Veneer Substrate Question

[Larry Fox]

I am building a linen cabinet for my bathroom and it is going to have quite a bit of shop-cut walnut veneer on / in it. Picture a tall corner cabinet, only in a bathroom. My original choice for the substrate was going to be maple ply -until I saw the price. I have used MDF as a substrate in the past but shied away from it for this project due to the moisture in the bathroom environment. Could MDF be used well here or am I correct in steering clear of it? Another thing I was considering was using HD ply but I was concerned about the veneer glue (Unibond 800) pulling the face veneer off of it. Anyone have any other suggestions?

[Mike Henderson]

When I don't use MDF as a substrate, I use a good baltic birch plywood.

Mike

[Frank Drew]

Larry,

I think the MDF would be ok, especially if you veneered and finished both sides equally and put some finish on the panel edges, but if it's moisture resistance you want, you could use signboard (MDO) or even HDO.

[Thomas S Stockton]

I would use a good quality MDF before I even thought about using ANY sheet product from the Home Depot. The quality of their stuff is really inconsistant and the chance of a panel staying flat is pretty slim.
Don't cheap out on the core baltic birch is going to be around $50 a sheet for a 5x5 and birch or maple ply will be around the same. Both are going to stay flat a lot longer than the cheap stuff.
You need to find a real plywood and hardwood dealer that can help you out, They might not be open on weekends but most open early and can actually give you real advice as opposed to what is available at the big box store.
Tom

[johnny means]

See if your local supplier sells waterproof MDF. This would give you a perfectly flat stable substrate without the moisture worries.