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Thread: Wood for a small painted cabinet

  1. #1

    Wood for a small painted cabinet

    I am making a small cabinet that is going to be painted. I want it to have a nice finish, but I am not sure what wood to use. I could use all poplar and sand and paint it. Or I could use maple plywood. That would be nice and flat, but I would have to edgeband it. That will take time and may not work that well. Or I could just use MDF. I would not have to edgeband it, but would it take a good finish? Thanks.

  2. #2
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    MDF paints beautifully. No wood grain to telegraph through the paint. You can fill the cut edges several ways; use whichever appeals best to the way you work. I use BIN white pigmented shellac based primer most of the time to prime MDF; no water to cause fuzziness.

    John

  3. #3
    Good to know. That is the easiest option.

    Peter

  4. #4
    All of those would work, as would soft maple. The MDF will want to soak up paint, so make sure you use a good primer to seal/size it. My inclination would be to use poplar, soft maple, or MDF for a project like that. Maple plywood will have a thin veneer, and edge banding or wrapping with solid wood is a pain, especially if you aren't going to see it. It is also can be hard to hide the joint between the banding and plywood edge.

    People dog MDF, but it has its uses, including things like this.

  5. #5
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    Soft maple is my material of choice for projects like this. It is harder than poplar & at least in my area, not much more money.

    I like not having to deal with edge banding, and find solid wood much more enjoyable to work with.

  6. #6
    I'm going to throw my hat in the soft maple group. First off, "soft maple" is all maple species that aren't specifically acer saccharum or sugar maple. Soft maple isn't actually soft, nor is it a single species. Soft maple also takes paint beautifully. The tight grain doesn't print through the paint. (New growth) Poplar on the other hand, dents simply by looking at it. Poplar holds paint well, but doesn't survive usage.

    In my region, soft maple is about $1.40 bf, but it can be $5.00 bf or more on the west coast. If you have the option, soft maple is your best and most economical choice for painted cabinets

  7. #7
    OK. I would not have considered soft pine. I would have thought poplar would have been more durable. I think I am going to have to try pine and MDF and see how they look.

    Thanks

  8. #8
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    I would use birch plywood trimmed with poplar or maple.
    Army Veteran 1968 - 1970
    I Support the Second Amendment of the US Constitution

  9. #9
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    I hate MDF dust and I'm quickly nearing the time when I can even carry in a sheet of that stuff. Edge banded plywood or soft maple for me. Edge banding is very simple and easy. I only apply 1/8 or 3/16" thick banding, and glue and "clamp" with 3M packing tape. That tape will stretch just a little, so very easy to really pull it tight to the plywood. The banding is oversized, so easy to flush trim to the plywood. You only need to keep the tape on for around 20 minutes with original Titebond and then it's ready to work.
    Last edited by Richard Coers; 09-29-2020 at 9:30 PM.

  10. #10
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    Poplar always.

  11. #11
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    MDF can have pretty crisp edges, but dents easily. Poplar would be my first choice.
    Regards,

    Tom

  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by Peter Pfaff View Post
    I am making a small cabinet that is going to be painted. I want it to have a nice finish, but I am not sure what wood to use. I could use all poplar and sand and paint it. Or I could use maple plywood. That would be nice and flat, but I would have to edgeband it. That will take time and may not work that well. Or I could just use MDF. I would not have to edgeband it, but would it take a good finish? Thanks.
    Poplar is always best if you're going to paint it.

  13. #13
    I would not use MDF. The flat sides will take paint well but the edges are too fragile and too absorbent to not edge it IMHO. It does not hold fasteners well. It is NASTY to work with. I would use what I had on hand, plywood or solid. If I bought material I would buy whatever is cheap/easy to get. Softwood shelving boards from a home center will work fine but use shellac first or a good primer. Poplar will work well and maple is even better but I hate to paint it (but I have).

  14. #14
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    You fill the edges of MDF before painting. If you use a filler that hardens the edges do not easily chip. After the filled edges are sanded it takes paint the same as the faces, beautifully. MDF cabinets constructed with biscuits or Dominos are plenty strong; no screws needed. Euro hinges work fine in MDF. If you are worried about screws holding just add a couple of drops of 5 minute epoxy or Superglue to the holes when you drive the screws.

    Unlike many materials MDF starts flat and stays flat. You just have to adapt your methods a little to get the best out of it. I wouldn't want to cut it w/o a good DC system, however.

    John

  15. #15
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    My house is full of pine furniture, most of which are painted to give off that 'farmhouse rustic' look that my wife seems to love. ie. several layers of milk paint in different colors, sanded to reveal different layers, or part paint/part clear finish. So I would go with pine, which is in abundance near me. Poplar and soft maple are also good choices, although I have a hard time painting maple or any other nice hardwood.
    Jon Endres
    Killing Trees Since 1983

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