bushwacked Posted November 4, 2014 Report Share Posted November 4, 2014 I am looking to build a couple more tables and cabinets for the shop. Most likely I'll go grab some 3/4 shop grade plywood for it. I am going to work on another work station and router table and a storage cabinet most likely. For my joints and stuff they will be nothing fancy. Most like rabbit joints for the most part and then dovetails on the smaller stuff. Would an investment in http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NJ7AZG/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER Be something worthwhile? Or is there other ways around to get tight fits with the undersized plywood? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted November 4, 2014 Report Share Posted November 4, 2014 I have a set of "plywood" bits and really like them when I'm working with plywood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerrySats Posted November 4, 2014 Report Share Posted November 4, 2014 I use mine all the time. Worth the investment if you use a lot of plywood. Thats a great price. I have the whiteside set and paid 70 for 3 bits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushwacked Posted November 4, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2014 I found some whiteside bits 3 pack for like $45 ... I may grab those on Amazon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mzdadoc Posted November 5, 2014 Report Share Posted November 5, 2014 Have you ever thought of saving time and just going with pocket holes? In my cabinet class we used the K5 Kreg jig for the whole thing and no glue. I was amazed how strong it was! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted November 5, 2014 Report Share Posted November 5, 2014 I have a set of plywood bits...I say they're the right size about half the time...depends on how picky you are about the fit. Rarely are they dead perfect. I usually prefer the dado stack in the table saw for ply projects...when possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pghmyn Posted November 5, 2014 Report Share Posted November 5, 2014 You could always do that "exact width" dado jig Marc did in a video. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChetlovesMer Posted November 5, 2014 Report Share Posted November 5, 2014 Okay, I'm going to make a completely different suggestion. *****Get dimensionally correct plywood.***** Buy cabinet maker's ply. I can get prefinished 3/4" maple plywood for about 65 bucks a sheet from the lumber distribution company out in my neck of the woods. You need a business tax I.D. number to buy from them, but I'm sure you can find ways around that if you need to. The great thing about cabinet maker's plywood is first of all 3/4" IS IN FACT 3/4", a 4x8 sheet is 48-1/2" x 96-1/2". It's prefinished on both sides. (you can get unfinished too, but its about the same price so... usually I get prefinished.) The prefinished ply "slides" really nice and easy through your table saw. I've mentioned this many times, my table saw is set up so I can go from full sheet to any size I want with no stops in between. No wasting time pre-cutting it down with a circular saw or track saw or blah blah blah... Sheet goods to finished part = 1 step! Today, my distributor carries pre-finished maple, birch, and cherry. But nearly all species are available in unfinished cabinet maker's style ply. (They are priced accordingly obviously.) Oh by the way, did I mention they deliver for free? Yeah, even 1 sheet. Sometimes I feel guilty calling them, "Yeah bring me one sheet of 1/2 ply." I've been known to be pushing it through my saw before their truck even drives away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushwacked Posted November 6, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 Way to just shake everything up Chet. I sent an email to my local dealer to get some pricing. I will post back once they get back to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwacker Posted November 6, 2014 Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 The uv finish two sided is for shelves. The non uv single sided is for boxes. Uv two sided doesn't glue worth a darn and relies on fasteners like screws. If you want to save on waste get 120.5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushwacked Posted November 6, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 Sorry for my ignorance ... But what is 120.5? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted November 6, 2014 Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 Yeah, PB...those deep "pro cabinet guy" terms went right over the heads of us poor garage shop monkeys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted November 6, 2014 Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 120= 10' .5= 1/2" Big sheets, 48.5" x 120.5" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted November 6, 2014 Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 See? As one not in the trade, I had never heard of sheet goods that were 10' long! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshC1501 Posted November 6, 2014 Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 I dread and can barely handle 8' ply, 10' foot ply would kill me!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushwacked Posted November 6, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 Haha 10' ply would bring a whole nother list of issues with it for me. Mainly it would not fit in my garage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwacker Posted November 6, 2014 Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 Whats another 2 feet if it saves you from having to buy another full sheet you don't need. If you buy the right length when available you won't have a mess of oddball chunks of plywood to store. In a small shop storage is at premium and those odd sizes are usually not good for much. Granted you do have to have a source, Lowes is not going to have it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted November 6, 2014 Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 I ask because I don't know...doesn't the finish get all scratched up while you're working with it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChetlovesMer