Nov
WOOD WORK ENTERTAINMENT CENTER
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MDF with Veneer or Veneered Plywood?
I am absolutely new to wood working, I recently started working on a new entertainment center for myself. I have made the frame and drawers out of poplar, now I need to decide what to use for all exterior surfaces. I want to use cherry veneers/plywood and stain all exterior surfaces to mahogany. My questions is:
1) What is better option:
– MDF with cherry veneer on top of it, or
– A-grade plywood with cherry veneer
2) Which will stain better in the end from the above two?
Plz do recommend other better options if there are any…..
Since this is an entertainment center, I’ll assume it will be carrying some weight…. so because of that, I would lean more towards the plywood.
MDF will provide a smoother surface for veneers and laminates, and can be painted with the correct prep work, but takes special joinery techniques, and/or hardware, because it does not hold a screw very well, in the ‘end grain’, or ‘on edge. It’ll hold screws just fine thru the face, but lacks the strength that plywood can provide ‘on edge’.
I like to use Poplar plywood for my projects that need a strong core material (about 3/4″ thick, and it can be stained, painted, laminated, or veneered). Poplar solids are often used in furniture and stained to a cherry color.
Particle board would be a product that would be between the MDF, and Plywood in strength and smoothness. (Again, if it were my choice, I’d buy the Poplar plywood, and apply my veneer over it….If youve never done any veneer work, then you may want to stick with the cherry veneered plywood.)
As to staining, it doesnt matter which substrate you have.
Veneer is very thin…. and it can be sanded thru VERY quickly… so keep that in mind when working with it. It is also easy to mark, dent, scratch, etc, before you get your protective top coat applied, so treat it carefully. Whether using MDF or Ply for the core, use a high tooth count blade for a clean cut of the veneer. I prefer 60 to 80 tooth counts on my tablesaw blades for projects like this.
Ive built a LOT of furniture and casegoods over the years, hehehe, both professionally, and for myself. (Ive got at least one piece of furniture in every room, in our home, one of which is an entertainment unit)
One point – veneer can end up slightly different in color than the solid right next to it, that you used the same stain on. So do some test staining on scraps, to see if you need to alter your stains any.
Feel free to email me if you have any questions.
Have Fun
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