Carpentry and Woodworking - PLYWOOD Doors ????

I need help.
Can I use 3/4" plywood as doors????? I would like to use 2'x8' plywood sections as doors. Would they warp, deform etc....????
Neil

I would use an MDF core for the doors. It will stay alot flatter.

Yes, they will warp. If you want the doors to be as thin as possible, you might have better luck using particle board (looks like glued sawdust). Don't confuse it with OSB (oriented strand board / wafer board). The problem with particle board is that it doesn't hold screws very well (such as a hinge screw) and it breaks easily.

Another material is called MDF (medium density fiberboard) it's commonly available in 1/2" or 3/4" sheets, but it's SUPER heavy.

Not sure what you're doing, but some people will make a door frame out of 2x4's, overlap them at the corners, then glue and screw thin plywood (1/4") on both sides like a sandwich. This usually eliminates the warping problem, provided your 2x4s stay straight, and gives you something a little beefier to put a hinge on.

I would use an MDF core for the doors. It will stay alot flatter.


Thank you for your reply. Idea was to make a closet and use plywood as doors ( since nothing out there that I like and stuff that I like too expensive )

I want to use Plywood because I want to stain them. Would it work if I use 1/2" playwood with decorative 1/2" angle metal as edging????
Would it help to keep it flat ????

Yes, they will warp. If you want the doors to be as thin as possible, you might have better luck using particle board (looks like glued sawdust). Don't confuse it with OSB (oriented strand board / wafer board). The problem with particle board is that it doesn't hold screws very well (such as a hinge screw) and it breaks easily.

Another material is called MDF (medium density fiberboard) it's commonly available in 1/2" or 3/4" sheets, but it's SUPER heavy.

Not sure what you're doing, but some people will make a door frame out of 2x4's, overlap them at the corners, then glue and screw thin plywood (1/4") on both sides like a sandwich. This usually eliminates the warping problem, provided your 2x4s stay straight, and gives you something a little beefier to put a hinge on.

Thank you. I want something that I could stain and look good too.
Neil

Closet doors? Perhaps 1/2" or 3/4" oak fibercore would work. You would have to band the cut edges, but it would work fine, I think. It would stain up nice and stay relatively warp-free. It's also very heavy, so you'd need a beefy track if you're hanging the doors from the top.

Thank you for your reply. Idea was to make a closet and use plywood as doors ( since nothing out there that I like and stuff that I like too expensive )

I want to use Plywood because I want to stain them. Would it work if I use 1/2" playwood with decorative 1/2" angle metal as edging????
Would it help to keep it flat ????

That's a neat idea, it takes care of the edge. More likely use metal channel, which is commonly available for edging sheet material. Use the thick stuff (3/4" outside). It may complicate the installation of hardware though.

The metal channel will stay straight but the door may still twist out a bit at a corner. If that happens (and I doubt it will), and the doors are double then you can use some cheap alignment guides sold for double bifold doors, which keep the doors flush when they meet.

They'll almost certainly warp. You MAY have some luck with higher veneer plywood (7-9 veneers), but the standard stuff is just waiting for you to try it. :eek:

Metal 'channels' will work only if they're welded at the corners - otherwise, they'll just move with the plywood.

You should be able to go to a lumber yard and get MDF "Core". That means the core of the wood is MDF, but there is a thin piece of "Real Wood Veneer" on the outside of both sides that can be stained, since it's real wood.

It will cost you more than a home depot veneer core ply, but it has very little chance of warping. All in what you're willing to spend.

You can use the veneer core from depot, make two doors. One top, one bottom.

Or, if you want, you can cut two pieces, one top, one bottom, and then put a wooden spline between them to make the length you need, but there will still be chances of warping.

They sell what is called "Ultra Light MDF", but it's only MDF and the weight of a sheet of plywood.

Metal 'channels' will work only if they're welded at the corners - otherwise, they'll just move with the plywood.
I was thinking the same but didn't want to get into it, then. A picture framer's solution for joining large metal frames is to insert a clip into the channel, then put a screw through the other piece and into the clip, drawing the joint together. The floating panel can then expand without opening the joint. A suitable "clip" for this closet door project could be a blob of epoxy, which is then drilled through with the assembled metal to accept a screw. I've done similar for large hanging signs (3'x7', 5/8" ply) in a supermarket, and it holds up to abuse well enough. Ask me about more picky details if you choose to go this route, NRA.