Choosing appropriate grade and variant of plywood

1. C h o o s i n g a p p r o p r i a t e g r a d e a n d v a r i a n t o f p l y wo o d Among various advantages of plywood, the main ones are that it is available in large size sheets with uniform surface and thickness. That makes it ideal to make furniture with wider surfaces such as table tops, counter tops, doors and shutters of cupboards and entire cupboards as well as shelves and racks. In order to get the best out of your plywood, you must ensure you choose the right type and grade of plywood. Quality plywood for furniture is made by shaving timber into thin sheets and laying them down lengthwise and crossways and gluing them under heat and pressure. The timber can be softwood or hardwood and this impacts the strength and durability of the plywood. Some manufacturers use raw timber that is full of moisture and one that could possibly harbor termites. Quality manufacturers kiln dry wood and treat them to be free of termites and borers before processing wood into plywood. Obviously the second type should be your choice because it will not rot and it will not deform, shrink, warp or crack. Be it boiling water proof plywood or any other variant, the overall quality of plywood is related to the type of adhesive used and the process of adhesion. Commercial grade plywood uses normal adhesives but such plywood is susceptible to moisture. You can safely use this type of economically priced plywood for most furniture that will not be exposed to water. For outdoor purposes and for use in kitchens and bathrooms where plywood can be exposed to water you must use boiling water proof grade plywood or even better, marine grade plywood. These plywoods are made using thermoset resins like melamine and phenolic resins. Veneers are impregnated with the resin and the sheet is baked under high temperature and pressure. Such plywood is almost impervious to water and it will last for years and years without the layers coming apart, deforming or warping. Then there is veneered plywood where an inner core of hardwood plywood is overlaid with thin sheet of resin impregnated paper resulting in finished looks. Except for the edge molding, you do not need to paint or varnish furniture made of veneered plywood.