While you might not get the opportunity to put this information to use on a regular basis, if you play any type of role in specifying, purchasing, or installing cabinetry it is helpful to have a basic understanding of how the product is constructed.
Read on for a run-down of core materials...
1. Plywood
- Strong
- Doesn't pose the cracking, warping or shrinking threat of solid wood
- Can be manufactured in very large sheets
- Two types:
- Hardwood Plywood
- Generally higher quality
- Emits gas and formaldehyde from adhesive used in construction
- Softwood Plywood
- Consistent flatness
- Good screw-hold ability
- Lighter than MDF or particleboard core
- Good bending strength
- Good screw-hold ability
- Excellent matching properties
- Edges can be shaped and matched to finished surfaces without filing
- Good bounce back, making it a great choice for long or wide shelves in cabinets and closets
- Good choice when routed edge treatments are necessary and the edges cannot be concealed
CONS - This is the most expensive core to manufacture, meaning finding a supplier may be difficult
- Only the highest grade lumber core should be considered as there is a severe drop off in the consistency in lesser grades
- Most grades machine poorly
- Substantial voids are often present
- Very smooth surface
- Strong
- Not prone to warping
- Typically consistent from batch to batch
- Typically free of voids and blisters, which results in better veneer consistency and bond, leading to less chipping during crosscut operation
- Easy to machine and cut edges are excellent for glue adhesion
- Good for use in humid climates or rooms
- Great screw-hold ability when used with MDF-specific screws
- Less expensive than plywood
CONS - Extremely sensitive to heat and may experience bubbling, blistering, discoloration and peeling as the surface becomes damaged
- MDF cabinets usually can't be repaired and generally need replaced more often.
- More expensive than particleboard
- More dense than particle board or plywood
- Subject to water damage unless properly sealed with melamine, laminate, or other similar water resistant material.
- Least expensive of all core types
- Lighter than MDF
- Great use of a waste product that would otherwise be discarded
- More economical than plywood
- Its uniform thickness, smoothness, surface integrity, ease of layup, and ability to stay flat make it an ideal core material
CONS - Heavier than plywood, but not as strong
- Edges splinter easily and aren't as strong as MDF
- Does not have the screw-hold ability of other cores, however it does increase significantly with the use of particle board specific screws
- Its use can indicate inferior construction and materials when used in the construction of furniture or cabinets
- Tends to swell and separate, even with brief moisture contact
- The high glue content found in the product quickly dulls the knives and blades on processing machinery and tools
- Emits gas and formaldehyde from adhesive
- Expands and contracts as it interacts with moisture in the air
- Moderate price
- High strength to weight ratio
- Provides dimensional stability and good strength both along and across the panel
- Excellent bending strength and screw-hold ability
- Lighter in weight than other core types
CONS - Voids in the core and face are common
- Not always consistent in thickness from sheet to sheet, or within the same sheet
- The pre-veneered surface is coarser and does not accept veneer as well, resulting in excessive chipping and tearout during the machining process
- During cutting, you will always be ripping some layers and crosscutting others, which makes cutting more difficult with a greater tendency to burn
- Saw-cut edges are not as clean and smooth as other core types--does not take edge glue well
- Inconsistencies in the pre-veneered surface can result in thin spots in the veneer
- Very resilient to weather while being quite stable
- Great screw-hold ability
- Relative softness of the layers means that any inconsistencies in the product will even out during compression
- Heavier and harder than fir
- Very stable
CONS - Lacks weather resistence
- Will not compress, making voids and knots more likely to telegraph through the surface veneer
- Poplar that is not dried properly is more prone to delamination
- Similar properties to Fir Core, but less dense, resulting in a lighter sheet
- Soft and will compress nicely giving a consistent face
- High density
- Both species are hard and thin, making for an extremely stable product
- It is very unlikely for a void to be found in these core types
- Good edge strength, making them less prone to splintering than Fir and Poplar
- Relatively attractive cores, making them a great choice when the edges of the final product will be exposed
- Maple has slightly more grain pattern on the surface, allowing for it to be sanded very smooth
CONS - Specialty high-end product
- Birch core has a tendency to splinter at the edge of a machined cut
- These are the most expensive cores available
- Suitable for a variety of industrial and commercial building applications where stringent building codes and public safety requirements are a factor
- Recommended for applications where the presence of formaldehyde is a concern
- Environmentally-friendly
- Great for use in tropical or high humidity climates
- Sustainable and environmentally-friendly
- Strong
- Can be made water-resistant
CONS - More expensive than MDF
- Lighter than full MDF core
- More stable surface than veneer core plywood
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