Per-Finished Ply Question

[Mike Goetzke]

I'm building a 6- drawer dresser. I'm making a box frame from ply with drawer dividers. So it will look like wide cubbies. My hardwood place had this pre-finished maple ply for a great price so I bought it, but, on the ride home wondering if I made a mistake. I plan to fasten the drawer dividers like shelfs in a bookcase with dominos but one side of the face will be finished. Are the glued dominos enough or do I need to sand the finish off at the joints (or even return the ply)?

Thanks - Mike

 

[Michael Kellough]

Are you using a well secured back panel to resist racking?
If you are a few glued Dominoes on each side should be sufficient but I would add pocket screws to the undersides of the panels. Or a few more Dominoes.

Using ball bearing drawer slides will add some hold-it-togetherness. If the drawer weight bears on the panel I’d be especially inclined to add pocket screws, or even more Dominoes.

I have masked and sanded the finish in order to glue a panel to pre-fin stuff but although the joint hasn’t failed (also used Dominoes) I can’t tell whether the glue made a difference.

Recently made some drawer boxes from pre-fin ply and (stubbornly) didn’t want to use any kind of fasteners. The router table was setup so used it to plow shallow rabbets so glue to get into the ply. The rabbets also simplified glue-up/assembly. The ply end grain glued joints are more than strong enough.

I’ve read that Roo Glue (sticks to Melamine) can be useful but haven’t tried it.

 

[Mike Goetzke]

Are you using a well secured back panel to resist racking?
If you are a few glued Dominoes on each side should be sufficient but I would add pocket screws to the undersides of the panels. Or a few more Dominoes.

Using ball bearing drawer slides will add some hold-it-togetherness. If the drawer weight bears on the panel I’d be especially inclined to add pocket screws, or even more Dominoes.

I have masked and sanded the finish in order to glue a panel to pre-fin stuff but although the joint hasn’t failed (also used Dominoes) I can’t tell whether the glue made a difference.

Recently made some drawer boxes from pre-fin ply and (stubbornly) didn’t want to use any kind of fasteners. The router table was setup so used it to plow shallow rabbets so glue to get into the ply. The rabbets also simplified glue-up/assembly. The ply end grain glued joints are more than strong enough.

I’ve read that Roo Glue (sticks to Melamine) can be useful but haven’t tried it.

Thanks - Yes it will have a ply backing - either 1/4” or 3/4” (this will be one heave dresser). I too was thinking pocket screws to so time to make some dust!

 

[woodferret]

Light scuff sand is required if you want Roo goo, liquid nails, or polyurethane.  You'd have to sand through for wood glue.

 

[Packard]

If it is not Baltic birch, I would make test cuts first.  There may be voids in the interior plies. 

If it is not Baltic birch, I would use the same joinery as I would for veneer-clad MDF or particle board.  That is, hidden joinery.  Any exposed panel ends may be disappointing.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

[member=297]Michael Kellough[/member] pretty much said what I would.
If you are dead-set on Dominos, Roo Glue will do the trick. It's funny stuff though. It squeezes out much more like hand lotion than glue. It spreads the same way. It wipes away easily with a damp rag, but as soon as moisture hits it, things get slimy. It feels like grease at that point. It works though.
If your drawers are fairly small, this is just fine.
Bigger drawers/heavy items, it might be better to do the lock rabbet (tongue & dado), especially if you have an easy way to cut them. Table saw w/dado stack or router table.

The hassle with pre-finished ply for drawers is the edge banding. First you need prefinished tape, or you are dealing with finishing edges only, which sucks.
Second, edging is not as friendly. You can't simply sand the edges after trimming.
Third, if you are not edge banding (some people like it with the good multi layer ply) you are still dealing with finishing edges only. It's not that bad, if you are willing to use something like an oil/wax blend.
I like Tried & True (as far as commercially available stuff) or I make my own. It wipes on really easily, wipes right off of the prefinished part, if you over-do-it. Since the edge of a drawer is not a wear surface, it will last as long is the rest of the drawer.

 

[Packard]

After years of painting mat board bevels freehand, brush applying finish on edgebanding is a breeze.

It takes two passes to paint one edge.  Hmm.  I was going to try to describe the technique.  I’ll try making a photo instead.  It is pretty fast and easy once you have the technique down pat.

I’ll try a photo tomorrow.

As promised, but with poorer photos than I had hoped.  I found it extremely difficult to hold the camera with my left hand and perform the brush work with my right hand while viewing through the camera’s screen.  Enough for my apologies.

The first image shows the artists’ brush I use.  It is slightly narrower than the width of the board, and is a flat brush.  Also note the round shaft.  A round shaft is much easier to rotate to the preferred angle.

The second photo shows the hand position.  Note that I have my fingers resting on the side of the board.  The side of the board is, in effect, a track that guides my hand (and brush) in a perfectly straight line. 

When I am painting an edge of a board, I watch one side only.  I keep my eye on the side of the board that is further from my hand.  I will go back on a second pass with my hand on the other side of the board.  This gives me double coverage in the center, so I only need to keep my eye one side. 

The video (embarrassing quality) shows me drawing my hand along the edge.  There is a “sweet spot” in the speed I draw my hand along that edge.  If I go too slow, the brush does not follow a nice straight line.  If I go to fast, I lose control of the brush.  You will have to determine your “sweet spot” speed.

Also, the amount you load the brush up with paint is important.  If you have enough paint on the brush that the instant you rest the brush on the surface it pools paint on the surface, that is too much.  You will than pull the brush through the pooled paint and it will go over the side. 

Initially you may have to make two passes in each direction as it is preferred that you have slightly less paint than ideal on the brush than to have too much paint on the brush.

Since you are working with prefinished plywood, a wet rag, followed by a dry rag will remove any excess that goes over the edge.

If I can recruit a helper, I may re-shoot these pictures and video. 

I have used grain filler on the edges of melamine clad particle board and followed with contrasting color paint.  I like acrylic paint for color and topcoat with a clear acrylic coat for durability.  General Finishes “Milk Paint” (a modern acrylic paint that resembles milk paint when dry) brushes out nicely and is my preferred paint for this type of work.
Close up, brush.

Close up, hand position.

Video.