I'm going to be building a whole set of base cabinets, french cleat tool storage, as well as a couple of "flip top" carts, and finally, a big workbench on casters, to house my SawStop JSS. My garage isn't 100% woodworking, as it's also a mountain bike shop, so I like to have those carts (planer, tabletop jointer, sander, router table) and my workbench/saw on casters, so I can reconfigure/move stuff around. I will not be hanging any of these cabinets, everything is either base cabinets on the ground, the stuff on casters, or french cleat tool storage for things like drills, hand tools, etc
Currently "proper" BB plywood is just too damn expensive, as 5x5 sheets of it are $140+ in my area, even the "B" stuff, that just has a good core.
Having said all that, what material would you choose to build all this with? I'd like to use the same material for all the things.
a) 3/4" Maple plywood from Lowes. $90 a sheet. Looks pretty good, thin veneer, but it's shop furniture, so who cares.
b) 3/4" MDF. $60 a sheet. I've seen some Mike Farrington videos of MDF shop furniture, which has me possibly thinking this. He uses 50/50 Poly/Paint thinner as the finish which seems to really harden the surface. And if it's good enough for Mike Farrington, it's good enough for me.
c) Is there something better than I'm missing? I'm in Golden, CO, so my supply for all things wood is Austin Hardwoods in Denver
Thanks!