Gluing solid wood panel over ply?

[Darl Bundren]

I am working on some cabinets, and on the end that faces the sitting area I would like to glue up a 1/4" thick panel of walnut and glue that over a sheet of 1/2" ply to get roughly a 3/4 sheet to use. I'd edge join the walnut, probably, and then glue that to the ply. The finished piece would be 24" by 36".

I am kind of worried about wood movement (basement room with AC and wood stove); does anybody have any recommendations? I am trying to avoid having to purchase more walnut to go the solid wood route.

[Alan Schwabacher]

I'd think 1/4" thick is too thick to restrict its expansion and contraction without cracking, particularly as you have at least 24" of side to side expansion to deal with. Rather than edge joining the walnut, if you cut it into 3-4" wide strips and glued those to the plywood substrate, it would look like tongue and groove. Shrinkage of the solid wood would open up only very small gaps, and if the plywood were stained dark behind the joins it could look good. The narrower the strips, the smaller the gaps -- just like tongue and groove wood flooring. Rather than stain, you could rabbet the edges for a shiplap, gluing down the thin part behind.

[Doug Shepard]

Dont do it. DAMHIKT but round about mid-winter that table will start talking to you. First just an infrequent but audible grunt, eventually a loud POW like a M80 firecracker when the hardwood splits.

[Mike Henderson]

If you have any way to press it, use walnut veneer on 3/4" baltic birch plywood (or any good quality ply). It'll look the same as the 1/4" stuff.

You can use some of the solid walnut for edging in visible places.

Mike

[Frank Drew]

Darl,

Glueing solid to ply, big no-no; restricting solid wood's ability to move by whatever fastening method is no good -- the wood will move one way or the other, and if it has to crack to relieve the stress, it will (that loud POW that Doug mentions).

If you want the walnut look and want to incorporate plywood, I'd go with Mike's recommendation to veneer the ply, using a less expensive but similar thickness veneer on the back side

[Craig Che]

What about using 1/8" as veneer using the West Marine epoxy? Should I plane it even thinner?