Using prefinished plywood

[Gene Davis]

What are you doing with flip parts to ensure the A side is the right side of the part?

Or, are you able to get prefinished ply with A on the back, and the same finish as the top?

[Damon Nabors]

Gene, if your using prefinished one side, the prefinished side will be facing the interior of the cabinet. Word of caution though, as I just did my first prefinished job a couple of weeks ago. Do not use the prefinished one side on stretchers and misc. parts. You will have more flip ops than you care to do. I cut 20 sheets and had around 40 flips. Had to tape most of them down. And the UV 1 side will warp on you also. I cut the job late one day and did the flips the following day and found alot of the pieces warped and did not want to vacumn down good. Forrest warned me about the unstableness of the UV 1 side and suggested that I go with two sided UV for this reason. I have taken his advise.

I have been able to get UV1 sided with the same vaneer on both sides. shouldn't be a problem. Sometimes my supplier will have birch on one side and maple on the other. I just have to specify what we want.

[Gene Davis]

Damon, thanks for the post.

So you seem to be saying to use a less expensive NOT prefinished ply for all not-exposed parts. Right? Just plain old unfinished ply in a low cost face species such as birch or maple?

For me, that would mean the stretcher tops of my basecabs, and the "stretcher" fixed shelves between drawer openings of basecabs, as well. Right?

You know, when you think about it, I mean using prefinished ply for carcase parts, why not use it ONLY for cabs where the owner can actually see the finish?

To my way of thinking, that would mean all wallcabs (for which insides can be readily be seen) get prefinished for decks, sides, tops, and shelving. BTW, what about that ply for use as adjustable or fixed shelving? Coated only one side, what does that mean for the bottom sides of the shelves?

In basecabs, the only types getting prefinished ply parts would be those for which one can readily see those insides, such as cabs with shelving, shallow rollout trays, etc. The basecabs with all-drawers can be done with plain unfinished ply.

Does this square with your thinking?

[Damon Nabors]

Gene, you are on track. I am still trying to figure the best solution, but I have been using 3/4 UV1 side on base and upper cabs with 1/2" UV1 side backs. the cost difference from 1/4 back to 1/2 back is minimal. I do not have to worry about nailers this way. I can screw through the back anywhere. I have not used UV 2 sided yet so I cut all my shelves with plane birch plywood nested with my stretchers. I am going to order UV2 sided on the next order. Up untill we got the router, we had been using regular plywood and spraying the interiors. It really speeded things up when you can go from machine to assymbly and only have to spray the face frames and end panels, then attach them.

I would like to see an area on this forum were people talk about different building techniques, or construction methods. Just like learning the software, I feel like some of the veteran builders out there can shed some light on what is profitable and not. Its just like the prefinished plywood. You pay more for it, but the time and labor savings out weights the higher cost.

BTW, and Merry CHRISTmas

[Greg McCorkill]

I have never used prefinished ply How well does it cut and dadoe?I do not have a router

[Damon Nabors]

Greg, I too had never used it prior to getting my router. I do not have a sliding table saw, so I was concerned about scratches when sliding it across the table saw. My vertial panel saw is great on rip cuts, but splinters some on crosscut, so I did not want to use it and sand the panels and mess up the finish. But I can say that I like the prefinished on the router.
If you have a nice sliding table saw, I am sure it would be great. I have a buddy of mine that uses all prefinished and cuts it all on the slider. He is the one that talked me into trying it. Sure saves alot of time in the finish room. The only problem I have experienced is, it will warp on you if your using 1-side prefinish. It doesn't seem to be as stable since the other side is not sealed.

[Alan Odell]

Two sided Prefinished is all I use. I work off a Delta cabinet saw. I use a negative hook blade and it is hard to tell sometimes which side is the top and bottom except when the blade starts getting dull.