should I use ply or hardwood?

[Michael MacDonald]

just called for some pricing on cherry. Next project is a hutch... bottom is a cabinet 42 wide, 18 deep and 30 tall. top is a bookcase set back from the cabinet edges--36 wide, 12 deep and 54 tall.

here is the comparative pricing:

4x8 3/4 ply - cherry with veneer core is $130
4x8 3/4 ply - cherry with MDF core is $108
cherry 4/4 bd ft price - 4x8 worth of wood at $7.37 is $235.84

so... should I make the carcases and shelves out of ply or hardwood?

1. ply is more stable
2. I think ply would be lighter (right?)
3. I am not particularly good at matching boards for glue-ups (actually, a reason to do hardwood... need practice)
4. clearly ply is cheaper

anyone have a strong opinion?

[Bruce Seidner]

Bondo and paint are considered tools in my home. Have you considered MDF. I mean no one likes the dust, but hey, its just going to hold plates.:)

Have you considered building two? The first would be practice and a way to see how less expensive and dimensionally stable plywood would look with these plans. It may be a keeper or you may want to gift it to someone rather than reducing it to firewood. If it was a design you liked, then you could come back at it with more traditional glue-up boards for that heirloom stuff you pass on to the grand kids.

[Terry Beadle]

I would use hard wood for the front doors or drawer's. All the rest ply. It really depends on your design.

The front door panels would look good as raised with matching grain of the hardwood.

Good Luck !

[Michael MacDonald]

definitely hardwood for the face frame, door frame and door panels... also for the face frame of the bookcase... I plan on a natural finish, so MDF won't do. I like poplar for the internal structural pieces...

this is more of a one-shot deal for me... between the time and the cost, I don't plan on making two. Not to mention the other projects I have on my list and still need to get to.

probably will do 1/4 ply for the back regardless of what I do with the sides, top and bottom... I was thinking hardwood for the top of the lower portion, and ply for the rest...

but hey, I have also heard great things about particle board!

[Ben Hatcher]

If you use plywood, I think in time you'll regret not using solid stock. The cost difference will be soon forgotten.

If you use ply, be very careful with it. The veneers are super thin and it is very easy to sand through them or gouge them. damhikt.

[Pat Moy]

With cherry, plywood is cheaper. But that's not the case for all species. I recently bought 400bf of 4/4 poplar for $1.45/bf to be used for painted projects. The cheapest 3/4" smooth-surface plywood, which are low-grade birch plywood you can get at your home centers, costs around $48 (poplar plywood is generally a bit more expensive because it's less common). A 4x8 sheet has 32bf, so price of the poplar is a bit cheaper in this case.

To me, the biggest problem with today's plywood is that many sheets are bowed, which negates many of the conveniences of using plywood in the first place. Also, plywood quality seems to be degrading in general; except for the expensive stuff, the face veneer is awfully thin and sometimes de-laminates or splinters when cut. Having said that, I still try to use plywood whenever I can for areas of the project where wood movement is a problem.

Currently, I'm working on a built-in bookshelf with bottom cabinets.
http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn98/ptmoyfb/misc/built-inbookshelf.jpg

It's 110" long and 16" deep. carcass was made from 3/4" birch plywood; painted face frame are from 4/4 poplar, and the stained top is from glued-up 4/4 maple. The center two sections of the cabinet will contain 8 drawers made from solid poplar, the two side cabinets will have raised panel doors that are also made from 4/4 poplar. This will be my fifth built-in, so I've worked out most of the kinks in the process.

[Joe Chritz]

I use both plywood (both VC and MDF core) and hardwood on projects intermingled all the time.

I tend to pick what is the best product for a particular piece and not get hung up on plywood vs hardwood. For somethings, shelves for instance, it is tough to beat plywood with a hardwood edging.

Joe

[Stephen Cherry]

I think that it boils down to what you want to make and how you want to put it together, and what sort of tools you have to put it together.

If you want something traditional, say with raised panel doors, and frame and panel or dovetailed cabinet, then you need solid wood.


On the opposte end, pocket screws, buisquits and dados can make a nice cabinet also, but it seems more natural to use plywood.

As already stated, plywood sides and shelves, with solid wood face frame and doors make a nice compromise.

The overwhelming factor in the choice of materials though is what sort of caninet you would like to end up with, and the difference in price will long be forgotton over the life of the hutch.

[Eiji Fuller]

I would go solid wood but you also have to consider time cost in dimensioning and glueing up all the panels. that puts solid wood cost considerably higher than money alone.

If you are worried about grain matching in solid wood you might want to consider buying some 8 or 12/4 and resawing. that will make your piece spectacular and totally worth the effort. as long as the design is nice.

my .02

[Lee Schierer]

Personally I prefer solid wood and design in ways to handle the seasonal movement.

Figuring the true cost of plywood versus hardwood doesn't work by comparing the cost of 4 x 8 sheets. You also have to consider the use efficiency of the sheets versus the efficiency of glued up hardwood. If you can only use 60% of a sheet of plywood for the project, the sheet cost then goes to the equivalent of $216 per sheet, which is pretty close to the hardwood cost.

[Michael MacDonald]

I appreciate all the comments. My gut feel is I want to make something more heirloom quality, though I haven't yet developed the skill for the complexity and the techniques that I frequently see on the creek... case in point, the current high boy tutorial from Diaman...

I am making the design right now, so the world is open to me... I plan to seek some inspiration by looking at furniture online. I definitely want the project to entail glue-ups, M&T joints and some molding and trim detail. I hadn't thought about dovetails for the carcass. (This is one technique I have not explored yet... I use locking rabbets or figure joints for drawers.)

So it appears I probably want to use hardwood as much as possible. It was clear to me from the beginning that I would use solid cherry for the face frame and doors, but the carcass material was in question. Unfortunately, no bandsaw, so no resawing and bookend panels. I believe that dovetails and bookend panels are some of the signs of real craftsmanship, so perhaps this would be the time to venture on dovetails in a hardwood carcass.

I will take any suggestions on design. pics, designs, sketchup files, nifty feature I should consider. Feel free to share.

[Curt Harms]

get it from a reputable supplier. Many of the complaints about hardwood plywood involves birch or oak from the Borgs, often sourced from China. I bought some flat sawn oak ply from an industrial supplier. The sheets were oversized (49" X 97") so I could subtract a few saw kerfs and still get 48" X 96" out of it. Once cut, it stayed FLAT. Virtually no voids. The veneer was thin, however. Nice option for kitchen cabinetry, entertainment centers etc. For heirloom furniture, ehhh......

[Kevin Gagne]

I recently did my first project (http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=140428)and used Cherry ply for a majority of it. I used solid Cherry for the face frame and front pieces of the shelves. I was very happy with the quality of the plywood and didn't have any issues due to the veneer. I am very happy with how it turned out and wouldn't have any issues using plywood for another project.