Slab plywood cabinet doors

[Mark Rios]

I am getting ready over the weekend to replace some painted plywood cabinet doors in a rental. I've been asked to keep them as slab plywood doors but I will make them full overlay instead of the full inset like they are now. How do I choose plywood that won't warp or twist? I have some of the 11 ply "cabinet grade" :confused: plywood left from the BORG that was discussd a few weeks ago but it has developed bows in the two full sheets that are left. I never thought of them as real high quality plywood (they were selling for $20 after all) but I have never gone to buy truly high grade plywood. Is there a standard for non-warping plywood? Is this Baltic Birch?

Also, I read that you should put a 1/4" edge band on plywood doors to give it a finished edge but would this also help keep it from warping?

Thanks for any help and advice.

[tod evans]

veneered mdf and edgebanding.....02 tod

[Mark Rios]

Thanks Tod. If this were a different type of application (i.e. someones permanent home) I'm sure that it would be a good way to go. But this is a rental with painted cabinets. Half of the doors (from the cabinets and the rest of the house) are missing because the former tenants had a fight and tore the place up. They both got arrested and subsequently evicted and now we are making the place nice again. It's not a dumpy place, actually it's a regular, nice, tract quality home but it is just a rental. Doing a veneer would be cost prohibitive as well as overkill for the application. There must be plywood that stays flat isn't there?

[Don Baer]

Mark,
Id just go with MDF and Paint it. Cheap and it stays flat. I've had very poor luck with keeping plywood from warping when used alone for cabinate doors in my present garage. When I build my cabinate in my new house I'll use MDF.

[tod evans]

mark, you could use 3/4 (25mm) baltic if you`re dead set on ply, it`s the most stable ply i know of. but honestly like don said mdf is going to be a good, if not the best choice for this application.....02 tod

[Mark Rios]

Well, I'm not one to argue when you folks give me advice when I've asked for it.:D I But I thought that 3/4" MDF would be really heavy for doors and that I would have problems with the hinge screws holding. Are there special screws that hold better in MDF that I haven't heard of? Again, these will be full overlay doors so the hinge will screw into the back.

Can I assume then that regular PVA glue (Titebond II or III) is okay to hold the edgebanding to the edges of the MDF?

[tod evans]

mark, i`ve never had trouble with hinge screws in mdf, and if you`re painting you can skip the edgebanding. i like zinzer bin for primer, do 2-3 coats on the raw edges, sand and paint.....02 tod

[Don Baer]

mark, i`ve never had trouble with hinge screws in mdf, and if you`re painting you can skip the edgebanding. i like zinzer bin for primer, do 2-3 coats on the raw edges, sand and paint.....02 tod

I agree with Todd. My neighbor got MDF full side door on his Garage cabinets and they've been up for 15 years no problem with the screws

[Gilbert Vega]

My vote also goes to 3/4" Baltic Birch. It may be a little higher (just bought a 3/4", 5' x 5' sheet for $32) but it is very stable. Should have no problems with screws holding and should last a long time.

[Norman Hitt]

I don't think that even the Baltic Birch is a good choice anymore, from what I've been seeing at our suppliers for a while now. I **might** find One out of 10 sheets that haven't already warped in their stock, and that one will usually warp within a week after getting it home. Maybe they just don't ship any GOOD Baltic Birch to W. TX anymore.:( Most of the High End Cabinet shops in this area use the Vaneered MDF for doors like this, and EVEN some cabinet carcasses, and they can order it with either one OR two sides vaneered).