Interior Plywood types question?

[Shady]

I'm not a great 'consumer' of plywood, but I need some for some 'bog standard' workshop cabinets, and for drawers in a set of built ins in the study.

It'll all be painted. Accordingly, I'm interested in people's views on what 'quality' of plywood sheet is required for an adequate finishing surface. This is not 'exquisite furniture', but at the same time I don't want an obviously cruddy surface to be evident under the paint... Arnold Laver Timberworld are quoting me a fair price for 'standard WBP' at 18 and 12 mm: SL Hardwoods are trying to tell me that it's got to be Birch - at twice the price....

Any views? I'm happy to be told that it must be birch if that's the view of the team, but I'm not being suckered into paying an unnecessary premium.

TIA.

 

[Steve Maskery]

Shady
FWIW I'd go for Birch every time. Whats the difference in cost, on the whole job? And what will it cost you to do it again if it looks colonic? ANd how long will you have to live with them? You might even find that it requires less finishing, two coats instead of 3 etc etc.
In my view, no contest.
Cheers
Steve

 

[Anonymous]

Shady

I got some 18mm Latvian Birch Ply (13 ply) from Arnold Laver a couple of years ago. The grade I use had one perfect side and one side with the occasional dutchman. I seem to recall that it was the best price for that quality of anywhere I tried so you may be able to push them on price for a similar product to that which SL are suggesting.

Roy

 

[Dewy]

For workshop cabinets I go for WBP every time.
It's cheap and able to withstand damp conditions.
For household use Birch ply is hard to beat and will take paint with no grain pattern showing through.
With the price of it now, it's hard to imagine that birch ply was the standard ply availible before cheap eastern imports became the norm.

 

[Mdotflorida]

I think Dewy summed it up.

I used standard 18mm WBP to clad my workshop and with the 3 boards left over made some wall cabinets and shelving for storage. It's strong and looks fine for the workshop. No need at all to spend out on better quality. However, the quality is not good enough for an indoor project even if you were going to paint it.

Save some pennies and just use the quality stuff where you need it.

Jeff

 

[Shady]

Excellent: thanks guys: I'll probably go with Laver: they're just more 'open' in their approach, IMHO. Birch here we come.... I might save money though, and make them out of solid teak.... :wink:

 

[Dewy]

For painting you may be able to get what the yanks call MDO (medium density overlay) which has a paper like coating and is used by signwriters as it is meant to be painted.

 

[Aragorn]

But Dewy, where do you buy it?

As for grain showing through - a £5 tin of grain filler would help!
Isn't one of the issues with cheaper ply what happens on the edges (i.e. the core). More pores, gaps and overlaps on the cheaper ply?
Might be worth avoiding unless you plan to wrap all the edges with solid wood.

(Edit for typo)

 

[Johnboy]

Is this MDO? http://www.bruynzeelmultipanel.com/en/
Go to exterior cladding and it is the one at the bottom. There is also a paintable panel in the interior cladding section.

Silvermans stock it. http://www.silverman.co.uk/tech/tech09.php

Scroll to the bottom of the page.

John

 

[Dewy]

But Dewy, where do you buy it?

As for grain showing through - a £5 tin of grain filler would help!
Isn't one of the issues with cheaper ply what happens on the edges (i.e. the core). More pores, gaps and overlaps on the cheaper ply?
Might be worth avoiding unless you plan to wrap all the edges with solid wood.

(Edit for typo)

Thats the problem with the American names of things.
They use different terms and then tell us that they speak English.
They call a housing a dado, a rebate a rabbet.
The list is endless.
I had a friend who used the same ply for signwriting but he moved away from the area so I have no way to contact him to ask what he called it.