Glossary: Plywood

Contrary to to what some may think, plywood is not a four letter word in furniture construction.  When properly used, high quality (furniture grade) plywood offers a considerable advantage over solid wood construction for large panels like table and desk tops and the sides of large case goods.  People may think of construction grades when they encounter the word plywood.  These, made of soft cheap woods like fir and yellow pine, are great for building a house but totally unsuitable for fine furniture.

Furniture grade plywood uses thin layers of expensive hardwoods over multiple, alternating plys of less expensive hardwoods like oak, birch and apple.  This does not mean they are inexpensive. a 3/4" 4 foot by 8 foot sheet typically runs from $40.00 to over $100.00 depending on veneer species. These are solid core, meaning they have no voids inside like cheaper grades can, and the veneers are a little thicker than cabinet grade plywood, allowing for better staining.

The primary advantage of this material over solid wood construction is it does not warp or curl. 

For more details on this topic, visit Wood Magazine's Sheet Goods Selector