Is this plywood ok for building cupboards/drawer units?

[ac-devon]

Hi all,

I am looking to build a tool storage cabinet for my workshop - probably 1800 high, 600 wide, and 300->450mm deep. I usually use MDF for making stuff like this, but seeing as the size is bigger and there is more of a likelihood of sag, I want to use ply.

I don't have much experience in buying plywood and as such am unsure of the wood types. I was going to buy "hardwood faced plywood" from Bradfords (sorry, won't let me post a link).

The price appears to be right, and it looks like it's the right thing for the job. Now, is "hardwood faced ply" the same as birch ply? I'm not bothered about it looking like it came out of Norm's workshop - I just want it to be stable and be able to handle multiple drawer units with hand tools in them. Can anyone offer me some advice, or maybe suggest a better material to use?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Steve Maskery]

Hi ACD
Welcome to the forum.
Ply would be excellent, but, TBH, I don't think you would have a problem with 18mm MRMDF for the shelves either. A 600mm span is not that huge.
Plywood for the drawers, yes, but I'd use good quality MRMDF for the carcase.

S

 

[ac-devon]

Hi Steve,

Thanks for coming back to me. I made a caddy out of 18mm mdf for all my bosch L-boxes (2x wide) with drawer runners, and before I put a third pair of wheels under the centre support, it had visible sag after only being up a few weeks. And that had hardly any weight on there. However that was just bog standard b&q mdf. Is MR MDF any better, especially from a different supplier?

Thanks!

 

[Phil Pascoe]

If you worry about the drawers sagging, make sure you glue the bases in well - they can't move very far if they are held on all four sides.

 

[ac-devon]

it wasn't so much the drawers, it was the horizontal spans that were sagging in what I built previously!

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Hi AC. The MDF B&Q sell is about the worst quality its possible to buy unfortunately. MR MDF is moisture resistant and much better quality. It is basically proper furniture quality and is what all the professional shops use. Medite is one example of a common brand. Its much more rigid, much more stable and of course better at resisting water. It is however much more expensive than the £20 stuff in B&Q. Its also more difficult to access if you don't live near an appropriate supplier.

Ply comes in various grades and the stuff you sound like you're describing is what is known as WBP or water and boil proof. In other words its OK for outdoor use (building site hoardings/temp fencing etc). The posh stuff that Norm uses is typically Baltic birch ply and the difference is the number of veneers that make up the board. There are more in the expensive stuff. It also has fewer (if any) voids between the veneers making it better for presentation.

Having said that, it is also much more expensive and I would recommend the WBP stuff from B&Q for the type of work you're suggesting. Its not great but it is significantly stiffer than MDF (including MRMDF) and since it doesn't need to look pretty then its fit for purpose. I've used it many times over the years for various garage related furniture and storage, including (3x 3/4inch sheets thick) for my work bench top.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Another possibility springs to mind because its structurally strong and very inexpensive and that's OSB. You can buy the 11mm stuff in full sheets for under £12. Now it does look hideous I accept that but it could be sprayed or otherwise painted. Obviously 11mm is too thin but you could always double up on the important bits. Because its full of resin its very water resistant and it is known as a structural grade sheet good. Just a thought.

 

[ac-devon]

Hi Bob,

That's superb - thanks for that! I think I'll get Bradfords to deliver some of that ply to me.

I'd be a bit concerned about OSB and constantly getting splinters etc from it.

Cheers,
AC.