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Thread: Plywood for painted cabinetry

  1. #1

    Plywood for painted cabinetry

    I have a job building lower cabinet and upper shelving to surround fireplace. The client wants painted (white-ish). Shelving and panels will be of plywood with poplar frames. What's the best plywood for painting so as to not reveal grain?

  2. #2
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    Plywood with maple face veneers. The pores are fine enough that the telegraphing is minimal. Around here, the hardwood dealers understand "paint grade" as a spec, and will usually give you C-3. It will have rotary-cut face veneers, with no patches on the front, and well-patched spots on the back. $55 or so in 3/4".

  3. #3
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    I built something similar to what you're talking about with what I want to say is birch ply-wood. 1 coat of primer, 2 or 3 coats of paint and it turned out great. I used MDF for the shelves and it accepted paint well.

  4. #4
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    Either maple or birch is fine. Can depend on local availability. I typically spec C-2 maple with a combination core (flatter, smoother face than veneer core. Lighter weight and better fastener-holding than mdf core)

  5. #5
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    Too each his own of course, but I greatly prefer the hard flat surface of MDF for paint grade. I would prefer MDO, some call it Classic Core, unless there is a high moisture atmosphere to consider. Poplar frames work fine.

  6. #6
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    I agree about the suitability of MDF for painting, except for the edges, of course.

  7. #7
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    Birch plywood with poplar face frames......
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  8. #8
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    I used to use MDF for painted cabinets, but gave it up for two reasons. First, MDF sags when used as a shelf. Second, on some sheets of MDF, the "grain" gets raised something fierce by waterborne pigmented lacquer. Not all sheets do that, but it is a big hassle when it does.

  9. #9
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    Agree that no respectable cabinet allows MDF shelves to enter ;^) FWIW MDO: Medium Density Overlay is regular plywood core with a smooth 10 mill paper or MDF, applied to one or both faces. The smooth facing is an excellent surface for painting signs. If sealed and primed properly MDO can be used outside. Thicknesses available in 3/8", ½", ¾" GIS an G2S. 4x8 sheets and is only 2/3 the weight of an MDF sheet of the same thickness, I shoot a mist coat first as a matter of habit, originally to avoid veneer from lifting and that probably provides a seal against the grain raising mentioned. I use GF finishes almost exclusively.

  10. #10
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    Love MDO for painted work. Gives a perfect substrate for paint with the strength and relatively light weight of plywood. Unless you want the wood grain to telegraph through the finish a bit, then good quality maple or birch plywood. MDO will be perfectly flat, like MDF before it starts to swell .

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