Oak Veneered Ply wood or Mdf

[ScottGoddard]

I am building some new wardrobes and shelving. I would like to building it in some nice Oak veneered mdf or plywood. I have a couple of questions.

Thickness - 18mm or larger (different for doors?)
Where is the best place to buy and possibly pre cut - I am based near Newport (Wales)

 

[Oddbod70]

Couple of thoughts. I‘m pretty sure 18mm is fairly normal for decent quality Wardrobe carcassing, although 15mm is used on cheaper stuff. The carcass strength comes from the structure - leave the back off and it'll collapse in a flash!

18mm become 19mm (& 15 becomes 16mm) when veneered - unlikely to matter in most cases.

Either ply or mdf would do, although MDF is a fair bit weaker and would need a batten or securing along the back on even a modest shelf length if there is any weight on it. Make the shelf more than a couple of feet and it will bow under its own weight eventually Unless well supported. I find ply needs a solid lipping whereas MDF is ok with the iron on veneer stuff.

“Solid“ flat panel doors can either look naff or great depending on the veneer figuring. You‘ll be lucky to find really nice looking book matched Veneer panels off the shelf. But of course it depends on the look you are after.

sorry, I cant help with a source, but oak faced board are not that uncommon. There will a source fairly local.

 

[sammy.se]

I have used oak faced MDF 19mm, and the veneer is incredibly thin. Like paper. I enquired about oak faced ply at the time and was told it is much harder to source and more expensive, because applying such a thin veneer to a natural wood material can result in blemishes and defects, so veneered MDF is more readily available. Don't know how true that was, but that's what I was told at the time...

 

[sneggysteve]

Nottage Timber in Pyle

 

[Oddbod70]

I have used oak faced MDF 19mm, and the veneer is incredibly thin. Like paper. I enquired about oak faced ply at the time and was told it is much harder to source and more expensive, because applying such a thin veneer to a natural wood material can result in blemishes and defects, so veneered MDF is more readily available. Don't know how true that was, but that's what I was told at the time...

They didn’t happen to have a load of veneered MDF but no ply did they?

I often veneer my own panels and I can’t say I’ve found that one is much harder than the other. Maybe its different for mass production?

 

[Doug71]

Veneered ply often only has the decorative veneer on one face and is just normal hardwood ply on the other.

 

[peter-harrison]

There was a company called Tin Tab which made fabulous boards of birch ply with a thick veneer either side. Expensive but worth it. They went bust earlier this year and the business was taken over by Multiply (mjmultiply.com)

 

[Oddbod70]

There was a company called Tin Tab which made fabulous boards of birch ply with a thick veneer either side. Expensive but worth it. They went bust earlier this year and the business was taken over by Multiply (mjmultiply.com)

Thanks, they are new to me. They have some Interesting stuff on their website, esp the panels with reclaimed wood.

 

[topchippyles]

I am building some new wardrobes and shelving. I would like to building it in some nice Oak veneered mdf or plywood. I have a couple of questions.

Thickness - 18mm or larger (different for doors?)
Where is the best place to buy and possibly pre cut - I am based near Newport (Wales)

Mon timbers stock veneered ply i think

 

[user22161]

I've had 8 x 4 sheets of veneered mdf from Meyers They supply via most timber merchants and will send sample swatch direct to you if you want. Homepage | Meyer Timber Wood Based Panels

 

[Droogs]

+1 for Meyers my usual supplier for sheet goods

 

[Yojevol]

Timbmet at Stonehouse near Gloucester

 

[Astrobits]

Robbins timber in Bristol. They list both ply and MDF veneered in oak and other woods.
Nigel