Prefinished ply question

[Matt Roth]

I'm probably going to wind up building new kitchen cabinets. Past cabinet experience has taught me that prefinished is the only way to go. (didn't do it last time, will this time) The cabinets will be cherry; the only prefinished ply I can find is maple. I like the lighter color for insides of boxes, but am unsure if the maple will look funny with the cherry, or not. There won't be any exposed plywood visible from the outside, just when the doors are open and perhaps a glassed door or few. Thoughts?

[Tim Reagan]

Thats exactly what I used and would do it again. I like the light interior and prefinished takes away so much more work.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?134728-Cherry-Kitchen&highlight=

[Sam Murdoch]

I typically build all kitchen and batch cabinets with prefin maple. I love the look and the ease and the durability of the finish and don't even talk about the added cost. In my mind there is no added costs. You seem to be of the same mind :). The exterior is the exterior. If I my finished ends are plywood I just double up my sides, with each type of ply (or add a frame & panel finished end). I should add here that I nearly always build face frame cabinets. For a frameless cabinet though I do the same but the finished end is set to be flush with the outside face of the door that fully overlays the prefinished inside panel. Cabinetry behind glass doors can be painted or stain grade or prefin too. Your choice. See this thread: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?182595-Glass-door-cabinet-interior

And for more info on finished end options:http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?179397-Cabinet-End-Panels-and-Racking-Best-Practices

[Charlie McGuire]

Sam,

I tried your link, but it doesn't work for me ?

[Sam Murdoch]

Sam,

I tried your link, but it doesn't work for me ?

Should work now - the http: was missing. Lots of info but some good examples on page 2 - read the posts for the full picture.

[Paul Cahill]

I typically build all kitchen and batch cabinets with prefin maple.......... For a frameless cabinet though I do the same but the finished end is set to be flush with the outside face of the door that fully overlays the prefinished inside panel.

Sam: on your frameless cabinets how do you treat the edges of the box, especially in the projects where you have different species on the outside?

Thanks,
Paul

[frank shic]

i would try matching the edgebanding with the door material and finish

[Sam Murdoch]

Sam: on your frameless cabinets how do you treat the edges of the box, especially in the projects where you have different species on the outside?

Thanks,
Paul

Yes, what Frank says, or apply a solid wood edge to match. And the bottom of your sides too, for the uppers, and then pehaps add a finished 1/4" or thicker ply bottom (or not) as you prefer.

[Matt Roth]

Thats exactly what I used and would do it again. I like the light interior and prefinished takes away so much more work.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?134728-Cherry-Kitchen&highlight=

Thanks, Tim. Those pics confirm what I was thinking. Great looking work, btw!

[Matt Roth]

Oh, now that my wife learned I can get mahogany for close to the same price as cherry, it's looking like a mahogany kitchen with pf maple boxes.

[Paul Cahill]

Yes, what Frank says, or apply a solid wood edge to match. And the bottom of your sides too, for the uppers, and then pehaps add a finished 1/4" or thicker ply bottom (or not) as you prefer.

Sam/Frank: Thanks for the responses. I just finished a project working with cherry plywood and for the edges I used 1/4" thick cherry strips that turned out well. I was thinking that doing the same with cherry strips on maple interior would be too much of a contrast. I may need to just get some and play with around with it, and see how it looks.

Paul

[Rob Sack]

I am just finishing a job that has dark stained cherry exteriors and prefin maple interiors. A word of caution: I only use domestically produced panels, including the prefin maple. On exterior panels, I double up the prefin for the inside with the finished hardwood for the outside and cover the edge with a face frame. For frameless cabinets, if you want the door panel to fully overlay the end panel, it is a little more challenging. In this case, I use a single exterior end panel that matches the exterior of the cabinet. When the cabinet is assembled, I mask off the prefin and shoot a few coats of clear on the inside of the exterior panel.