Ply or MDF?

[stuartpaul]

I have a lot of unit backs and drawer bottoms to install. All will be 6mm. Some of the units are quite big (1500mm high, 1100 mm wide).

Minded towards ply just because it feels a bit less flimsy. I know MDF will give a better finish for the painted bits but I'll sacrifice that for strength.

Any reason why I shouldn't use ply over MDF?

 

[Mar_mite]

I'd use mdf. If you picked up a sheet of 6mm ply it is unlikely to be flat. That's a bit big to use 6mm for a back, can't you use 9 or 12mm?

 

[wcndave]

6mm is too big, so go bigger? not sure I understood that part of your response.

Once you've pinned in a back, it will be flat anyway, however I'd be tempted to go MDF for the back.

Having said that I always use ply for drawer bottoms, and therefore as I have a stack of it, I end up using ply for the backs too!

 

[Droogs]

Mar_mite was talking about the LxB of the board not thickness being to big. At 6mm thick the board will be a bit flimsy in relation to thickness v surface area. The back is there to help with strength and rigidity and for the size 9mm would be more suited given a size to weight ratio

 

[RogerP]

I'd use ply but then I never use MDF anyway. But there's vastly different qualities of ply, lots of far eastern rubbish about, decent birch ply is not cheap. As always it's a price or quality thing.

 

[wcndave]

Got it.