[dakotawood]

I will soon embark on Spagnuolo's assembly table. I have one question regarding the full overlay plywood doors.

When making a door with just ply (no frame and panel construction), will that plywood door warp over time? When finishing the project, should I seal the door on all sides? Would that help prevent warping?

One more thing - anybody find cheap alternatives to Blum's euro cup hinges? Those things are spendy. I'm sure it's a very nice hinge, but pricey for shop furniture. Anyone use Grizzly's euro hinges?

Thanks!

 

[TheDane]

Travis-I think it depends on the plywood itself. The cheap stuff I get at the local big box will warp in time, but the better grade stuff (e.g. baltic birch) is pretty stable … I don't think I would worry about it. And I would suggest sealing both sides & all edges.

As for the Grizzly hinges, I wouldn't hesitate to use them. I had to replace some hardware in one of our bathrooms, and used the Grizzly H3285 hinges … no problem and they work fine.

 

[thewoodwhisperer]

Glad to see you embarking on the assembly table build. I do want to make sure everyone knows that is just David Marks design for the torsion box. I modified it to suit my own needs and included the replaceable top.

Totally agree with TheDane on the plywood. Stay away from the cheap stuff at the big box stores and you should be ok. As for the hardware, see if you can't find a local hardware distributor. Once I started buying locally, I realized how much we are being taken for a ride by some of the more popular online vendors.

 

[dakotawood]

Wow, didn't think I'd get a response from THE whisperer himself! HA!! That's awesome. Thanks Dane and Mark for your input. By the way, I'm catching up and watching every single one of your videos on your site. I absolutely LOVE them. So educational! I think I've watched your assembly table vids like 4 times now.

On my way home from work (yes, I've been on LJ at work today) I scored some Blum hinges on sale at my local equipment supply. They carry a fair amount of Rockler gear. I happen to find the 120deg euro hinge on sale for $7.90/pr (reg $12). Not bad.

As far as plywood, I've noticed that Menard's (midwest HD or Lowe's) has 3 different versions of baltic birch ply at 3 diff prices. Cheapest is on sale now for $28 and the most expensive is like $65. They both look pretty darn nice as far as I'm concerned. I think I'll try the cheaper stuff and hope for the best. U think?

 

[TheDane]

Travis-There's a Menards a mile from my house … maybe I'll run over there and check it out!

I have noticed they have a couple of grades of 'birch plywood' ... don't confuse that with baltic birch. I have seen 3/4" bgalyic birch at my local Menards for about $75 a sheet (4' x 8').

 

[jusfine]

It's interesting to see your comments about the size of plywood, the wholesalers I deal with (in Canada) only sell baltic birch in 5' x 5' sheets. I have never seen it in a 4' x 8' sheet.

 

[childress]

I think the 5X5 sheets are baltic birch through and through, while the 4X8 sheets have a diff substrate. That's how it was by my supplier here in San Diego.

 

[jusfine]

Wow, Barry, I just looked at the price list, and my first impression was the price is extremely high.

Then I took into account that our sheets are 25 square feet vs your 32, but when I did the math, your dealer's prices are still quite a bit higher… I was surprised.

I pay $14.87 for 6mm (1/4), $24.23 for 12mm (1/2), and $39.62 for 18mm (3/4).

 

[Gene01]

Hey Travis,
HD sells Euro style cup hinges pretty cheap. that have a neat little plastic template to locate the hole distance from the edge, too.