Storage unit - ply or particle board?

[rogerwilco]

Here's the basic plan. It is a custom storage unit for a family member, that goes inside an existing built-in with a doors.

Screen Shot 2022-03-17 at 10.49.34 am.jpg

It's pretty simple, and the drawers are designed to accomodate modular storage boxes, that come in different sizes, and nest together. Kinda similar to systainer storage systems in a lot of our workshops, indeed, that's where the idea came from.

Anyway, I've designed this as 18mm birch ply case construction, but at over $300 per sheet right now, and requiring 3 sheets at 18mm and 1 sheet of 12mm for drawers, it's getting too expensive for a simple storage unit.

Film face, or A/C Hoop is not significantly cheaper.
I suppose I could use particle board, but I don't really want to work with it. I'm not really interested in learning how to change the design to accomodate the the properties of particle board vs ply. I don't want to be a cabinet maker. This is just a favour for someone in the family.

What other options?
Thinking a bit harder, 18mm ply is overkill for this project. Maybe I should build the entire thing in 12mm. That'll reduce costs significantly, and there'll be less waste. Probably the best compromise.

Any other ideas?

[havabeer69]

does it HAVE to have the wood showing?

can you go a lower grade ply and sand/paint it?

[auscab]

Any other ideas?

edit . Ply or Particle board. I missed that .

Veneered particle board with a solid front edge. Or I would use Clear ( no knots) Radiata Pine for the whole thing.

[rogerwilco]

does it HAVE to have the wood showing?

can you go a lower grade ply and sand/paint it?

I could, but it’s more work, and i want to avoid that as much as possible. Besides, I’m done with lower grade ply. It’s often a pig to work with, being all bowed, lots of voids, etc.
just not up for it.

I thought about edge banded PB. It’s not out of the question… if I go that route, I’ll get a cabinet shop to cut and edge-band the parts, so I can just assemble it. I just fear that’s a whole other animal that I’m not really prepared for.

[rogerwilco]

edit . Ply or Particle board. I missed that .

Veneered particle board with a solid front edge. Or I would use Clear ( no knots) Radiata Pine for the whole thing.

Radiata is not a bad idea. I’ve always associated it with construction grade. Is it possible to get A/B or A/C? Is it stable, flat, and void free?

[rogerwilco]

Whaddaya all think about 12mm you instead of 18mm?
thats my pref at the moment, because it will be fastest and easiest. I think it will be plenty beefy enough. I’ll tie the rear stretchers into wall studs at the back.

There’s very light load. The tubs will be full of knitting equipment and skanes of wool!

- - - Updated - - -

12mm birch is less than $200 sheet, which is fine.

[GraemeCook]

Hi Roger

Systainer Drawers.jpg (Drawing: RogerWilco)


A mate made a systainer storage system similar to your about 10 years ago. It is made from 16mm MDF with full extension drawer runners and is 3 drawers high. It works very well - so well he went out and bought some more Festool stuff and had to build another storage rack! Serious Festoolitus.

Rack Marque 2 was identical to the first except that he started using it before he made the drawers. He found that it works just as well without the drawers and Mk 2 is now 4 systainers high, rather than 3, and in the same space.

My house is double brick, heritage listed, built in 1880 and with most period features in tact. I built in a large wardrobe with mirrored celery top pine doors and carcase, which references the existing baltic pine decore. The wardrobe's interior drawers, shelves and hanging space is made from 16mm melomine. It is very functional and is now 20+ years old. The wardrobe doors are shut 99% of the time so you cannot see the melomine, and when you can it the melomine is not inappropriate.

[DaveVman]

Whaddaya all think about 12mm you instead of 18mm

12mm birch is less than $200 sheet, which is fine.

Don't take my advice but I think 12mm will be fine. It does depend how you join things. I've found that joining 18mm sheet goods is just easier than something thinner. Perhaps what you could do, is make the slide out trays 18mm and the rest 12mm?

How does A-B grade pine ply compare? or marine ply?

[sneakynuts]

What about 16mm melamine ply
$82.50 a sheet at trademaster

Black Melamine Plywood 2400x1200x16mm | Trademaster

Edit: sorry, just noticed your in Vic. So this store won't be any good to you
Maybe there is a supplier down your way!

[riverbuilder]

16 mm white melamine board. Easy, cheap, job done and dusted.

[auscab]

Radiata is not a bad idea. I’ve always associated it with construction grade. Is it possible to get A/B or A/C? Is it stable, flat, and void free?

