veneer core plywood

[mrFinpgh]

Does anyone still build slab doors using veneer plywood?

I built my kitchen last year and used Columbia Forest Products Purebond Walnut plywood for the slab doors. They look nice, but a few have some obvious bow to them. No one else seems to notice unless I point it out, but I sure do.  [mad]  I chalked this up to not giving them even air circulation after ripping them and letting them sit for a while.

So now I'm building another set of cabinets for the pantry/mudroom and thought it would be best to match the kitchen.  More walnut veneer core plywood (not cheap!).  This time, I was very careful to either cover everything on both sides or to place the doors on painters pyramids once cut out.  Nonetheless, I'm still seeing about 1/16-1/8" of bowing in the doors. 

I have been going with plywood for slab doors because I've seen MDF doors have the hinges come loose relatively early on in their life.  At this point, I'm wondering if the tradeoff (flatness for fastener holding) is worth it.

 

[tjbnwi]

Use Blum doweled hinges in the MDF.

I don’t do enough slab doors to make an informed comment. The slab drawer fronts I do are solid materials. The raised or reversed raised panel doors I do are solid material also.

Tom

 

[mrFinpgh]

Thanks Tom - I haven't really looked at those before, even though I have some 8mm dowels that were accidentally sent to me.

With your solid doors, are you gluing up panels?  If so, I'd be curious to know your workflow and how much it is festool vs jointer/planer/etc..

Thanks,
Adam

Use Blum doweled hinges in the MDF.

I don’t do enough slab doors to make an informed comment. The slab drawer fronts I do are solid materials. The raised or reversed raised panel doors I do are solid material also.

Tom

 

[tjbnwi]

Yes, I glue up the panels.

Until very recently everything was processed primarily with Festool’s. A bench top planer was the only major tool that was not Festool.

The material was sized, planed then glued, making sure it stayed flat.

All the machining was done on the CMS. Panels raised, rails and stiles coped and sticked.

I now have a shaper, moulder, 25” planer, 16" jointer.

Tom

 

[mrFinpgh]

The material was sized, planed then glued, making sure it stayed flat.

I'm trying to envision this with a piece of roughsawn 4/4 lumber..  you straightlined an edge with the tracksaw and then cut a parallel edge, crosscut to length, and then planed it to thickness?  What about issues with wood movement?  The pieces were flat enough to rip without jointing a face? 

I've usually jointed an edge (using a hand plane) and then ripped at the bandsaw, planed an adjacent face, and then run the opposite face and edge through the planer (for face frame stock).  It sounds like your workflow might be able to save a little time - jointing 40 pieces by hand can take a while.

-Adam

 

[Michael Kellough]

Yes, I glue up the panels.

Until very recently everything was processed primarily with Festool’s. A bench top planer was the only major tool that was not Festool.

The material was sized, planed then glued, making sure it stayed flat.

All the machining was done on the CMS. Panels raised, rails and stiles coped and sticked.

I now have a shaper, moulder, 25” planer, 16" jointer.

Tom

[eek]

 

[Oldwood]

I never us plywood any more. It is hard to get some of the species on ply because most large production operations us PB core. For doors PB core is flatter more stable and if you use European style hinges you will have no problem with splitting or screw pull out. I use the Blum expando with no screws.

The quality of plywood has been steadily deteriorating over the last 20 years and is at a point now where it in not usable for cabinetry IMHO. 

 

[tjbnwi]

The material was sized, planed then glued, making sure it stayed flat.

I'm trying to envision this with a piece of roughsawn 4/4 lumber..  you straightlined an edge with the tracksaw and then cut a parallel edge, crosscut to length, and then planed it to thickness?  What about issues with wood movement?  The pieces were flat enough to rip without jointing a face? 

I've usually jointed an edge (using a hand plane) and then ripped at the bandsaw, planed an adjacent face, and then run the opposite face and edge through the planer (for face frame stock).  It sounds like your workflow might be able to save a little time - jointing 40 pieces by hand can take a while.

-Adam

Yes, straight line one edge. there is a video only YouTube channel of me doing just this. The second edge is also ripped with the TS-55.

The TS saws are great jointing tools. You can mirror cut the joints.

My supplier flattens one side of the stock,  they have equipment that will flatten a piece of lumber in one pass on one side.

Finally thickness planing is done by me. 

I cross cut to length after the glue up. This allows me to remove any snipe.

Space Balls address the wood movement.

This album has most of the process in it from raw material to finished product.
https://photos.google.com/album/AF1QipPcv9fjS_jiOdE3-l6YdOrT9mtbgJk7KGUbE0hN

Tom

 

[tjbnwi]

Yes, I glue up the panels.

Until very recently everything was processed primarily with Festool’s. A bench top planer was the only major tool that was not Festool.

The material was sized, planed then glued, making sure it stayed flat.

All the machining was done on the CMS. Panels raised, rails and stiles coped and sticked.

I now have a shaper, moulder, 25” planer, 16" jointer.

Tom

[eek]

Believe it or not, I prefer processing the stock with the TS. I have a sliding table saw with a 99" stroke and find the TS more accurate.

Tom

 

[mrFinpgh]

My supplier flattens one side of the stock,  they have equipment that will flatten a piece of lumber in one pass on one side.

What is that called?  S1S?

Space Balls address the wood movement.

With the panel, sure.  But what about your rails and stiles?  Do you mill them to size right away, or do you rough them out and then let it acclimate before final dimensioning?  It seems like everything always moves a little on me after I've turned a board into some sticks.

This album has most of the process in it from raw material to finished product.
https://photos.google.com/album/AF1QipPcv9fjS_jiOdE3-l6YdOrT9mtbgJk7KGUbE0hN

That link comes back as not found. 

Thanks,
Adam

 

[tjbnwi]

My supplier flattens one side of the stock,  they have equipment that will flatten a piece of lumber in one pass on one side.

What is that called?  S1S?

Space Balls address the wood movement.

With the panel, sure.  But what about your rails and stiles?  Do you mill them to size right away, or do you rough them out and then let it acclimate before final dimensioning?  It seems like everything always moves a little on me after I've turned a board into some sticks.

This album has most of the process in it from raw material to finished product.
https://photos.google.com/album/AF1QipPcv9fjS_jiOdE3-l6YdOrT9mtbgJk7KGUbE0hN

That link comes back as not found. 

Thanks,
Adam

Yes, S1S (surface one side). S1S1E would be surface one side, surface one edge.

I mill them within a day or two. Currently we'll prep 1500-2000 board feet then do the final machining when to casework is being build. This gives us enough material for a week or two depending on the build.

Try this link.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/pMRgn11bZwzmudpM7

Tom

 

[Kodi Crescent]

Thanks for adding the pics to show the progress.

I noticed that your machined carcass and face frame parts are stacked and laying flat.  They don't seem to be clamped down.  Do you have any issues with pieces warping before assembly?

 

[tjbnwi]

Thanks for adding the pics to show the progress.

I noticed that your machined carcass and face frame parts are stacked and laying flat.  They don't seem to be clamped down.  Do you have any issues with pieces warping before assembly?

The sheet goods, never had an issue. The solids will move a little at times and not all of them. They can be straightened when attached to the case.

Tom