Pondering solid wood vs plywood for a job that got me thinking

I been at this 20 years and still catch myself debating stuff I thought I had figured out. Last month I had a kitchen job over in Grand Rapids, lady wanted all solid maple doors and face frames. I went back and forth with myself for a week before starting, cause I know plywood boxes are more stable and cheaper but solid wood just feels right. I ended up going with plywood for the boxes and solid for the doors and drawer fronts, which is more or less what I always do. But now I'm wondering if I shoulda pushed her to do all solid, cause there's a tiny bit of cupping on one of the drawer fronts already. Has anyone else had a job where you wished you went the other way on a material choice?

3 comments

3 Comments

brooke4484d ago

Bob Flexner wrote about plywood being more stable than solid for wide panels.

jana5094d ago

30 inches of solid cherry... yeah I bet that thing looked like a Pringle chip by year two. I've seen guys try to stabilize wide boards with a c-channel and it's like putting a bandaid on a broken leg. Bob Flexner might be right on paper but in practice plywood just doesn't throw those surprises at you three years later when the seasons change. A good 3/4 inch birch ply with a nice veneer will sit flat on a table base for decades without a peep. Plus you don't have to remortgage your house to buy a single slab that wide. Solid wood for a cutting board or a breadboard is fine but for a wide panel I'll take engineered stability every time.

danielowens4d ago

I stripped a 30 inch wide solid cherry panel three years ago and it bowed so bad I had to cut it in half and rejoint it. @brooke448 I get that Bob Flexner knows his stuff, but stable doesn't mean perfect. Plywood is way more predictable long term for wide pieces because the cross grain layers fight movement. Solid wood can twist, cup, or bow even when it's quarter sawn and acclimated. I'd rather glue up a plywood panel and veneer it than gamble on a solid slab for something like a table top. Maybe Bob was talking about specific conditions or smaller widths idk.