I need some help, I can't decide what to make a set if small bookcases out of. They will be in our living room, painted white to match the mantle, trim, and mouldings. Should I go with birch plywood, a nice pine ply, oak? I am torn and need some help. Any input greatly appreciated
I would suggest birch ply as it takes paint quite well and is generally reasonably priced. If you are adding a solid wood face frame you could use birch, maple, or poplar if it is cheaper in your area. All of these are durable and take paint well. I'd stay away from knotty pine as the knots would need to be sealed, and I would also avoid oak because the graininess of the wood makes it a less desirable wood for a painted project (either of these would work, but would require more prep than the other choices).
Thanks guys. Looks like I'll be using birch ply, and some trim or edge banding for the edges. Thanks for all the quick replies. I'll post up pics in a week or so when I get them together and painted. Thanks again
I'd go with poplar for painted projects for 2 reasons. One, you don't have hide the ends of it like you do w/ plywood; and two, it is not resinous or knotty like cheap pine. A third choice would be clear pine but that will likely cost more than the poplar depending on your local sources. Books are heavy and plywood shelves nearly always have to be reinforced with solid wood to keep them from sagging. In the end it is better to just use solid wood for at least the shelves.
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