Softwood Plywood Grades

In years past, it was easy to find cabinet quality softwood plywood at just about any lumberyard or home improvement center. But not anymore. Today, with the high cost of lumber, all they usually stock are construction grades. To find a higher grade, you'll need to do a little legwork.

GRADES. But before you do, it's a good idea to be familiar with softwood plywood grades. The most common are A, B, C, and D. With the A and B grades, large knots are replaced with football-shaped patches. Small knots and slight gaps are filled with a synthetic wood filler, and voids along the edges are common.

In the lower grades of plywood (C and D), there's more patching and filling -- even open gaps and defects are allowed. For shop use, we'll generally stick with a BC (utility) grade of plywood (around $25 for a 3/4" thick sheet). But if we're building a piece of furniture, we move up to a higher quality plywood.

HIGHER QUALITY. Here in Des Moines, Iowa, we can buy quality, high-grade AA and AB softwood plywood from a national lumber dealer -- one with with stores all over the US -- and from a local lumberyard that caters to the professional cabinet shops in the area.

If you have trouble finding dealers like these, try looking in the Yellow Pages under cabinets and cabinetmakers, or millwork shops. Then give them a call and ask where they're buying their softwood plywood.

FACE VENEER. When you do find some, take a close look at it. We've noticed that there's a wide range in quality -- even within a grade. For example, at one local lumberyard, we can buy two 3/4"-thick sheets of AB plywood that are both produced by the same manufacturer. One sheet has five plies with wild grain on the "A" face ($45). Knots have been removed and patched. Other surface imperfections have been filled. And since interior plies are a lower grade, there's a good chance the sheet will be riddled with voids.

The other sheet is a different product manufactured to a higher standard ($48). Instead of five plies, there are seven. The grain and color on the "A" face is straighter and clearer. There are no knots or patches. And with higher quality interior plies, the sheet is free of voids.

It's our experience that even though you'll have to pay a few dollars more for this type of softwood plywood (and do some extra legwork to find it), it's well worth it.

Types of Wood for Woodworking

Let's look more into the various types of wood for woodworking. The type of wood you choose determines the beauty and strength of the pieces. Many varieties of wood are available and each has its own properties. The following sections introduce you to the most common types of soft and hardwoods. check this below : 

Hardwoods

Mahogany: is finely grained wood with reddish brown color. It is highly durable and can resist swelling, shrinking and warping. It is extensively used for quality furniture such as wooden cabinets, boat construction, wood facings and veneers.

Walnut: has fine texture and is strong, easy to work with. It resists shrinking and warping and can take all types of finishes very well. It is mostly used for making gunstocks, solid and veneered furniture, novelties, cabinetry and wall paneling.

Oak: has good bending qualities apart from being durable. It finishes well and resists moisture absorption. Oak is good for furniture, trimming, boat framing,  wooden desks and flooring.

Maple: is a fine textured wood with immense strength and hardness. With moderate shrinkage, maple machines well and is best used in flooring, fine furniture and woodenware such as bowling alleys.

Cherry: is close-grained wood and as resists warping and shrinking. It gets red when exposed to sunlight. It ages well and is extensively used in cabinet making, boat trim, novelties and solid furniture handles.

Rosewood: is close grained hard wood with dark reddish brown color. It has an exclusive fragrance. It is hard to work upon and takes high polish. It is good for making musical instruments, piano cases, tool handles, art projects, veneers and furniture.

Teak: is a hard and moisture- resistant wood. It resists warping, cracking and decay and is best used in fine furniture, paneling, shipbuilding, doors, window framing, flooring and as a general construction wood.

Shesham: is also known as Indian Rosewood and is a rich medium brown wood with deep grains. It is a fast-growing hardwoods and the functional furniture made from it can deal with everyday stresses and strains without loosing its attractive appearance. It is highly durable, easily carved and is exclusively used for making furniture, particularly almirahs and cabinets.

Softwoods

Pine: has a uniform texture and is very easy to work with. It finishes well and resists shrinkage, swelling and warping. It is widely used in house construction, paneling, furniture, molding and for making wooden boxes.

Hemlock: is lightweight and machines well. It is uniformly textured and has low resistance to decay. It is mainly used for construction lumber, planks, doors, boards, paneling, sub flooring and crates.

Fir: is uniformly textured and has low resistance to decay. It is nonresinous, works easy and finishes well. Fir is used for making furniture, doors, frames, windows, plywood, veneer, general millwork and interior trim.

Redwood: is light, durable and easy to work with. It has natural resistance to decay and is good for making outdoor furniture, fencing, house siding, interior finishing, veneering and paneling.

Spruce: is a strong wood that finishes well and has low resistance to decay. It possesses moderate shrinkage and is light. It is a good option for making masts and spars for ships, aircraft, crates, boxes, general millwork and ladders.

Cedar: is a reddish wood with sweet odor. It is very easy to work with, uniform in texture and is resistant to decay. Cedar is extensively used in chest making, closet lining, shingles, posts, dock planks, novelties and Venetian blinds.

Other Woods

There are many other types of wood that are made by wooden sheeting. These various types are available in thickness ranging from 4 mm to 24 mm.

MDF (Medium Density Fibre Board): is made from powdered wood bonded with glue and compressed to form the sheets. It is quite soft and very easy to work with. It cuts, sands and finishes very easily. It is used widely for interior projects especially for cupboards and shelving.

Chipboard: is made like MDF but from actual wood chips. It is used widely for  kitchen furniture for which it is covered with a laminate. It is also used widely for low cost flooring.

Plywood: is made from thin laminates of wood glued together. Each layer is at right angle to the grain of the other. It is very strong but also quite flexible, especially if there are thinner sheets. It is used widely in the building industry.