Plywood drawer and door fronts

[Tim Bell]

I made some shop (garage) drawers with just plywood. No edgeband or anything. Finished with Sealcoat and WB poly. I like the look.
What's the downside (if any) of making a bathroom vanity (60") with plywood drawers and doors ?

Thanks

[Jerry Miner]

No real downside if you like the look. Be sure to seal the edges well to reduce moisture intrusion issues.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Tens of millions of houses made in the post WWII building boom had (and many still have!) both plywood doors and drawer fronts.
The only drawback with today's junk plywood is all the voids you run into. Those weren't in the 1950's era plywood.
They just took a router and a round over bit to the edges then threw on a couple coats of orange shellac.

[Lee Schierer]

Take a look at the cost per drawer made from plywood and the same drawer made with poplar or maple sides and fronts. I think you will have less waste using dimensional lumber.

[Fred Heenie]

The only downside to the "utility" of plywood drawers is possible splintering when you cut the blanks. Plywood is more stable than lumber for my money. Less risk of dimensional changes due to seasonal factors. Finish with water borne top coat to keep the cabinets odorless.

[Jim Dwight]

I think you can but I don't think you should. Appearance is the only real issue. If you make the drawers inset and the front flat and use a veneered plywood then I think it would be fine. But if you round over the edge, you will see the inner plys and unless you point them, I don't think the appearance will be OK. Painted, maybe, but the end grain will still be apparent unless you use multiple primer coats and sand smooth inbetween.

I built a kitchen island and several dressers using solid wood fronts dovetailed to Baltic birch plywood sides and back. You aren't supposed to glue solid wood to plywood because the solid wood moves a lot more but they worked fine. Some of the island drawers were over 10 inches wide. I sealed everything up good with a waterborne finish which I think minimized the moisture changes and let it work. Some would still call this crude but it worked for us.

So to each his own. If you are OK with the appearance go ahead. But consider solid wood fronts.

[Robert Engel]

No downside structurally, its a personal choice, like exposed edges.
Just use a high quality plywood with no voids.
Ultimately depends on what kind of work you want to be known for.

I would at least edge band them. It is fast and easy and makes a neater looking product. I have used the iron on banding it works fine.

Disagree with previous poster re: glueing solid wood/movement.

I would be careful about plywood doors they can warp. (Reason frame and panel doors were invented).

[Rich Engelhardt]

I think you will have less waste using dimensional lumber.Hmmm - there's an interesting idea...
Resawing a 2x6 to use as door fronts. That has some possibilities...

[keith micinski]

I think the point is he likes the look of the plywood edges. He's not looking for a solution to cover them up or hide them. If your building it for yourself do it the way you like it and be happy with it.

[Rich Engelhardt]

I think the point is he likes the look of the plywood edges. He's not looking for a solution to cover them up or hide them+1...and as I mentioned above, that's the way nearly 100% of the post WWII housing boom houses were done.
Plywood with a rounded over edge and a couple coats of orange shellac.

My wife and I are in the landlord business and we constantly look at houses built in that era.

It's amazing how many houses we look at still have the original pine frame/birch plywood kitchens and baths, even after a number of owner changes.

The "look" really can't be all that unpopular...

[Tom Ewell]

If the laminated look is pleasing to your eye, go for it.

Style is the only consideration I'd worry about, flat ply doors can be a contemporary to country look, flat and raised panels run the rest of the gamut.

Don't know if it's still available but lumber core plywood is a treat to work with. The solid core with choice face veneers made for handling the stuff just like solid for joining and profiling and the edges could be stained/dyed right along with the faces with little noticeable difference in all around appearance.

With exposed ply edges just make sure they're rounded some and sanded thoroughly to prevent splintering of the veneers. Seal and sand well during the finishing stage.

[Tim Bell]

Thanks for the responses guys.


Good to know that the idea would work. I do think warping might pose a problem . especially the doors. Hit it with some water base and pretzel time..


As far as cost basis of ply vs. dimensional per Lee Schierer , Well, see, I live in S. Florida. Pretty much my only wood resource is Big Box and all they carry is oak, poplar and pine. They stopped the maple about a year ago. I don’t like oak much, poplar has no character unless stained (sort of) and is soft, pine is, well, pine. I wanted to do a clear finish.


So, my reasoning on the Birch ply fronts and drawers is more about the clear finish looking good.


I’m still pondering what to do.
Thanks
323642

[Jim Dwight]

Tim,

This might be an option for you. This company (and others I believe) will send you bundles of hardwood by UPS. I have done it and the wood was plenty usable. I prefer to visit the mill but these prices would be better than getting hardwood at the big box stores - and it is delivered to the house:

http://www.walllumber.com/lum.asp

Jim

[fred woltersdorf]

Thanks for the responses guys.


Good to know that the idea would work. I do think warping might pose a problem . especially the doors. Hit it with some water base and pretzel time..




As far as cost basis of ply vs. dimensional per Lee Schierer , Well, see, I live in S. Florida. Pretty much my only wood resource is Big Box and all they carry is oak, poplar and pine. They stopped the maple about a year ago. I don’t like oak much, poplar has no character unless stained (sort of) and is soft, pine is, well, pine. I wanted to do a clear finish.


So, my reasoning on the Birch ply fronts and drawers is more about the clear finish looking good.


I’m still pondering what to do.
Thanks
323642

The last time I was in Naples, FL, I went to a lumber yard and there was plenty of Cypress which would make pretty nice doors.