Posted November 6, 2014 Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 PB, I have the 120 available to me through my supplier, but I never buy it. As I've mentioned many times my shop is set up so that I can go from full sized sheet of plywood to finished part in one step. The one caveat to that is it has to be an 8 foot sheet. (Or 96.5" in this case.) If I went to the 120 I'd have to move my stuff around to accommodate the extra length, or GOD FORBID, break down the sheets ahead of time. - BLASPHEMY! For me the potential cost savings of getting one or two more parts out of a sheet of ply is not worth the potential extra time spent breaking down the sheet goods. Plus, ordering an extra sheet is rarely a problem for me. I have a good storage system (for 96.5" sheets) so I can store what I don't use. I also do enough projects were I'm going to use the remaining 6 feet of the sheet sooner or later anyway. For a physically bigger shop or a shop where you are going to have to break down parts ahead of time anyway, your suggestion is a really good one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwacker Posted November 6, 2014 Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 I ask because I don't know...doesn't the finish get all scratched up while you're working with it? Thats up to you. Keep an air hose next to the saw when working with prefinished. There will be some cuts when you are forced to cut finished side down, put painters tape ski's on the piece and blow off the saw top. You also have to keep in mind the prefinished is designed to go inside dark cabinets so a little scuff will never be seen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwacker Posted November 6, 2014 Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 PB, I have the 120 available to me through my supplier, but I never buy it. As I've mentioned many times my shop is set up so that I can go from full sized sheet of plywood to finished part in one step. The one caveat to that is it has to be an 8 foot sheet. (Or 96.5" in this case.) If I went to the 120 I'd have to move my stuff around to accommodate the extra length, or GOD FORBID, break down the sheets ahead of time. - BLASPHEMY! For me the potential cost savings of getting one or two more parts out of a sheet of ply is not worth the potential extra time spent breaking down the sheet goods. Plus, ordering an extra sheet is rarely a problem for me. I have a good storage system (for 96.5" sheets) so I can store what I don't use. I also do enough projects were I'm going to use the remaining 6 feet of the sheet sooner or later anyway. For a physically bigger shop or a shop where you are going to have to break down parts ahead of time anyway, your suggestion is a really good one. I hear ya a small shop can be a pain. For me it really made no difference 8ft or 10ft as I never really brought them into the shop. I would rip right off the truck never even had to lift the full sheet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChetlovesMer Posted November 6, 2014 Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 Eric, It can, but the finish is generally very robust. Also, if the scratches are with the grain a quick wipe of 50% poly 50% mineral spirits applied with the grain will make the scratches disappear. If they are against the grain, they "almost" disappear. What actually ends up being more of a problem is what PB mentions above. The finish doesn't glue up worth a pile of rat dung. However, over the years I have made a number of tools (basically a chunk of 2x4 with a rabbet cut in it, and some 50 grit sand paper glued to one side of the rabbet.) which I use to quickly remove the finish anywhere I want to have glue adhere. If you make the "tools" with different depth rabbets you can quickly solve the problem. I have a 3/8" which I use all the time before putting anything into a dado. I also use a 3/4" tool often... for obvious reasons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChetlovesMer Posted November 6, 2014 Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 PB, ripping right off the truck.... hmmm.... Amazingly I never thought of that... hmmm..... now you've got my wheels turning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwacker Posted November 6, 2014 Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 You never really sand a UV finish off unless you blow past the veneer. If you've seen how its made the sheet comes straight off the sander to the spray conveyer and the finish is thin. Its like a sponge the finish saturates the veneer all the way to the glue line. Then it goes down the uv conveyer where it comes out ready to stack. Thats the beauty of UV finish It seals the veneer rather that just sitting on top. Ya if you can back up to your saw there is no need to lift heavy sheets. Just slide them to the saw and feed. Of course this depends on the work your doing with cabinets its a given that the rip is the first cut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChetlovesMer Posted November 6, 2014 Report Share Posted November 6, 2014 Of course that's true of the UV finish, but I remember seeing an episode .... Gosh, like forever ago, of the New Yankee Workshop where Norm build a bunch of cabinets out of pre-finished ply and he, of course, backed them up with screws. Anyway, that got me thinking about the glue up vs. screws for the dado-fit pieces on the UV ply. Okay, so to make a long story short I experimented in my shop with the sand off the "shiny part" before slipping the ply in a dado method and with just using unfinished ply in the dado. Okay, so I after my testing (using a fish scale and a lever) I found that as long as I removed the "shiny part" before assembly I got as good of adhesion with both methods even though I know the UV protection is still there. Having said all of that. As you probably know by now, I'm a speedy builder, so when ever I can I back up my assemblies with screws. Especially during built in units because they are never going to show and driving screws is infinitely faster than applying clamps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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