Best Plywood for Furniture | DIY Furniture Plywood Guide
- Cabinet Timbers
Why Plywood Is a Top Choice for Modern Furniture Makers
Given the sheer variety of plywood products available across both domestic and international suppliers, it’s safe to say that plywood is amongst Australia’s most versatile and widely used timber materials. From residential and commercial construction projects to cabinetry and retail fit-outs, wood panel products have helped forge contemporary spaces all over the country.
However, plywood isn’t just ideal for contractors and carpenters. We’re even seeing plywood gain in popularity across hobbyist applications, and across consumer markets like furniture making. In Australia, more furniture makers are working with different types of plywood to produce not only lower-cost furniture, but also some innovative, experimental, and luxury-look designs.
For furniture makers looking to experiment with plywood, there are opportunities to produce both interior and exterior wood furniture that’s lightweight and versatile for home designers, alongside boasting organic, attractive wood grains and exceptional durability and stability.
Today, our experts at Cabinet Timbers will outline some of the top plywood types to use for furniture making alongside highlighting the unique qualities of each of these wood materials. With the below guide, even hobby furniture makers can easily pinpoint the right plywood materials from our selection to embark on their next woodworking project.
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Why Use Plywood for Furniture?
When compared to solid wood, plywood is both cheaper and lighter, making it an ideal material selection for many modern furniture makers, from flat pack manufacturers, to custom and boutique furniture designers.
With plywood materials, furniture makers can also expand on their product range more sustainably, creating new and innovative products for various consumer markets, spanning from apartment dwellers to family homes and even commercial office furniture. Savings on manufacturer costs also trickle down to consumers themselves, with furniture shoppers being able to enjoy smaller sales tags at all their favourite showrooms.
Being a lightweight alternative to solid wood, plywood furniture is also more practical at times for furniture shoppers. No more having to contend with scuffed or damaged flooring whenever you’re rearranging heavy solid wood furniture at home. With plywood, we can invest in furniture that’s significantly lighter and easier to handle, whilst still providing great strength and durability, thanks to the rigid make-up of plywood panels themselves.
Key benefits of plywood for furniture production
- Strong and durable
- Lightweight compared to solid wood furniture
- Affordable alternative to solid wood
- Available in a range of finishes and wood grains to suit all aesthetics
- Responds well to cutting and laser cutting
What are the Best Plywood Types for Furniture Production?
For furniture makers, there are different types of plywood panels to select from, all of which possess their own unique qualities and characteristics. We’ve outlined the 3 main types of plywood suitable for furniture manufacturing below:
1. Birch plywood
Birch plywood is amongst the most popular plywood types for modern furniture makers for a few reasons. The attractive natural grain of this European hardwood is well-suited for contemporary modern and Scandinavian-inspired furniture, so you can expect to see plenty of Birch plywood on display at your local IKEA.
Alongside its attractive veneers, birch plywood is also manufactured to include multiple lamination layers with no spaces or voids, making it highly durable whilst still being lightweight. This makes birch plywood an ideal choice for manufacturing both interior and outdoor timber furniture, as well as cabinetry.
2. Hoop pine plywood
Whilst birch plywood is manufactured using imported European timber products, hoop pine plywood is manufactured right here in Australia from local partners like Austral Plywood. This makes hoop pine plywood an even more affordable option for furniture making, with hoop pine plywood products being readily available.
Manufactured from sustainable Queensland Hoop Pine, this plywood type boasts a lighter wood grain when compared to birch plywood, making it ideal for lighter-toned pine furniture. The fine, consistent grain and smooth surface of hoop pine plywood also makes it suitable for painting and staining (so long as the plywood panels have A-grade veneers, as these are most optimal for painting plywood).
Ultimately, the versatility and lower cost per unit of hoop pine plywood panels make them a very popular material amongst Australian furniture manufacturers that value sustainability and cost-efficiency without sacrificing on production quality.
