes, it really does harden the MDF well, prior to spraying.