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Which wood?

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eightbit:
Depends on how your going to finish it. If your going to paint or laminate it go with MDF. If you want the wood look then you need to do plywood and buy the cabinet grade stuff at $50 and up a sheet.

MDF is plenty strong to take the abuse of moving it. Some people have recomended 1/2" MDF because its WAY lighter but then you need to be carefull when you move it, though if you place it properly it shouldn't be a problem.

Jungle:

--- Quote from: SirPoonga on February 28, 2003, 02:29:30 pm ---
--- Quote from: Nailz on February 28, 2003, 01:46:28 pm ---I went with oak plywood because my wife said if it was coming in the house, it needed to look like furniture...  :)

--- End quote ---

What, you don't think MDF looks like furnature?   She doesn't watch trading spaces, does she?

--- End quote ---

Hmmmm...I could have just used MDF, painted a mural on it and draped some fabric from the top and it would fit right in to a trading spaces episode......

Wienerdog:
Weight was actually a consideration for me.  It sounds like a 4x8 sheet of MDF is 110lbs while a 4x8 sheet of plywood is about 65lbs.  I know that is REALLY vague, sorry.  I'm not sure if that is 5/8 or 3/4, and I'm not sure if the plywood is Pine, Birch, or Oak.  Anyway, the weight is relative (if these weights are for 5/8, then 3/4 would be 1/8 higher).  If I have roughly 3 sheets of wood plus framing, that makes the cab roughly 325lbs or 200lbs (random rounding).  200 sounds alot more manageable and plywood has less of a chance to break if I clip the edge with the vaccum.

I'm in the Chicago area, and Menards has had 3/4 Oak or 3/4 Birch on sale for 29.99 the last week.  Price match that at Home Depot (because they have a 110% price guarantee) and you you can get it for 26.99.  Yes!  26.99 for a 4x8 sheet of 3/4" Oak or 3/4" Birch plywood.  The normal price at both stores is $39.99.  

So if price was not a consideration (lol, MDF is NOT on sale = $25 per sheet), does an Oak or Birch paint as well as MDF?

This is an important issue to me because if I am spending $1200-$1800 on parts for a cabinet (computer, tv or WG monitor, control panel, etc), I really don't care if I spend $150 on Oak Plywood instead of $75 on MDF, if the plywood is going to be lighter and more durable.  Hmm,   last week I decided to use MDF, but I think I talked myself back into using the plywood.

If you decide on plywood, but are painting it, there is also 3/4 Lauan Plywood (OVL and better grade), 2 sides sanded.  Menards also has that for $24.99 this week, but I don't know what the regular price is.  That might be a better option if you are painting the cab.

Matan:
1/2 sounds too thin to me, price is an issue, especially when everyone recommends MDF over plywood. I think i'll go with 5/8 and not 3/4

Wienerdog:
It also depends on what plans you use or how you do your design.  I plan to have a 2x4 structure that will hold all the weight (the external shell probably won't even touch the ground.

You don't need strength in that case.  I even considered making my side panels removable from the inside... I may still do that.  Imagine how much easier it would be to take the cabinet up stairs if you could take off 30 to 60lbs from each side of the cabinet, in addition to removing the monitor/TV, computer, and control panel.  I really need to get started on my plans.  

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