3. Marine-grade plywood
When you hear ‘marine plywood’, you’ll likely first think of boat building or shipwrighting rather than furniture making. But the A-grade veneers paired with an A-grade blue bond makes marine plywood amongst the most durable and versatile materials for modern furniture makers.
Manufactured to the AS2272 Australian Standard, marine plywood is water and boil proof, offering a superb strength-to-weight ratio that’s definitely a plus for furniture makers. The superior moisture resistance of marine plywood also supports the production of outdoor-rated timber furniture, like contemporary modern picnic-style benches, plus bars and outdoor coffee tables.
How to Choose the Right Plywood Thickness for Furniture Projects
In much the same way that it’s essential to find the right plywood thickness for cabinet components, accounting for thickness is also crucial in furniture production. Plywood may be durable, but a tabletop that’s far too thin can still run the risk of cracking or snapping under pressure. The objective for the vast majority of furniture makers is to produce plywood furniture that stands the test of time, providing exceptional value to consumers and supporting a reduced ecological footprint through product longevity.
Furniture makers generally use the following thickness ranges for these furniture types:
- Shelving (12-18mm)
- Tabletops and countertops (18-24mm)
- Drawer sides (12-15mm)
- Drawer bottoms (3-6mm)
- Timber bed slats (18-24mm)
- Timber chair slats (18-24mm)
Pro tip: need your plywood panels cut to size for furniture production? Inquire about our timber cutting services today.
Plywood vs. Melamine vs. MDF for Furniture: Quick comparison for DIY-ers
Alongside the three main types of furniture-grade plywood we’ve outlined above, we’ve also seen many furniture makers use other wood composite materials like melamine panels and MDF (medium-density fibreboard) for furniture production.
Given its scratch-resistant finish available in a range of colours, melamine is commonly used for producing kitchen, bathroom, and laundry cabinets and shelving. Melamine is also an ideal choice for manufacturing rigid furnishings like bookcases and desks. Whilst melamine can be used for tabletops and countertops, it can be difficult to repair if chipped or deeply scratched, which makes it more suitable for furnishings that are less likely to experience direct impacts.
Contrastingly, MDF is more lightweight when compared to melamine, making it ideal not only for furniture like desks, tables, chairs, and shelves, but also for doors, walls, and interior panelling. The downside to MDF is that unlike plywood that consists of treated wood plies, MDF is engineered using fine wood fibres. Whilst this makes MDF highly suitable for cutting, painting, and drilling without risks of splintering or chipping, it does also mean that MDF can sag over time when exposed to high moisture, humidity, or even intense pressure or weight. This makes MDF less suitable for outdoor furnishings, and heavy-duty furniture items like bookcases.
Furniture Plywood FAQs
What is the best plywood for making furniture?
Birch plywood is generally considered to be the gold standard in furniture manufacturing, however sustainable and locally sourced hoop pine plywood is also growing in popularity amongst Australian furniture makers.
Can you use plywood for outdoor furniture?
Yes, if the plywood has A-grade glue bonds for improved moisture resistance, plywood can be used for outdoor furniture production.
Is birch plywood good for furniture making?
Birch plywood is ideal for furniture making, thanks in part to its aesthetic wood grain, as well as its dense and durable construction, allowing for an improved strength-to-weight ratio when compared to lower-grade plywoods and even solid wood furniture.
Find Suitable Plywood Materials for your Next Furniture Project
Whether you’re looking to manufacture desks, chairs, or skirting boards and other types of interior furnishings and panelling, it’s clear to see that plywood provides versatility in droves. The sheer variety of plywood types available for modern furniture makers opens up possibilities for new designs made with reduced manufacturing costs. The cost savings for consumers also makes plywood furnishings an ideal investment for those looking to keep their interiors current and on-trend.
If you’re looking to experiment with plywood furniture manufacturing either as an established Australian furniture maker or even just a hobby craftsman, then don’t hesitate to check out our full selection of plywood and other wood composite materials suitable for furniture manufacturing.
Have any questions about any of the materials available in our range? Then get in touch online or by calling our friendly team at (03) 8353 2222.
