[LynnPryor]

I'm considering building a dresser and night stands out of quarter sawn white oak, but the plan also calls for plywood. I can get some 4/4 quarter sawn lumber without breaking my budget, but I can't find quarter sawn plywood locally. If I just use flat sawn white oak plywood, so I need to stick with flat sawn lumber?

 

[woodnthings]

my experience is...

Plywood will not stain in the same manner as the QSWO because the veneer is so thin and there is glue immediately behind it preventing even absorption. You probably can get QSO plywood, from a specialty supplier, but why not just glue up the panels instead.
Sounds like you will be going to a hardwood mill regardless, so just have them resaw some into 1/4" or 3/8" thick boards.

I should have done that for this Mission Style headboard, but I didn't know the issues involved. You can see where the stain and grain pattern is not really compatible with the Quartersawn if you look closely:
http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f2/mission-headboard-build-37911/

I would limit the use of plywood to drawer bottoms and backs and not use it on the sides. :no:

 

[Fred Hargis]

There's such a difference between flat sawn and quarter sawn grain, I would try to use the same. That said, I'm not a fan of the cathedral grain of flat sawn oak. So sticking with quarter sawn (or rift sawn) would be my first choice. Maybe if you expand your search for the plywood. One approach might be to start at the top: Columbia Forest Products makes a really nice QSWO plywood. Checking with them may help you find a dealer nearby. States Industries (they make ApplePly, among other stuff) might also be able to help you out. But once you see the price, the suggestion that woodenthings made about using solid lumber may make more sense. I pay right around $120 for 3/4" QSWO ply, that's on the order of $4/bd. ft. I pay $3.50 Bd.ft. for the lumber. BTW, I searched the CFP site for a dealer near Franklin, and they pointed out Nashville Plywood indicating it was within 16 Miles of Franklin.

 

[Steve Neul]

I'm considering building a dresser and night stands out of quarter sawn white oak, but the plan also calls for plywood. I can get some 4/4 quarter sawn lumber without breaking my budget, but I can't find quarter sawn plywood locally. If I just use flat sawn white oak plywood, so I need to stick with flat sawn lumber?

I don't believe I would mix flat sawn plywood with quarter sawn plywood. You might be able to order the quarter sawn in veneers which could be shipped to you. What sizes are you needing? You might also consider making the project entirely out of solid wood.

 

[LynnPryor]

Nashville Plywood is a good source for lumber. Ironically, in spite of their name, I've never bought plywood from them, only lumber!

 

[Gilgaron]

Is the plywood going to be visible or will it be hidden in the back? If hidden you could use flatsawn red oak for all it will matter.

 

[Loren D.]

I paid $150 out the door for one sheet of 3/4" QSWO in Tacoma, WA. I believe I'll just glue up panels in the future.

With regard to the lumber vs. plywood staining issue, you might consider ammonia fuming the oak. I did that for the first time recently on a barrister bookcase and was very pleased with the results - the plywood reacted to the ammonia the same way the solid boards did.

 

[Zircon]

Plywood will not stain in the same manner as the QSWO because the veneer is so thin and there is glue immediately behind it preventing even absorption. You probably can get QSO plywood, from a specialty supplier, but why not just glue up the panels instead.
Sounds like you will be going to a hardwood mill regardless, so just have them resaw some into 1/4" or 3/8" thick boards.

I should have done that for this Mission Style headboard, but I didn't know the issues involved. You can see where the stain and grain pattern is not really compatible with the Quartersawn if you look closely:
http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f2/mission-headboard-build-37911/

I would limit the use of plywood to drawer bottoms and backs and not use it on the sides. :no:

I took a look at the Mission Headboard build and IMHO the stain on the piece is too transparent and shows up the differences in the grain pattern. If you had used a pigmented stain, it would have masked the grain somewhat and allowed the different woods to blend in together. Here is a picture of part of a headboard that I made many years ago when I thought oak was oak and I did not know the difference between plain sawn and quarter sawn. This is plain sawn but the wild grain pattern is somewhat reduced by the pigmented stain. I did it by mixing Japan colors, burnt umber etc with turps. There is also a picture of a door finished by pros a hundred years ago and they used a pigmented stain over quarter sawn wood.

 

[woodnthings]

I used Min Wax stains

These:
http://www.minwax.com/wood-products/stains/minwax-wood-finish

AS far as I can tell these are pigmented oil stains with the solids ground in a suspension of Mineral Spirits.
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/...05180179_1_liquid-stains-bare-wood-oil-stains

I blend my own colors occasionally if I can't match the furniture in the room as was the case with the Mission style headboard.

I had to remove the stain several times with a wash of Lacquer Thinner because... "it just wasn't right" :no:

I still recommend NOT using the Oak plywood on any faces that show, at least anything other than El Cheapo stuff from the box stores. :thumbdown:

I would recommend a series of test samples on any plywood to be used just to see how it reacts. test, test test as Chemmy would say. :yes:

 

[Quickstep]

Here are recipes from Homestead Finishing for multiple variations of mission finishes.

http://www.homesteadfinishingproducts.com/pdf/mission_oak_rev1-2011.pdf