Replies

1. 
   Michael6255 | Mar 03, 2003 02:12am | #1

   You can get a lumbercore plywood for less than veneer core, and it stays acceptably flat....holds screws well ..........and is stable.  HD used to carry a lauan lumber core for about 24 bucks.   I wouldn't use yellow pine AC plywood since it's not acceptably flat unless you have really small panels.

   -Mike

1. 
   cmbb | Mar 03, 2003 04:17am | #4

   Thanks guys; This would be for about 25' of cabs. I thought the melamine would help because I would not have to paint the inside bottoms. Nobody ever looks in there. At least I have never heard anybody say, boy your cabinets look great on the inside.

   Your starting to make me lean towards the birch. Tell me more why I should not use  melamine. Hopefully in 15 years I will be living in a different house.

1. 
   Sancho | Mar 03, 2003 04:53am | #6

   IMO if you use melamine if it gets wet it will look sumthin like termite droppins..If ya want the easy cleaning of melamine then use some of the cheap 3/4 ply from home dil-- and laminate it with some white laminate. 

   Darkworks:  We fight for Peace

2. 
   GaryG | Mar 03, 2003 03:43am | #2

   Use the same material for both uppers and lowers. Cut parts for lowers first since they are larger. Use leftovers  on uppers as well as full sheets.  I wouldn,t the AC. Will not finish near as well as birch. Don,t skimp a few bucks, you will regret it. 

3. 
   notDusty | Mar 03, 2003 03:45am | #3

            Your answer depends on what you want to end up with.How many sheets in total are you talking about ? . Why not use the same on the base as the wall cabinets ? melamine has its applications and advantages , you may need  finished ends.If you use the same material for all the box parts you will better utilize your off cuts , i.e. less waste.My guess $12 dollars a sheet from birch to melamine difference .Also check for other species that are often over looked but suitable.Maple,Dakua,Ash Poplar, and many others .Melamine is very heavy but no stronger ,and you use different glue on it than you use on the wood.      I hope this helps some what.             Dusty

    

4. 
   clampman2 | Mar 03, 2003 04:51am | #5

   cmbb

   Sooner or later, water or some other liquid will wind up in one or more of your base units. When it does, the melamine coated gargage board will self destruct.

   Painting is a major expense, no matter how you look at it. If you do it, you will be losing a great deal of time that could be spent making money.

   You might want to draw up your kitchen, make a ply cut list, then compare the cost of pre-finished maple plywood to all other materials you are considering. Then figure up how much time you will lose by painting or coating all the materials that need coating.

   Not a single kitchen cabinet maker I know uses anything but pre-finished maple except by specific request from a customer.

   The reason for this is simple. Pre finished maple looks good, it lasts and it's cheaper.

   Clampman

1. 
   notDusty | Mar 03, 2003 09:56am | #7

                    clampman,

         I am just curious about the pre- finished maple plywood you speak of. How do you glue or fasten to the pre finished surfaces ? I am guessing you must dado all joints in cabinets including partition walls .Here in Oregon we have not seen that material yet . About what is the per sheet cost for 3/4" goods ?

               thanks for the info

2. 
   cmbb | Mar 03, 2003 03:11pm | #8

   I will check to see if they have the prefinished locally. Had not thought about the water! What about scratches and dings on the prefinished? Is the finish quite tough?

1. 
   clampman2 | Mar 03, 2003 09:34pm | #9

   CMBB and Dusty,

   I pay around $75 a sheet for 3/4 finished two sides, a few bucks less for finished one side. 1/2" is of course less, but can't remember how much. I don't know what the finish is, but my guess would be some sort of conversion varnish, because it is a very scratch resistant and tough coating.

   I either dado or dado and screw, or just screw with a cleat/toe kick backer screwed to the insides of the sides under the bottom.

   For dados, I have a router set up with fence and 1/2" cutter.I have another set up for rabbets, with fence. I no longer use a rabbeting bit with bearing on plywood because there are too many voids in modern plywood to f??k me up.

   By rabeting the bottoms into a dado, and putting the shoulder up, the fit is perfect every time, regardless of the thickness of the plywood.

   It really takes very little time, especially with two dedicated routers. Interior vertical partitions get screwed - no rabets or dadoes.

   Good luck.

   ,

   Clampman