Replies

1. 
   oldusty | May 24, 2007 03:27am | #1

   Hi Allen ,  Sorry I mis addressed this to the wrong name , oop's!! 

                     You can putty the edge of the plywood , then belt sand over just until you see the putty disappear .

      Even though I don't love the stuff , almost sounds like you would be better off with MDF . The edges come so clean with a swipe or two of sanding

     I'm guessing  the look your after is to make it match existing builtins or other work in the house , is that why the reveal ? It can be done without the reveal ,in fact much cabinet work has a wider than the opening fascia that covers the box parts and typically has a reveal on the inside edges .

               good  luck       dusty

   
   

   ---

   Edited 5/24/2007 1:09 am ET by oldusty

1. 
   WNYguy | May 24, 2007 01:55pm | #3

   Oldusty, thanks.  I actually had planned on MDF, but the shelves on a narrower bookcase I built 10 years ago have sagged a bit.  Thought maybe the plywood might be stiffer.

   I'm going with the reveal because I really dislike having half-a-book hidden behind face trim.  I saw the reveal detail in a 19th-century built-in book case, and liked the look.

   Any opinion on what type of filler?

   Thanks again,

   Allen

1. 
   oldusty | May 24, 2007 05:02pm | #9

     Allen ,

               You could solve your problem by allowing the face to create say a small 1/8" or 1/4" reveal on the inside edges , really how many books would be hidden in such a small reveal ? This also would hide any discrepancy that may exist and take the reference away , the discrepancy would be behind the face .

        Also by  allowing the entire thickness of the sides to be available for fastening the face to , you'll get a larger surface to glue to .

           The end look will suffer for a reason that will make little difference.

        If you must , you could use MDF for the side walls and plywood for the shelves to prevent as much sagging . I would band the edges with say an inch of solid stock to stiffen while improving the looks of the shelves regardless of the material used for the shelves .

                good  luck                dusty

1. 
   WNYguy | May 24, 2007 06:33pm | #11

   Oldusty, you make some good points.  I haven't bought all my material yet, so I'm gonna mock up a few examples today, and see how they look.

   Allen

2. 
   MikeHoncho | May 24, 2007 07:17am | #2

   Allen,

   Really I have more experience with painting than construction but my personal experience is that this would not be 'typical'. If it has become typical then I'd say that's either a sad state of craftsmanship or a great advancement in filler technology. Since the cabinets will be painted, even a thin strip of wood would be much better than a filler, that is, in my opinion.

   Cheers

1. 
   WNYguy | May 24, 2007 02:04pm | #4

   Mike, in the past I've always built with solid wood.  When I recently did a small painted cupboard with MDF, I faced every exposed edge with wood.

   But this project is pretty big, and I need to move it along quickly.  Three 34-inch by 8-ft cases on one wall, and two more on another wall.  I had heard of the filler technique for painted pieces, and am hoping to make it work.

   If it's going to look really bad, though, I will reconsider.

   Thanks.

   Allen

1. 
   MikeHennessy | May 24, 2007 02:13pm | #5

   Get a scrap and give it a try. I have my doubts. If for no other reason that  the edge of the ply veneer will tend to be pretty weak and subject to damage.

   If it wuz me, and I'd ruled out edging the ply with solid wood (as it seems you have), I'd consider gluing/pinning a small strip of solid wood, maybe 1/4" thick, in the reveal to cover the edge of the ply. It would reduce the depth of the reveal a bit, but would be a big improvement over filler and would be pretty quick -- probably quicker than messing around will filler and sanding.

   Mike HennessyPittsburgh, PA

1. 
   WNYguy | May 24, 2007 03:03pm | #7

   Mike, that's not a bad idea.  My original plan was to rabbet the stiles so they'd only be 1/2 proud of the reveal ... 3/4 seems to clunky to me.  The thin strip of wood on the reveal would accomplish the same thing. 

   I'm spacing the bookcases 1 1/2 inches apart, with a shared 2 1/2-inch wide stile between each case.  Was thinking about running a small bead along each edge of the stile.

   For the shelves, I think I'll just bite the bullet and apply solid wood strips.  I think you're right about the exposed plywood edge being too vulnerable to damage.  Aaargh ... 40 shelves.

   Thanks.

   Allen

3. 
   smslaw | May 24, 2007 02:56pm | #6

   If I understand what you are trying to do, why not apply the rails and stiles flush with the plywood edge and mill a 1/4 x 1/4 rabbet in the rails and stiles, assuming they are 3/4 thick to start with?

1. 
   WNYguy | May 24, 2007 03:05pm | #8

   "why not apply the rails and stiles flush with the plywood edge and mill a 1/4 x 1/4 rabbet in the rails and stiles"

   Now, there's another good thought!

   Thanks.

   Allen

4. 
   AzDiscDog | May 24, 2007 05:13pm | #10

   Hi Allen,

   FWIW, I've used filler before and it's been fine. There was a thread on the topic recently, I think the tagline was "painting plywood". Several folks have chimed in with the same results as mine.

   Anything from glue sizing, bondo, wood filler (aka bondo), seems to do the trick. You'll need to sand it smooth, but you had already planned on that. Plan on priming as well as that will help the paint adhere to the wood.

   On the project I did, I used glue sizing in a limited number of areas, sanded smooth to 220, primed, and then applied two coats of paint. All evidence of the plies disappeared. Prior to all that, I rounded over the top edges of ply, but that was more from a safety point of view for me.

   I was going to ask about sag, but I checked the sagulator with your shelf dimensions and it looked like you would have less than a 1/32 of deflection. So I won't ask. ;-)

   Best of luck,
   Glen

1. 
   WNYguy | May 24, 2007 06:36pm | #12

   Thanks for the tips.  I'll search for that previous thread.  Then it's out to the workshop.  This project is actually for my own house; I really have to hurry it along so I can get back to paying jobs.

   Broke my foot on Monday, though, so I'm moving rather slowly.

   Allen