Cabinet plywood recommends

[Mark]

Going to tackle our rotting kitchen at some point and since I'll be doing all the work what are the recommends for cabinet carcass plywood? Apple ply, pre-fin maple, birch...? I live here in Hawaii and melamine is a no-no due to our humidity and local cabinet shops use plywood for the most part. Our circa 1962 kitchen was fab'd out of particle board and its slowly disintegrating. Pre-fin is what I'll be using as I don't have a spray setup...

- Maple
- Birch
- Europly

Thanks,
Mark

 

[Frank Pellow]

I switched to Baltic Birch only for cabinet about 5 years ago, and am very happy with that decision. 

I don't know whether or not one of the types you have listed is what we call Baltic Birch in Ontario.  Some of it's characteristics are having many layers, having no voids, and being sold in sheets that measure 5 feet by 5 feet.

 

[Brice Burrell]

I don't envy your being in Hawaii and trying to buy plywood (I do envy your weather though [tongue]).  I think you're going to be fairly limited in your choices by price and availability.  I can't help but think the price of Europly shipped to the big island would give you a heart attack.  Pre-finished is a good idea, birch or maple is more of an of matter of you like the look of more.  I don't know what you Home Depot or Lowes carries out there (I assume you've got them there) but I'd generally avoid them.  I've gotten lucky with some GP pure bond birch ply from my Depot, don't know if you'll be that lucky.

With all of the above said, I'd look seriously into buying cabinets instead of building your own.  By the time you factor in your time and the cost of materials I don't you'll have a better value building.

I switched to Baltic Birch only for cabinet about 5 years ago, and am very happy with that decision. 

I don't know whether or not one of the types you have listed is what we call Baltic Birch in Ontario.  Some of it's characteristics are having many layers, having no voids, and being sold in sheets that measure 5 feet by 5 feet.

Sadly the term Baltic Birch has become generic.  Besides, it could be out of price range.  

 

[BigHonu]

Mark,

I got some of the Maple/Birch ply they had over at HD when it was $36/sheet (or something like that) a few months ago.  I got some decent sheets, though I had to go through most of the pallet to find some without busted up edges.  Normally I go the City Mill in Hawaii Kai as their stuff tends to have less voids (well, in the 3 sheets I got from them anyway) and is closer.  Never saw the stuff at Lowes.

Our house was built in the 70's and my entire particle board kitchen is flaking its way to eventual doom! 

 

[GPowers]

... and being sold in sheets that measure 5 feet by 5 feet.

What is the advantage to 5 x 5 sheets, other then being easer to handle and lighter?

 

[peter halle]

... and being sold in sheets that measure 5 feet by 5 feet.

What is the advantage to 5 x 5 sheets, other then being easer to handle and lighter?

I would be willing to bet that that size was standardized as a sheet that could be used to build a euro style base cabinet without a back up to 36" wide - excluding a shelf and a back.  It would have a screw strip at the top back and similar strip at the front.

Peter

 

[GPowers]

I have seen the 5 x5 at a local wood supplier. Hard to transport as most  Vehicles, I have access too, are set up to 4 foot wide stock

 

[mastercabman]

If you are going to build cabinets,Europly is going to cost you.I would go with birch.If you have a local plywood/lumber yard,get the prefinish sheets.
Forget Maple,unless you planning on showing it.
And like Brice said,you may want to get a quote on getting cabinets and see if it's worth it.

 

[erock]

I would go with prefinished birch.  Only because I was able to get 25 sheets for $45/sheet!  18mm thick.  Every piece in great condition with baked on polly.  I had to drive 4 hours to pick it up, but man was it worth it.  I also bought 20 sheets of unfinished maple.....just because the price was great, at $40 a sheet, canadian make plywood in my opionion is the way to go.  Heard some very sad and bad things about china made sheet goods.  Home depot and lowes sheet goods are bowed and damaged just sitting on the racks.

 

[Frank Pellow]

... and being sold in sheets that measure 5 feet by 5 feet.

What is the advantage to 5 x 5 sheets, other then being easer to handle and lighter?

It is easier to handle but I don't buy it becuase of the size.  I buy it because it is the best plywood and that's the size that it comes in.  The lumber yards where I buy Baltic Birch plywood will cut it (well and free) for anyone if transportation is a problem (but 5x5 is no problem at all for me to transport.)

