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Cabinets, Furniture, Woodworks/baltic birch plywood finishing

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Expert: - 10/1/2010


Question
I am trying to make table tops from 1/2" Baltic birch plywood.  It seems flat when I get it from the lumber yard.  After painting (both sides) my painter stands each piece on end to dry.  Drying might take several days.  Most of the dry painted pieces have a slight warp afterwards.  My painter tells me that if I stack them flat for a period of time, they might return to flat.  Is it the painting that warps them?  Or the vertical standing that allows them to warp?  Will it come out if stacked flat?
Thanks
Scott

Answer
Hey Scott, there's really no way to end up with flat panels, even from the main stack when you buy them, they typically aren't flat.... especially 1/2". Wetting the surface with paint and then having each side dry independently is causing it to warp a little more...but the way the plywood is made is also responsible..the plies are arranged perpendicularly to each other, and each ply exerts a little tension on the panel...if you haven't designed some sort of frame to hold the panels flat, you won't be able to produce a flat surface, a thicker plywood will resist this more, but, again, typically there needs to be some frame or structure...plywoods also differ in quality, (and number of plies, species, etc), and cheaper plywoods with less plies or of a softer or inferior species, will be more prone to not being flat. A Baltic Birch or similar panel, has many plies, and the quality control and controls in the factory are such that they can produce a much higher quality and more stable panel...albeit at a substantially higher cost as well.(the old "you get what you pay for" adage)....there are many qualities and kinds of panel goods available, I would stay away from the Home centers and such and find a plywood retailer...but even with that a 1/2" sheet that will be and stay perfectly flat is not a reality...you would likely be better off with a panel of MDF...but still, one needs to follow established construction techniques to allow for a flat surface, meaning a frame, apron, or some type of substructure to hold the panels flat. Hope that helps- Regards- Greg

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Greg Scholl

Expertise

Questions on Woodworking, wood finishing and refinishing of all kinds, repairing furniture and wooden objects, Architectural details, Woodturning, carving, tool usage, product usage, some chemistry as it applies to woodworking and related interests,cabinet making and furniture construction/design, etc. I have experience with all manners of colorants, finishes, paints, stains, dyes, glazes, and coatings, wood species recognition and usage,tool recommendations, blade types and recommendation,techniques and methods for many Woodworking related issues, etc.

Experience

Fine furniture restorer and cabinet maker for over 30 years,serving high end Antique dealers, Interior designers, Collectors in the CT area. Consulting for area Painting/Decorating and Building contractors on non painting issues..(staining, wood prep.,clear finishing, floor restoration and architectural detail restoration and repair, etc.) Sold, built, serviced, setup Home, Industrial, and Commercial stationary woodworking tools for a major tool retailer in CT. for three years, sold hand and power tools , provided knowledge, parts replacement, service, and on site service, Trade show Demo, and training as well.

Publications
Published in Fine Woodworking Magazine (12/97), included on Fine Woodworkings first "Best of Fine Woodworking" CD-ROM (2002) ...("27 year compilation of expert know-how")

Education/Credentials
Art School at Silvermine Guild in Norwalk, CT., 9 year apprenticeship in a European run Cabinet and Restoration shop in CT., various classes on subjects having to do with the field. Seminars from major Tool manufacturers, Skil/Bosch, Delta, Powermatic, Ritter, Porter cable, Milwaukee, Dewalt/B&Decker, Performax.

Past/Present Clients
Many varied clients including work on Martha Stewarts' Westport, CT. show house, many fine Antique dealers and private collectors in and around Fairfield County and in Woodbury, CT. (the Antiques capital of CT.), Golden Age of Trucking Museum, Wilton Historical Society.

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