Glossary:
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In this age of "engineered wood" products you'll be hard pressed to find anyone who doesn't use veneered plywood for the panels in their frame & panel case goods. But you've found one here! 
Instead of the veneered plywood, we carefully joint and edge-glue solid hardwood pieces together to form a panel without visible seams, then plane the panel down to the required thickness so it is even and smooth. This takes considerably more time than simply cutting a piece of plywood and popping it in the slot, but the result is a piece of furniture that uses "Old World' construction in its panels as well as its joinery. Aside from the aesthetic benefits, this also makes scratches to these panels as easily repaired as those to any other solid wood parts. No worries of sanding through the thin veneer and ruining the panel! We also use solid poplar or maple instead of plywood for drawer boxes. We do use the furniture grade Birch plywood for bottoms of large drawers and veneered plywood (again only the finest grade) for the back panel of large pieces like an armoire or entertainment center, if it is not being built using frame & panel construction. (To save on costs, some people elect to forego the frame & panel on a large back plate that no one will see anyway.) In these instances, the plywood is acceptable because of the strength and stability it offers, as well as the cost savings. Even in antique pieces you will find plywood being used in these places for these very reasons. But, back then plywood was very expensive. Therefore, it was used only in critical areas like backs and curved panels. These days using plywood -- or in low end brands, embossed plastic covered particle board -- costs less and is quicker than constructing solid wood panels and so it is used extensively in mass produced furniture. |