How do you handle odd plywood thicknesses?

[Mike Vermeil]

How easy life would be for woodworkers if sheetgoods came in acutal 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4 inch thicknesses as they once did. No more carcases slightly short of design width. No more forgetting to reduce 3/8 deep dados to 5/16. No more ... well you get the picture. But I guess there's no turning back the clocks, huh.

So here's my question: How do you handle the odd (non-nominal) thicknesses of modern plywoods?

Do you factor it in during the design stage - using the actual thickness on the drawings instead of the nominal 3/4 or 1/2"?

Or do you draw things up using nominal dimensions, and then compensate in the shop?

Or do you have some method altogether different?

Thanks in advance.

Mike

[Steve Cox]

It depends. You mentioned odd sized sheet goods. In my experience everything except plywood is right on. Melamine, particle board, masonite etc. are all nominal thickness. Plywood usually is not. Frequently if you will use metric measurements that solves the problem. Usually though I just compensate in the shop. I figure the outside dimensions and then make everything fit that.

[Don Baer]

In the shop since there can be differances even between sheets.
Like my Dad taught me "Measure twice, cut once "
or was it "I cut it twice and it's still to short"

:rolleyes:

[Mike Cutler]

Mike. I take the thickness difference into cosideration, however I also use router bits and Dado's that are sizes for ply thicknesses. I also have a Micro Fence jig That allows me to adjust for just about any thickness of plywood

[Steven Wilson]

It doesn't bother me to have undersized plywood. What's frustrating is the variability in thickness. When choosing my plywood I select sheets that are all the same nominal thickness thatway my compensation is the same for all pieces in the project.

[Mike Vermeil]

It doesn't bother me to have undersized plywood. What's frustrating is the variability in thickness. When choosing my plywood I select sheets that are all the same nominal thickness thatway my compensation is the same for all pieces in the project.

Excellent point Steve, there can be much variation between plywoods of the same type from different manufacturers, and also between lots from the same mfg. Furthermore, you can get thickness variation on the same sheet due to unstable cores - like on the MDO I'm using right now.

[Steve Clardy]

I figure everything 1/4 1/2 3/4. Then just deal with the fitting of parts.