Plywood vs Hardwood.

[jimfath]

I have been making portable arcade panels with Pi's inside that are plug and play with tvs.

Previously, I've made them out of 3/4" plywood. I'm wondering if I could get away with 1/2" hard wood to save space and weight but be also rugged enough to travel.

[shaolindrunkard]

I would advise you to stick with the plywood. Regular hardwood is much more susceptible to warping. Not only that but you will have a lot harder time finishing the edge unless you want to use tiny t-molding. If this is just for fun there is no reason you cant do it, but if you are selling them and want durability and what not I would not do that...

[thomashenry]

You won't really save any space by going from a 3/4 inch material to a 1/2. You would save weight, though. But if you are thinking of going thinner, why not 1/2 plywood? Working with real wood requires you to understand the fundamentals of joinery - grain direction, wood movement, expansion, contraction etc, rather than just screwing sheets together. I've made cabinets out of real wood using traditional joinery techniques, but the process is very different to the standard aracde cab build.