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WoodSense Choosing Sheet Goods Discover a whole lineup of -related options.

By Peter J. Stephano Consultant: Larry Osborn . Today, though, the products produces a far greater selection in sheet stock suited to your and workshop needs, as shown in the chart on the facing page. Note: Not included are sheet materials such as oriented- strand board (OSB), wafer board, and pressure-treated plywood, products primarily designed for building construction. Current technology has enabled sheet goods manufacturers to go far beyond plywood’s multiple layers of glued and pressed, thin-sliced wood. Now sheet goods can incorporate wood chips or pulverized wood powder mixed with additives and adhesives, which are then pressed into sheets having higher-quality outside faces. Ongoing research has also led to products in the works that incorporate other organic as well as inorganic materials in the mix—from stem

Lumber comes from a the thought of using sheet goods felled by loggers in a forest, as for many of your woodworking fibers such as inner bark, to does the base material for sheet projects. Their strength, chloride,leaf fibers and like polypropylene. hemp, jute, and goods. But that’s all that the stiffness, stability, overall Withflax, to a durablepolyethylene, “skin” polyvinylof natural two have in common, because uniformity, and frequently lower wood or laminate applied all sheet goods, including the cost may offer a more viable to the outer surfaces, these many forms of plywood, are option than solid boards. innovative products expand “engineered” in to your options and applications. alter and enhance their natural More choices than ever So consider the product list performance properties for a Traditionally, saying “sheet on these pages as a valuable better end product. That’s why goods” in the same sentence resource for cabinetmaking, you don’t have to weigh heavily with “woodworking” implied storage projects, and shop jigs.

66 woodcraftmagazine.com June 2009 What’s what in woodworking sheet goods veneers and wood-related goods PRODUCT COMPOSITION SIZES GRADES USES POS. (+) NEG. (-) SOURCES PRICE* Beadboard Options: MDF, 4 × 8' and larger No standardized Backsplashes, cabinet No voids, easily Not rigid, Home centers $20 (3/8" interior plywood, machined with sheets, also strip grading backs, doors & drawer machined, durable complete selection may carry pine, grooved “tongue-and-” face panels, in 3/16", 3/8", fronts, end indoors, stable, hard to find plywood variety; 1.6" on center) in many profiles 1/2" thicknesses panels, wainscoting paintable, stainable online sources Up to $70 for offer restricted special profiles size for shipping.

Bendable Allows cross-grain 4 × 8' (and 8 No standardized Main use as base No need to steam Face-veneer $40 (1/4") bending due to × 4') sheets in grading component for bend or kerf to quality varies; not suppliers, some plywood single-sheet faces and 1/8", 1/4", and round-edged achieve tight curves for structural use home centers, veneer plies all in 3/8", thicknesses. cabinets/furniture wood retailers same grain direction Thicker available.

Common Shredded waste wood 4 × 8', half, and Industrial grades Utility shop furniture, Stable, cuts easily, Heavy, bends, not M grades from $25 for a 3/4" × and with quarter sheets M-S, M-1, M-2, fixtures, and cabinets; and paintable; PBU moisture-resistant, builder specialty 49 × 97"sheet particleboard adhesive pressed in 1/4", 1/2", 5/8", M-3 for counters substrates for other widely available fasteners don’t and millwork into sheets 3/4", 1", and 11/8" and shelves; sheet goods and plastic and low-priced grip well suppliers; PBU thicknesses PBU for laminate counters at home centers, underlayment lumberyards

Hardboard Fine wood fibers with 4 × 8', half, and Service, Shop jigs and fixtures, Inexpensive, Flexible, easily Home centers $16 (1/8") resins pressed into sheets quarter sheets standard, benchtops, and stable, easy to damaged, and lumberyards tempered) () in 1/8" or 1/4" service- wall-hung storage cut, takes fasteners don’t thicknesses tempered, hold well, lower tempered, grades not S1S (one side moisture-resistant smooth), S2S (two sides smooth), and perforated in some grades

Medium-density Resin/wood fiber mix 4 × 8' and 49 × 97" Industrial Utility cabinets and No voids, easily Heavy, wood Home centers, $35 formed into sheets sheets in 1/4", 3/8", most common furniture, shop jigs and machined edges, screws won’t hold lumberyards under pressure 1/2", 5/8", 3/4" and grade; “B” or fixtures, substrate holds glue and sell standard (MDF) 7/8" thicknesses “shop” grades in well medium-density; medium-density low-density and lightweight at millwork low-density suppliers