Radiata veneered chipboard at 17mm I think is what I used to get a bit of from The Tile Importers in Oakleigh South for use around the workshop . Here's a bit as a backing board for My lathe. It used to be $30 a sheet a long time ago . Ive no idea what it is now. Probably $90 ea? That's a total guess though.
Shelving and Plywood Suppliers in Melbourne | Tile Importer

phone photo040.jpg

I don't know what grades it was either. If it looked good I'd take some. I'm still using some for the radial arm saw benches . It ages up well. Heavy loads of wood have been sliding over the Rad saw table for years with little damage .It polishes nice. Id have it any day over MDF S**t . That stuff I rarely have in the workshop. Only if its free would I take it home. some of that with a solid glued on edge is what I meant if your going Manufactured board.

Or use solid clean Radiata . I see it in hardware stores 250 x 19 and nice and clear. It moves around. You have to use it and store it the right way. Tile importers have cheap stuff with voids and splits that can be cut around . Or other hardware stores have more expensive clear nice stuff.

[BobL]

This was a small storage unit for our pocket handkerchief sized bathroom, which is not much bigger than a wardrobe.

It's made from 12mm marine ply, stainless steel screwed together, and painted to match the mirrored cabinet above the vanity.

Bathendcup.JPG

[Camelot]

When you say 3 sheets of ply, are you meaning 2400mm x 1200mm x 18mm, because the pic of your design doesn't look like it would take 3 full sheets to build. If you don't like working with particle board then go with ply it's a better material for your application, but it doesn't need to by birch, you can get Exterior Grade Hardwood ply which is fair faced both sides and can be 5 or 7 core and another option for the carcass would be Blockboard which you would just need to lip with a suitable Hardwood edging to match the Blockboard face veneer.

[rogerwilco]

Thanks for all the great options and advice everyone.

I think I'm gonna give European Poplar Plywood a go. European Poplar Plywood (Large Sheets) | Plyco
Means I can make the case in 15mm, and draw parts from 12 mm. Or, just do the whole lot in 15mm.'

Best of both worlds I think. Expect it'll be a stable, high quality ply. I won't have to fart around with edging. It's thick enough to make cabinets easy to construct with dados/rebates. I can finish it with a wipe of Osmo and probably no sanding. And, I can give the manufacturer the cut list and be done with it.

Has anyone used Poplar Ply before?

What about 16mm melamine ply
$82.50 a sheet at trademaster

Not a bad option. I'm sure I could get similar at my local timber yard. I presume that the ply core is not high quality though?
I really want stable, pretty flat, free of voids. Willing to pay for that, but not $300+ per sheet!

When you say 3 sheets of ply, are you meaning 2400mm x 1200mm x 18mm, because the pic of your design doesn't look like it would take 3 full sheets to build.

If I want to pay attention to grain orientation, I think it might be 3 sheets (with lots of overs). I'm being somewhat lazy. I don't want to futz around breaking down sheets - it's my least favourite woodworking task. Since this project is a favour, I'm giving a cut list to a panel shop and having them do it for me.

[GraemeCook]

... I think I'm gonna give European Poplar Plywood a go. European Poplar Plywood (Large Sheets) | Plyco Means I can make the case in 15mm, and draw parts from 12 mm. Or, just do the whole lot in 15mm.' ...

One of the disadvantages of using thinner sheet material and you screw the joints, is that there is much less room for the screws. A slightly misaligned screw, a screw that is not quite vertical and you get a visible bruising or even a protrudance. Have a look at this drawing - it is the spacing between the side of the screw and the side of the sheet material that is critical.

MDF Screw Clearances.jpg


A friend who has a "studio quality joinery" showed me this. In his firms kitchen fitouts he always uses 18mm HMR melamine - "You can see the higher quality" = great marketing line. It also saves the assemblers from embarassment from a misaligned screw - much more space for devance.

And, I can give the manufacturer the cut list and be done with it. ...

If I want to pay attention to grain orientation, I think it might be 3 sheets (with lots of overs). I'm being somewhat lazy. I don't want to futz around breaking down sheets - it's my least favourite woodworking task. Since this project is a favour, I'm giving a cut list to a panel shop and having them do it for me.

Like the sound of "cut list".

With sheet material jobs I always ask the guy above to supply, cut and edge band if required. He can buy much better than me, and it is convenient for him to use his normal materials on hand.