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M

Mouse51180

New User
Mouse
I am new to woodworking and and just getting out of the "Everything can be built with 2x4s" phase. I am looking to start building a set of cabinets for a miter workstation for my garage.

I don't want these to be made from particle board and I don't think MDF would be appropriate, these also don't need to be living room quality either. I am thinking I should use a poplar or birch plywood to construct the cabinet carcass, but im not sure if there is something that might be more affordable or better?

I am also curious where I should try and source the plywood from. I have exhausted my Google-Fu and keep getting looped back to either places that sell super exotic woods...or HD\Lowes..nothing in between. Im curious where everyone else gets there wood from?

Dixieply looks to sell the same plywood as Home Depot
Queen City Lumber looks like an option, but I have not received a reply back from them on my inquiries.
McGee Lumber has not replied to my inquiries either and I am not sure if they sell plywood.
Hardwood Store seemed like the wood they have might higher grade than what I would need for some shop furniture
Carolina Urban Lumber seems like it is just rough cut planks and not plywood
Wurth doesnt appear to sell to anyone not running a large production facility

Is HD and Lowes really my option?....in a major city like Charlotte?!?

Thanks for any guidance
 
Wiley's Woodworks

Wiley's Woodworks

Wiley
Corporate Member
Lowe's carries a line of plywood called Heartwood. It's not as good as true baltic birch (not as expensive either). Comes in 3/4"T and 1/2"T. One face is finished to cabinet grade. It should do fine for shop cabinets and will handle all weather changes. As you build other stuff in your shop, you will always be able to match.
 
pop-pop

pop-pop

Man with many vises
Corporate Member
Don’t discount MDF offhand. Its weight sometimes can be useful. I made my lathe cabinet with walls of a doubled layer of MDF clad with laminate using hardwood edging. It’s heavy and damps vibration well. Drawers were made from plywood.
IMG_4786.jpeg
 
N

NCsawdust

New User
TONY
Try Dillinger’s Lumber. Go up 16 north until old 16 splits off to the left. A couple of miles north on the right will be the lumber yard. Nice friendly folks good quality lumber, nice plywood. Lots of useful stuff .. reminds me of the yard I worked in when I was 17..

McGee is a great place for 1 by yellow pine and cedar and maybe some red wood but I haven’t tried plywood there.
 
Rwe2156

Rwe2156

DrBob
Senior User
I've used a fair amount of Sandeply for painted built ins. I wouldn't stain it.

HD here in Jax, FL sells a ply called "Radiata". It looks just like the Radiata pine they sell as boards, which my supplier called ponderosa. Be ware the veneer layer seems like its about 4 thou thick.

Another option is prefinished maple or birch. You can price that out, sometimes it's not a lot more.

Whichever choice you make, be sure it's what you'll stick with throughout the shop, just for nice looks. Why not, it's your shop!!
 
Canuck

Canuck

Wayne
Corporate Member
Columbia Forest Pure bond ply from Home Depot is great stuff (made here in N.C.). Comes in birch, oak and maple. Stay away from the HD "Sandiply"; cheap but junk(sorry Bas)!!!

Poplar from The Hardwood Store in Gibsonville, N.C.. They deliver (for a fee) and we - NCWW get a discount!

Wayne
 
Martin Roper

Martin Roper

Martin
Senior User
I've made some things out of Sandeply.

The carcass of this cabinet is made out of it.

1701474136391.png


The front is a salvaged piece I found at a Habitat ReStore.

I also made this out of Sandeply:

1701474348053.png


Disregard the shop mess in the background. It almost never looks like this.
1701474738547.png
 
J

JRedding

John
Corporate Member
I’m in Charlotte as well and finding good lumber and ply is challenging. I get mine from Kluttz as noted above. They’re great to deal with and prices are very good.
 
LocoWoodWork

LocoWoodWork

Steve
Corporate Member
Wilsoncb

Wilsoncb

Williemakeit
Corporate Member
I have found some good plywood at HD & Lowe’s, however the next time I tried to get some they didn’t have the same thing. The best and most consistent stuff I’ve found within reasonable distance of where I live is HWS in Gibsonville. As people have mentioned, it’s also expensive.

My advice is to look at some details wherever you are shopping and try to develop some understanding of what makes a difference. I evaluate some of the following:
1. Number of ply’s. For 3/4, 13 is really good, 9 is OK. 7 or less questionable. This is not a deciding factor, just one aspect to consider.
2. How flat are the sheets. If you pick up a sheet no matter how thick it is, it should be flat. 3/8” or less might have a bit of a uniform bow, but no waves. Any waves is a disqualified for me.
3. Voids, typically there should be none visible on one side but maybe some on the other depending on type/grade you are looking for. If you want really good stuff with no surprises you don’t want any voids on any inner or outer plys. Think drawer sides, fixtures or templates. Even the best might have some minor voids inside, but hopefully they are minimal. The only thing I know to do to look for this is to closely examine the perimeter edges. This should give you an idea of what you might expect.
4. Outer veneer thickness. This mostly comes into play when getting the good stuff like Oak, Maple, or other that might be used for visible finished surfaces. Not all finish quality veneer is the same thickness. Sometimes it’s so thin you can barely see it.
I’m sure there are other details, but it’s getting late and I’m losing focus.

Once you find what you want double check every piece front and back. Most places don’t have very good lighting, as a result, I’ve come home with marked, chipped or cracked boards because I didn’t check them completely.
 
Bas

Bas

Recovering tool addict
Bas
Corporate Member
Canuck said:
Columbia Forest Pure bond ply from Home Depot is great stuff (made here in N.C.). Comes in birch, oak and maple. Stay away from the HD "Sandiply"; cheap but junk(sorry Bas)!!!

Poplar from The Hardwood Store in Gibsonville, N.C.. They deliver (for a fee) and we - NCWW get a discount!

Wayne
Click to expand...
I completely agree the old sandeply was terrible - warped, voids, putty-filled holes etc. The sandeply they have today looks exactly like Columbia Forest Pure Bond, except the veneer isn't as nice. The last three sheets I purchased at the Home Depot in Apex were just about perfect.

If you're going to paint, Lowe's carries a mid-grade plywood that's already primed.
 
C

chris_goris

Chris
Senior User
Mouse51180 said:
I am also curious where I should try and source the plywood from. I have exhausted my Google-Fu and keep getting looped back to either places that sell super exotic woods...or HD\Lowes..nothing in between. Im curious where everyone else gets there wood from?

Dixieply looks to sell the same plywood as Home Depot
Queen City Lumber looks like an option, but I have not received a reply back from them on my inquiries.
McGee Lumber has not replied to my inquiries either and I am not sure if they sell plywood.
Hardwood Store seemed like the wood they have might higher grade than what I would need for some shop furniture
Carolina Urban Lumber seems like it is just rough cut planks and not plywood
Wurth doesnt appear to sell to anyone not running a large production facility

Is HD and Lowes really my option?....in a major city like Charlotte?!?

Thanks for any guidance
Click to expand...
It may not help you today, but in about 5-6 weeks the hardwood store of NC is opening a new store in Salisbury, off Peeler Rd. They should have whatever you need!. I know itll be MUCH handier for me!.
 
Berta

Berta

Berta
Corporate Member
A quick google search shows cabinet grade plywood at Home Depot. Cabinet grade might be just what you’re looking for. It should have one good side and fewer voids.
 
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