Medium- & Resin-saturated 4 × 8' sheets Uses softwood Utility cabinets, Durable, stable, Heavy, limited Sign shops, MDO $65, on faces of exterior in 1/4", 5/16", 3/8", plywood grading outdoor projects, water/weather- availability wood specialty HDO $75 high-density overlay softwood plywood; 1/2", 5/8" and 3/4" with “B” or painted projects, shop resistant, exterior stores, some (MDO, HDO) HDO has hardwood thicknesses “Better” face fixtures; HDO for use, machines home centers veneer faces. and back furniture/cabinets & paints easily

Melamine A particleboard type Oversize 49 × No standardized Shop cabinet Inexpensive, easy Heavy, edges chip, At home centers $40 with plastic-impregnated 97" sheets in grading carcases and interiors, to clean, comes requires laminate and lumberyards paper fused to each face 1/4", 1/2", 5/8", and fixtures, utility in many colors blade, not (lower-cost grades have 3/4" thicknesses tabletops, shelving and wood-grain moisture-resistant paper simply glued on) patterns

Phenolic Softwood plies 4 × 8' and larger First grade A Shop auxiliary tables, Very durable, stable, Expensive, limited Specialty $60 for 1/4" sandwiched with exterior sheets in 1/4", 5/16", both faces, C or fences, jigs, fixtures, smooth, scuff/ availability, edges stores, online 24 × 48" sheet plywood glue between overlays of 3/8", 1/2", 5/8" and above structural heavy-duty furniture water/weather- require treatment, (Woodcraft) phenolic sheets bonded 3/4" thicknesses veneer plies and cabinets resistant, easily not all glues work by heat and pressure machined, holds screws well

Softwood Thin softwood veneers in 4×8' sheets in Veneer: A, B, Shop cabinets, Durable, stable, Face veneers often All home centers $32 for AC alternating grain direction 1/4", 5/16", 11/32", 1/2", C, D Grades: substrates, floor strong, stiff, low have patches, and lumberyards to $100+ for plywood laminated under pressure 5/8", 23/32", and 3/4" sheathing and and cost, readily voids in interior offer multiple special veneer thicknesses; Half flooring. Exterior, underlayment, outdoor available, and plies, edges choices face, e.g. sheets available. Exposure 1 & projects (exterior rated) easily finished need attention vertical grain 2, interior

Approximate cost for 4 × 8' sheet, ¾" thick, unless noted.

Photos: Doug Rowan June 2009 woodcraftmagazine.com 67 WoodSense

Hardwood face-veneer goods: several core types available PRODUCT COMPOSITION SIZES GRADES USES POS. (+) NEG. (-) SOURCES PRICE* Appleply USA-produced, uses 4 × 8' and 4 × Faces clear with Cabinets, drawer No voids/with Expensive, limited Woodworking $56 1/16" and plies 120' sheets in 1/4", no patches sides, furniture, shop interior plies, nice availability, special suppliers (such with standard birch 3/8", 1/2", 1", and (Grade B) jigs and fixtures edge, machines and face veneers as Woodcraft), face or other species 11/4" thicknesses. holds fasteners wood specialty well, easily finished stores, and online

Baltic & Finnish Many void-free plies of 60 × 60" sheets in No grades, but Cabinets, drawer No voids/with Costly, limited Woodworking $56 per 3/4" × thin birch veneer (Finnish mm thicknesses face veneers sides, furniture, shop interior plies, nice availability except suppliers (such 60 × 60" sheet birch plywood type has exterior glue.) from 1/8" (4mm) rate B or better jigs and fixtures edge, machines and through specialty as Woodcraft), to 3/4" (18mm). holds fasteners wood suppliers wood specialty Micro-thin well, easily finished stores, and online available.

Common hardwood Hardwood veneers over 4 × 8' and 2 × 4' AA, A, B, C/D/E, Traditional choice for Costs less than solid Can sand Home centers $60+ (), core of softwood or sheets in 1/4", 1/2", and special cabinets, furniture, wood, more stable, through face limited to popular prices range plywood hardwood plies, , and 3/4" common faces; 1, 2, 3, 4 boxes, and more. many species veneers; exposed species; specialty greatly due to or particleboard (see thicknesses; backs; Technical, and face veneer edges require wood suppliers species and below) other in some Type I, Type II matches offered concealment have more face grades. species (for int.) panels (banding); panels choices heavy

