Do You Use Prefinished Ply On Your Cabinets?

[Jeff Wright]

When building kitchen cabinets, do you buy prefinished ply (I think the manufacturers use a UV polyurethane cured process), or do you finish the inside of your cases yourself?

Also, what kind of ply would you use for the carcases? A-1 hardwood plywood? Or a ply with a different core material?

[Von Bickley]

Jeff,

I don't use pre-finished plywood and I would use birch plywood for the carcases.:)

[Nancy Laird]

We don't used pre-finished ply either - we use double-sided melamine (MDF core). That way, the insides of the cabinets are light so it's easier to find things inside the cabinets, and they are light-years easier to clean than plywood or solid wood. They just wipe clean and nothing spilled inside the cabinets will soak into the wood (think cooking oil, pancake syrup!!). They go together easily with glue and screws, solid hardwood faceframes and doors on the front, solid hardwood shelf edging, and veneer on the exposed ends of cabinets. You can't tell they aren't solid hardwood until you open the doors.

Nancy

[Jeff Wright]

Jeff,

I don't use pre-finished plywood and I would use birch plywood for the carcases.:)

Von, how do you finish the inside of your boxes (material, brush by hand or spray)?

[Joe Chritz]

I have done a few kitchens and am starting another right now.

I looked at pre-finished plywood and it is nice stuff. If your time is valuable it is a good option. I can finish my own and come out ok so I use birch ply and finish it myself. It's about a wash on cost for me.

I cut to size, sometime exact others a bit over, and then spray all the pieces. I scuff them lightly with 120 grit on the ROS first. I have a drying rack that hold around 40 pieces. It takes very little time to finish them all this way. The plus side is no finishing inside the boxes. Exposed sides are either applied after or are finished after the box is assembled.

I cut dadoes and assemble after the finish is dry. Face frames are pre-finished and installed with glue and pocket screws where possible, just clamps and sometimes biscuits for alignment where not.

Melamine is a good choice also if you buy a good grade. They do make for bright and clean interiors.

Joe

[Larry Fox]

I just built a set for my house and used the pre-finished stuff. It saved me a tremendous amount of time. Twisting and contorting myself around to spray the inside of a cabinet held no appeal for me.

It is not cheap but, for me as a guy for whom it was my first set, the time savings was worth it.

[Jeff Monson]

Jeff,
For my kitchen I used the same species plywood as the face frames, it wasnt hard to finish, I used 3/4" a grade for the carcases and 1/2" for the backs, I used mostly maple with a clear finish, I sprayed laquer and the finish is great. I will agree that some of the angles you have to use the gun at kind of stink but its worth the payout. Melamine is also a good choice and alot less finishing effort but I prefer the look of solid wood throughout my cabinets.

[Jim Becker]

I don't do enough cabinetry that uses sheet goods to buy pre-finished, but will consider it for a few special (and larger) projects coming up. BUT...I do pre-finish the components before assembling them as spraying inside of a box is so, well..."not fun"... ;)