Had my doubts about using prefinished plywood for face frames, but I gave it a shot on a kitchen job in Columbus last week

I always figured glue and finish would never look right on something that wasn't sanded and sealed together, but I tried it on a tight timeline and honestly the seams barely show. The big trick was using a really sharp blade and taking my time on the setup. Has anyone else switched over for small projects or am I just getting lazy?

3 comments

3 Comments

oliverhernandez16d agoMost Upvoted

Actually that trick with the sharp blade makes a huge difference, but you gotta watch out for tearout on the prefinished stuff since the factory coating can chip easy. I learned that the hard way when I tried to rush through a bathroom cabinet build and ended up with little white flakes all along the cut line. A zero-clearance insert on the tablesaw really helps keep those edges clean if you're doing a lot of these.

linda_dixon4916d ago

Ngl that zero clearance tip is gold. I had the same white chip disaster on a pantry job last fall and swore off prefinished until I figured out the blade setup the hard way.

rose_reed16d ago

Oh yeah I learned that lesson after my miter saw went full confetti mode on a brand new sheet of maple ply.