Replies

1. 
   DanMiles | Apr 05, 2007 10:26pm | #1

   Hey, James.

   I've made panels from plywood as you suggest and they turned out fine.  However, there were a few issues that I found had to be addressed.

   1.  Substantial extra labor was involved in filling, sanding, and sealing the cut edges of the plywood, enough that I wondered if it would not have been faster just to use hardwood in the first place!

   2. When I applied a latex primer to the surface, in a couple of spots the water-based primer caused the layers of the plywood to de-laminate slightly.  Switching to an oil-based primer solved this problem.

   3. Plywood edges do not have the impact resistance of hardwood, so the panels have to be handled more carefully to avoid dinging the edges.  The will also be more easily damaged by the end user.  Once I even used MDF, which resulted in an excellent looking profile, but was rather easy to scratch and dent.  In certain situations, such as homes with small children or pets, this can quickly become a problem.  Of course, if your alternative is to use a soft pine instead of plywood, you will find that the pine does not have substantially greater impact resistance than the plywood.  So it's always good to take into consideration who will be using the hutch and where.

   All in all, I found that using sheet goods such as plywood for raised panels can be a perfectly acceptable method under certain conditions.  That is, if you are prepared for a little extra work and are willing to settle for a slightly less durable piece.  This only reflects my own personal experience, so I can't speak for the industry here.  I hope your work turns out well and I'd love to see a picture of it when it's done.

   Dan

1. 
   dlaporte | Apr 06, 2007 12:14am | #3

   I have good luck using MDO(medium density overlay) plywood whenever I am making a painted piece. The surface is smooth, does not require any sanding and takes paint very well.

   Don

1. 
   JAHughes | Apr 06, 2007 12:25am | #4

   What I Have on hand is seven-ply veneer (sanded ply), there are a few voids in the ply but not many, and was going to relieve the panel on the router table. Then take the same bit to burnish ( atempt to?) the reliefs. Seal it w/ shellac, fill thew voids then prime entire piece.

   Confusion lies w/ can it look good? durrability? and cost comparison to using conventional lumbers for a painted piece?

    After a little research on the joinery methods involved for the frame ( tenons versus cope and stick router bits) i thought to reduce some time in production by using the panels, and adding time to the tenon jointing.

    

1. 
   zolton | Apr 06, 2007 03:46pm | #5

   This is one of those things that you might wind up regretting later. Think of the time you'll put into building this hutch; likely hours and hours. Then, if at some later date you start to see the plywood's laminations under the paint, you'll really kick yourself for not taking a bit of extra time to make the panels of solid wood.

   In this instance it might be a good idea to take your cues from industrial woodworking. I'm not a aware of any company that uses plywood panels for raised panel doors. I've seen veneered MDF panels (the veneer is very thin and can assume the shape milled into the MDF of the raised panel), but never a painted raised plywood panel. And I suspect there's a reason for that. Over time the plywood's plys will likely telegraph through the paint, despite any measures taken to conceal or blend them in beforehand.

   Another poster on this message board has a John Wooden quote as part of his signature. I'll offer up another one that might apply to this situation: "Failing to prepare is like preparing to fail."

   In my opinion, you'd be a lot better off building the hutch with solid wood raised panels...  Zolton

2. 
   DanMiles | Apr 06, 2007 03:58pm | #6

   I've never used MDO before, mostly because I live in the sticks and such products are not available locally.  Unfortuneately, a lot of new, innovative materials have to be special ordered, so I've been a little leery about making the time and money investment to obtain them without knowing in advance how well they will work.  I appreciate your comment--it makes me more interested in giving MDO a try.  Thanks.

   Dan

1. 
   nikkiwood | Apr 06, 2007 04:49pm | #7

   MDO is simply an exterior, veneer core plywood, with a thin, smooth paper coating that takes paint exceptionally well. From what I have been told, it was originally forumlated for the folks who make signs for freeways. It is commonly used in housebuilding (for stuff like soffits), and you should be able to get it from any lumber yard that services house builders.However, as a veneer core ply, I still would not use it for raised panels.********************************************************
   "It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."

   John Wooden 1910-

1. 
   DanMiles | Apr 06, 2007 10:37pm | #9

   Unfortunately, in my neck of the woods, MDO is still classified in the "special order" category (in spite of how long it has actually been out).  People around here do not take well to change, so it takes quite a while for some things to filter into the area.

   In my experience, plywood has been an acceptable (notice, I did not say "preferrable") alternative to hardwood for raised panels, although if given a choice, I would choose hardwood every time.  I don't get to do much work for people who demand or can afford real quality woodworking, and frankly, most around here do not really know the difference.  (That's not really true, but it seems like it sometimes!)  So I frequently find myself in the position of having to do less-than-proffessional grade work just to fit a customer's price range.  Same old story; I'm sure you've heard it a thousand times before.

   Dan

2. 
   nikkiwood | Apr 06, 2007 12:13am | #2

   If you're talking veneer core plywood, personally, I would never use it for painted raised panels.

   MDF is perfectly adequate. If you use a smear of joint compound to fill the cut edge of the raised panel, and properly paint it, it will look just fine.

   ********************************************************
   "It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."

   John Wooden 1910-

3. 
   rpait | Apr 06, 2007 05:32pm | #8

   if you are gonna paint them anyway use 1/2" mdf and an oil based sealer and paint. Id only use wood of anykind if I was gonna be able to appreciate its woodiness. (grain)