Best hinges for 1/2" plywood

[technium]

Hi

I am having my first go at making something, I want to make a fold out wall cabinet out of half inch ply but im wondering whats the best / strongest hinges for plywood thats not very thick?

Also whats the best finish for ply to make it look abit more special.

thanks in advance.

Colin

 

[custard]

Hi

I am having my first go at making something, I want to make a fold out wall cabinet out of half inch ply but im wondering whats the best / strongest hinges for plywood thats not very thick?

Also whats the best finish for ply to make it look abit more special.

thanks in advance.

Colin

If you're making a fold out tool cabinet then 1/2" ply is a bit too thin, especially for something on the larger side.

Tarting up ply is tricky, firstly you need BB birch ply or better because it will have fewer/neater patches on the show face (trust me, the moment stain or a finish hits patches they stand out like a fish in a tree), and secondly because the top ply lamina on BB birch ply is thicker and pre-sanded to about 150 grit. Lower grades of ply often have much thinner top lamina which aren't sanded and furthermore are too thin to even take much sanding.

You could also think about using marine ply or hardwood faced ply, both of which will have no/fewer voids and a hardwood face. But at these levels though the cost of materials will probably exceed that of making the whole thing from a more "affordable" hardwood like Sweet Chestnut or Oak, so basically you're paying a premium for the stability and convenience of ply.

Good luck!