Composite Center veneer with 4 × 8' and 2 × 4' AA, A, B, C/D/E, Cabinets, tabletops Consistent flatness, Less bending/ Home centers Prices range veneer crossbands and sheets in 1/4", 1/2", and special holds screws well, weight strength limited to popular greatly due to core MDF/particleboard and 3/4" common faces; 1, 2, 3, 4 not as heavy as MDF than other types species; specialty species and under face and back; thicknesses; backs; Technical, or particleboard wood suppliers face grades. second type has OSB or other in some Type I, Type II cores have more center with species (for int.) panels choices crossband veneers under face and back Lumber Veneer crossband under 4 × 8' and 2 × 4' AA, A, B, C/D/E, Cabinets, & Good bending Heavy, imported Home centers Prices range face and back with edge- sheets in 1/4", 1/2", and special tabletops, shelves strength, little sag has thin face limited to popular greatly due to core glued lumber in center and 3/4" common faces; 1, 2, 3, 4 over spans, holds veneer species; specialty species and thicknesses; backs; Technical, screws well wood suppliers face grades. other in some Type I, Type II have more species (for int.) panels choices

MDF/particleboard Face and back veneers 4 × 8' and 2 × 4' AA, A, B, C/D/E, Cabinets Consistent flatness Heavy (MDF core) Home centers Prices range glued directly to MDF sheets in 1/4", 1/2", and special and thickness Least screw- limited to popular greatly due to core core and 3/4" common faces; 1, 2, 3, 4 holding strength species; specialty species and thicknesses; backs; Technical, (particleboard wood suppliers face grades. other in some Type I, Type II core) have more species (for int.) panels choices

Veneer Center veneer with 4 × 8' and 2 × 4' AA, A, B, C/D/E, Cabinets, furniture, Excellent bending Expensive, Home centers Prices range crossband veneers sheets in 1/4", 1/2", and special tabletops and weight-bearing inconsistent limited to popular greatly due to core alternately layered and 3/4" common faces; 1, 2, 3, 4 strength, lighter thickness species; specialty species and thicknesses; backs; Technical, than other types wood suppliers face grades. other in some Type I, Type II have more species (for int.) panels choices

Approximate cost for 4 × 8' sheet, ¾" thick, unless noted. Charts compiled with Ben Svec, Falls Millwork, Kelley, Iowa.

Handling sheet goods carry about. Ease the load by in a one-man shop Rent a truck. Some home buying a sheet-goods carrier Moving a 4 × 8' sheet all centersif you live rent within pickup 25 trucksmiles. for as like the one in the opening photo by yourself is no easy task, (Gorilla Gripper, Woodcraft let alone cutting it down to their employees help you load it. manageable pieces for more littleBreak as $20 down for the 75 sheetsminutes. where Plus, • Rough-cut full sheets safely exact trimming later. Use these you buy them. A home center into#842598) manageable or solicit parts a helper. tips to lighten the load: or lumberyard will cut sheets Make a circular straightedge • Getting sheet goods home to rough size for you on their from two pieces of scrap 3/4" If you don’t own a pickup truck or for free or a nominal plywood or MDF like the one van to haul 4 × 8' sheets to your charge, depending on the number shop from the supplier, don’t even of cuts. Remember to bring a straightedge (like the Bora think about securing them atop cutting diagram with you. shown on page 69. A metal your automobile! Instead, pay for • Hefting full sheets into delivery. Prices vary, but major and around the shop -N-CutSee 50"demo edge video guide, of the home centers and lumberyards No doubt a 4 × 8' sheet of Bora Clamp-N-Cut at plywood is awkward to lift and woodcraftmagazine.com/onlineextras.

charge68 woodcraftmagazine.com about $50 for delivery June 2009 the sheet and offset from the cut Rough-cutting sheet goods lineWoodcraft also works. #148687) Next, clampedinstall a to plywood-cutting blade for a crisp, Clamp a plywood clean edge. (We used Freud’s straightedge to the workpiece, aligning the bottom piece inthin-kerf, your 60-tooth saw, too, Diablo, to trim model with the cutline. DO760X). Install a similar blade To protect the good Now, lay down a full sheet of face, use a sheet 2"-thickthe parts rigid to final foam dimension. insulation, of foam insulation available at home centers, for between the floor support. The insulation keeps and plywood when rough- and also protects the face from cutting the piece. scratches.the sheet goods As an offalternative, the floor the center and at each side. useWhen sacrificial using 2a portable× 4s, one circularin on the top face and can splinter blue painter’s masking tape and saw, always cut plywood and or mar the cut edges. With a through it. The tape prevents other sheet goods with the good saw, keep the good face up. As a splintering and won’t pull off face down, because the teeth exit precaution, mark the cutline on n

wood fibers when removed.

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