How to make furniture from plywood

If you have never created items from plywood with your own hands, then it is worth thinking about it now. When buying finished products, there is an overpayment for assembly. And often when buying ready-made parts, we overpay for manual work on them. Creating manually from such affordable materials as plywood will be much cheaper.

Before you start making plywood furniture with your own hands, you should decide on the design of the structure. Perhaps you will find a suitable drawing on the Internet, or maybe you will draw it yourself. Familiarize yourself with the choice and processing of the material before starting work.

Choosing plywood

Plywood is made from thin layers of wood, called plies or veneers, glued together under heat and pressure, with each layer laid perpendicular to the next. It consists of three thin layers of wood bonded together with glue. Most manufacturers press the raw material into large flat sheets used in building construction. Other pieces can be formed into simple or complex shapes for use in furniture, boats, and airplanes.

The use of thin layers of lumber as a construction method dates back to 1500 BC, when the best Egyptian craftsmen tied thin pieces of ebony to a section of the cedar coffin used in the tomb of Tut-Ankh-Amun. This method was used by the Greeks and Romans to construct beautiful furniture and other items.

Raw materials

Plywood is made from hardwood, softwood, or a combination of both. Typical hardwoods include ash, maple, and oak. Composite plywood comes in the form of particle board or solid pieces of lumber.

The type of glue used to join the layers of wood depends on the specific application of the finished material. For softwood material, phenol-formaldehyde resin is usually used as the glue. For hardwood raw materials used in construction, urea-formaldehyde resin is usually used as the glue.

There are two main classes of the material, each with its own classification system. One class is known as construction or industrial grade. This class is used primarily for its strength and is rated by its impact resistance and veneer grade. The other class is known as decorative. Plywoods in this class are used primarily for their appearance and are graded in order of decreasing moisture resistance.

Dimensions

Typically, sheets have a thickness of 1.6 millimeters to 76 millimeters. The most common thicknesses are in the range of 6.4 millimeters to 19.0 millimeters.

Plywood processing

Whether you are a skilled woodworker, a carpenter or just an enthusiast who wants to create your own furniture, you will need to cut plywood or veneered wood. Learning to cut without tearing is not easy. It has different structures. Some types are very susceptible to splitting when processed. It does not really matter what cutting tool you use, because it is not about the cutting tool. Each cutting tool must be used in a specific way to cut without tearing.

How to Cut Plywood with a Jigsaw

Most DIY plywood cutters use a jigsaw because it is a cheap and readily available tool. The first thing you need to do is find the right blade for cutting plywood. The blades that come with a jigsaw are generally not suitable for cutting plywood.

But even with the best blade available, you can expect disappointment. There are a few tricks to avoid some of these quirks. You can mark the cutting line with a pencil, then use a utility knife and a ruler to cut the line, then cut with a jigsaw. Another trick is to put masking tape on both sides of the cutting lines, then cut through the tape with a jigsaw. In my experience, using the right blade with masking tape produces excellent results.

How to Cut Plywood with a Carpenter's Saw

If you work on a lot of woodworking projects, you probably have a table saw and use it to cut plywood. The most important thing is to choose the right blade. Try a blade with 80 teeth or more to ensure minimal tearing.

If you do not have a suitable blade, I recommend that you use a circular saw to ensure a clean cut. You must consider the sharpness of the cutter. No matter what blade you use, you will never achieve a clean cut. Make sure that the blades are completely free of resin, as resin greatly affects the performance, contributing to the tearing of the wood.

Your wood saw must be perfectly aligned when cutting. There is no trick that will help you save your material if the blade is not aligned.

How to Cut Plywood with a Circular Saw

When cutting with a circular saw, the blade must be suitable for the plywood sheet. I recommend using a blade with 80 teeth or more. When you use a circular saw, you do not need to worry about the underside of the plywood sheet because the tearing only occurs on the top side. This is the easiest way to get a clean cut.

The duct tape trick also works on a circular saw, but it may be easier to just make a light cut along the cutting line and then saw it off.

Is it possible to cut plywood with a handsaw?

The myth that you can't cut thin plywood or veneer with a handsaw is false. The truth is, most of you haven't even tried. But you can cut even large sheets.

When you cut plywood with a handsaw, don't rush. Small, slow cuts are the best way to cut plywood without tearing.

Features of material processing in the manufacture of kitchen furniture

The strength and durability of plywood are the reasons why many quality kitchen cabinets are made of plywood. Kitchen cabinets are subject to rapid wear and tear. They are opened and closed all day long. They are exposed to moisture, grease, heat, etc. Plywood can withstand all of this, which is why it is a good material to use for building things around the home.

If you decide to start making kitchen furniture – Consider such factors as the overall layout of the kitchen and the dampness of the room, which will spoil your design; correctly calculate the thickness of the doors used during construction.

Assembly

Prepare the space, preferably in the room where the furniture will be located. And remember that you will need to move freely around the structure during construction work. Choose a well-ventilated or open work area and place a tarp under the furniture.

Take inventory of the tools and materials you will need. Keep them close at hand.

Decide how the assembly process will take place. Draw a rough plan for connecting all the parts, this usually does not take much time. It also helps to better imagine the final version of the design and improve the design if necessary.

If you need a hammer to fasten 2 parts together, give preference to a rubber mallet.

Measure everything carefully. One mistake can lead to unnecessary expenses.

Decorating

Once the work is completed, you need to think about decorating the furniture. Here are the simplest tips.

1. Prepare the surface. Degrease and lightly sand the entire piece. Since the top veneer is usually smooth, you just need to lightly rub with a piece of sandpaper, remove dust with a brush and wipe with a damp cloth. This will remove any protruding wood fibers, improve the absorbency of the surface and remove excess varnish or paint, if there was any. Then cover with a primer and wait until dry, if you have not yet varnished or painted.
2. Add wheels. Casters add height and make it easy to move furniture. All you have to do is tighten the casters.
3. Remove the legs. Get rid of them for a more modern look.
4. Replace your door handles with nicer ones. (Before purchasing, make sure the new hardware will fit the holes.)
5. If you have created a bed, think about a beautiful headboard.

Change the color scheme, or match the room’s design. Hardwood plywood often has a smooth top veneer, making it easy to paint. Even laminated furniture can be painted, so if you’re not happy with the color, you can always change it. Paint from top to bottom. For a small piece of furniture, you can use a wide, flat-bristled brush, brushing from top to bottom. For a large, flat surface, like a tabletop, a paint roller provides a smoother finish than a brush and is easier to handle. Apply two coats of paint, allowing each coat to dry completely.

Regardless of your decorating scheme, you may want to paint the wood to highlight its natural features. If the furniture has a nice grain, use that stain and paint it with polyacrylic paint to highlight the beauty of the wood. This method works well with rustic or natural design themes.

Video: DIY Kitchen Made of Plywood