 

[festoolsnob]

I would go with prefinished birch.  Only because I was able to get 25 sheets for $45/sheet!  18mm thick.  Every piece in great condition with baked on polly.  I had to drive 4 hours to pick it up, but man was it worth it.  I also bought 20 sheets of unfinished maple.....just because the price was great, at $40 a sheet, canadian make plywood in my opionion is the way to go.  Heard some very sad and bad things about china made sheet goods.  Home depot and lowes sheet goods are bowed and damaged just sitting on the racks.

Yeah, Canadian plywood, thanks for the endorsement.

On that topic, the suggestion of buying pre made carcasses, like flat packs, are very likely going to be from China and more certainly will be made from Chipboard, so I don't know if this is what our Hawaian friend is looking for.

I made a wall bookshelf cabinet unit, from the semi cheap (Home Depot), Good 1Side 3/4in pine/spruce plywood, and it came out fine. However, it is not pre finished, requires quite a bit of sanding and then paint.

I guess it depends on what kind of kitchen look you want, do you want to see the wood grain, or must it be totally flat? The G1S plywood even after solid painting, still shows some wood texture, which we like, but not everybody.

 

[Jonhilgen]

I agree with the prefinished material.  Just make sure it's domestic and not from China, that stuff is horrible.

Jon

 

[GPowers]

I agree with the prefinished material.  ....

Jon

If it is pre-finished and your using Dominos to join, how do you glue the two surfaces? If you are using a dado then the pre-finish has been removed. But the pre-finish is still there when using Dominos?

 

[Jonhilgen]

Dominos and screws.  Or, gasp, just screws.  Blasphemy,  [tongue]I know.

Jon

 

[Mark]

The house we bought was designed by a well known local architect Vladimir Ossipoff, and all of the cabinetry and casework were all built-ins back then. I'm still debating whether to go the restore to mid-century modern look that this house is or tweak it to be more of the spirit. One problem with going with pre-made is that it might not have the same look though I'm not sentimental about the wood runners after 50 years. Blum full extension is what I'm spec'ing though the fronts may look more 1962.

I've also never tackled something of this scale so its a great project though my family might be pissed off for a couple of months

We've got some decent sources here in Honolulu. Architectural Woods is there so I can get maple, appleply, birch, melamine etc. Pretty much anything they sell out of their Tacoma, WA place. Working space is an issue as I don't really have a spare garage (does anyone) to work out of for a couple of weeks... thank god for Festool huh?

Thanks for all the great suggestions... at some point wood will be cut!

 

[nickao]

Couple of months of the family being pissed, hehe.

You are being WAY over optimistic. Try a year or more.

Good luck!!!!

 

[tjbier]

I just picked up 15 sheets of birch from HD, and it's 7 ply (5 core + 2 veneer) I would not be afraid to use it again.
I got it because we had some delivered from the lumber yard, it was the junk from China, 13ply!! bowed and would crown badly. Avoid it at all costs. After 2 sheets cut, and the rest went back to the lumber yard.

 

[Brice Burrell]

I just picked up 15 sheets of birch from HD, and it's 7 ply (5 core + 2 veneer) I would not be afraid to use it again.
I got it because we had some delivered from the lumber yard, it was the junk from China, 13ply!! bowed and would crown badly. Avoid it at all costs. After 2 sheets cut, and the rest went back to the lumber yard.

That's the stuff I was referring too, I believe it's Georgia-Pacific "Pure Bond".  The stuff I've got was better than what I was getting at my lumber yard and at a better price too. 

 

[Michael Kellough]

Pre-finished maple ply is great for kitchen cabinets.
Columbia brand is very good and has nice consistent poplar core plys.
Murphy brand is not so good with highly variable junky Doug fir core.
(as in the Doug fir scraps that are no good for anything structural or visible)

 

[mwhafner]

That's the stuff I was referring too, I believe it's Georgia-Pacific "Pure Bond".  The stuff I've got was better than what I was getting at my lumber yard and at a better price too. 

The Pure Bond that is available around here is about the best you will find under $100 a sheet.  It looks like the core layers are poplar, and I think I saw it marked as such.  The veneer is still thin, but it works pretty well.  Just don't go crazy when sanding.