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Cabinet ply choices

2K views 22 replies 12 participants last post by  mendozer 
#1 ·
I have access to buy some cabinet plywood off a guy who bought a huge cabinet closing auction. He has plywood with mdf cores, birch veneer, LVL, sizes from 3/4 to 1 3/4. I'd like to buy a bunch off him for my cabinet project. I've read articles about this but wanted some insight about what ply you prefer and why. I'm planning to make faceless frames and shaker doors. My initial choice is birch veneer since they'll be painted so having beautiful Walnut veneer isn't necessary
 
#4 ·
I am not a fan of MDF core plywood. It is just too heavy. The ¼ inch stuff adds too much weight to be used as the panels in doors.

As for building cabinets, the ladies usually prefer the cabinets with Melamine on the inside. It is so much easier to clean. Don't think Euro style (like what is your doctor or dentist examination rooms) but face frame style. The vast majority of cabinets have only one face showing, the front. You may have to cover the end with a veneer of matching plywood but only having cover one or two ends in a string of cabinets ain't bad.

If you are building a cabinet to display Grandma Great's china, then use the nicest plywood with the appropriate veneer. You are not building a cabinet, you are building built in furniture.
 
#5 ·
This will be a 6x6 corner unit for a bar/plate storage/cookbooks etc. So it will be built in. Wife wanted glass doors but those are pricey so I'm doing shaker with potential glass upgrade down the road. I definitely don't want full mdf core as I'm not loading 100 lb panels into my table saw. But I'm open to the veneer/mdf combos for the sake of workability. And I will edge band the fronts even though everything will get painted eventually.
 
#7 ·
I'm guessing you mean frameless construction, if so: a material that remains flat is required. Plywood rarely meets that requirement. A veneered MDF or particle board will be more stable if you want the veneer face. Melamine board is the normal choice for frameless cabinets. Dimensionally stable, easy to clean, no finishing required. But, it is heavy, requires some way for cutting that does not chip the melamine edges, requires something added to finish the edges, PVC or you could add solid wood but finishing the wood is kind of a pain.

Make sure your box parts or truly square or it will cause all sorts of grief.














e edges, usually PVC up to 3mm thick.
 
#13 ·
Maybe it's just me, but I consider plywood and MDF two completely separate things. As for cabinets, I won't buy that compressed particle garbage. I don't feel it's as strong, can be quite heavy, and it only takes one small leak under the sink to ruin it. My kitchen was done with nothing but solid plywood and should last a lifetime.

If you're making a speaker box, then I'd go MDF.
 
#15 ·
Interesting note on the MDO. I just not know what that is. There's a mill a hour half out of the way from me but they sell 3/4 sheets for $20. I know it's rated for exterior, but if I'm edge banding and painting, seems like that might be the ticket vs birch. Unless I can find a steal on baltic birch at around $30 a sheet or so, then the MDO might suffice well. Any reason NOT to use MDO? Some ppl online say it telegraphs, others say it never ha, some say oil paint some say water. It's like politics up on here!
 
#16 ·
Don't know what MDO is used for these days, but ages ago, it was used commonly for interior signs that would be painted. I dont know if it is still used for that. I'm sure it has other uses, I'm just not knowledgeable about it.
 
#20 ·
I agree with Dr Bob, melamine board is pretty much the standard these days for kitchen cabinets. That said, many people don't realize there is a big variation in the quality of different brands of the board. The substrate is most usually particle board but you can also get it on MDF. The best particle boards have a fine, very tight face. PB with larger particles on the face and less glue content are prone to chipping. The resin saturated paper is available in many thicknesses. Some so thin you can see the board. You can order melamine in about any color or pattern that is available in high pressure laminate (Formica.) Minimum order quantities apply. You can also have custom patterns made, a picture of your dog or mother in law.
 
#21 ·
mendozer

I 100% agree that PB is the industry norm, but personally I want better load tolerance and longevity hence why I will pay a little more for plywood. Especially since I'm making them. I will be using pocket screws for the frames, and yes Kreg makes screws for PB or MDF, but they tend to hold better in wood fibers so I'm just going that route...and it's lighter. I'm imagining hoisting 4x8 sheets onto the table saw and plywood's tricky enough, don't need the extra weight there.
 
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