Plywood Question

[Ross/Kzoo]

I once bought a sheet of oak 3/4" plywood with a mdf core, never,never,never again. So much sawdust and when I got done my forearm should have looked like Popeye's. Brutally heavy and hard to manage. There are many grade AB, BC, etc. I look at both surfaces and look for scratches, defects and bad veneer match. Most oak and maple 3/4" plywood have very few voids in the sub strait and around here are $42-48/sheet.

 

[Ross/Kzoo]

.
You can't get the good stuff at the big-box stores.

Around here you can.

 

[59'trump]

First off, take into account that most plywood is not a true 3/4 thickness especially from any big box store. Some of the hardwood/plywood distributors have some full thickness plywoods but they generally tend to run 25-75% more expensive but you get a thicker face veneer, lesser voids(which is nice when running a router along an edge) and generally an overall higher grade product. As far as your construction style, that is your choice but I have worked in shops that build frameless(as well as others that did high end face frame) and they do tend to be a lesser quality build and your fine details may not turn out as nice. Do some research and planning when it comes to hinges, drawer slides and hardware. Plan your entire project layout well and take into account clearances for swinging doors, drawers, and handles. Good luck with your project and I hope we can all give you way too much advice again soon!

Brian

 

[Jim B]

I'm just a wood hack but last year I decided to try my hand at making some cabinets for my new to me 3 car garage (36 x 26). After reading a lot of advice on here I decided the most important thing was to keep everything square above all else. I found some pine plywood at HD that normally sells for about $30/sheet and was on sale for a few bucks less. It's ~3/4" thick and has some kind of tight grained veneer that has been sanded smooth. I bought a **** load of it. I found that is was easy to work but warped readily. It changing shape daily so I took this into consideration when I came up with my design bracing across the back of the cabinet where I thought it would help control warpage. I made the cabinet dimensions a multiple of the 4x8 sheets. So they are 8'x 4 'x 2' deep, frameless with a face frame. The cheap wood was a good choice for learning and made nice garage cabinets. I only screwed up one piece and that can be used for smaller wall cabinets in the future.

I used pocket screws and glue for the assembly. Be aware that the pocket screws don't hold as well in the soft pine as in harder plywood but with the addition of some Tight Bond it's plenty strong.

Stay away from box store birch veneer plywood though as the veneer tends to chip at the edges and even with a very new sharp blade the edges chip. I did not have that problem with the pine stuff.

 

[MN4x4]

Sorry - a little late to the party here.

Baltic Birch (the real stuff) is 5x5 because it's Metric. The actual measurements are 1525 mm x 1525 mm, which is called 5' x 5' here in the US. Instead of being 60" on a side, it's really 60.0393701 - but with wood, who cares - as long as it isn't short?

If you want to learn more about Baltic Birch there's a great and reasonably short read here:

Ultimate Guide to Baltic Birch Plywood: Why It’s Better, When to Use It

If you want a very similar product in 4x8 sheets, check out 'Apple Ply'. I use it for desks and all kinds of cabinets and fixtures. Looks and finishes very much like Baltic Birch on the edges, and looks great with only a coating of poly or varnish.

 

[JMartel]

http://columbiaforestproducts.com/Wholesale

Start with the above. A decent lumber supply place might not have a stock of Columbia Forrest Products but will likely at least be listed as a dealer. They might stock another brand worth checking out.

If you have a woodworking specialty store ask in there.

Otherwise, ask custom cabinet shops.

FYI, Columbia is who makes the hardwood ply for Home Depot, US made. I bought a few sheets of the Maple ply recently and it's pretty damn good for $40/sheet. Certainly not as nice as the stuff I can get from the local lumber dealer, but it's also not $100/sheet either.

It doesn't chip the edges, finishes well, cuts nicely, etc.

 

[Voi]

FYI, Columbia is who makes the hardwood ply for Home Depot, US made. I bought a few sheets of the Maple ply recently and it's pretty damn good for $40/sheet. Certainly not as nice as the stuff I can get from the local lumber dealer, but it's also not $100/sheet either.

It doesn't chip the edges, finishes well, cuts nicely, etc.

I heard that but don't have a Home Depot within two hours of me to check it out. I guess people using that dealers link might look for the smaller, mom & pop type places that come up if they're wanting a premium cabinet grade plywood. Then compare it to the Home Depot stuff.

 

[Voi]

If you want a very similar product in 4x8 sheets, check out 'Apple Ply'. I use it for desks and all kinds of cabinets and fixtures. Looks and finishes very much like Baltic Birch on the edges, and looks great with only a coating of poly or varnish.

Also Euro Ply. I haven't had a reason to ask my local dealer to order a sheet for me to check it out. I think the last time I checked it was up around $100, but that may have been UV cure pre-finished.

What are you paying for a 4x8 sheet of 3/4" Apple Ply? Are you in Minnesota?

Lastly, your link didn't work for me. Others who want to see it might go to http://www.woodworkerssource.com/ and click on the Baltic Birch Plywood link on the left and then click on the "Ultimate Guide" link nested in that article.

 

[MN4x4]

lastly, your link didn't work for me.

fixed.

 

[phred]

Stay away from the plywoods sold a HD or Lowes. Absolute garbage. I've built a lot of cabinets, museum and trade show displays that had to travel from venue to venue. The only thing we ever used was FinPly or Baltic Birch. Machines grade. Solid with no voids. Very few splinters and holds glue and screws great. Melamine and MDF are only slightly better than the HD and Lowes plywood. I know a lot of cabinet makers use melie and mdf but I refuse to use it. It absorbs water, swells, and does not hold screws very well.