# How to straighten bowed plywood?



## cjake35 (Jul 28, 2008)

I am going to build a 5' high 26" wide cabinet. Am planning to use 3/4" plywood, or something close for the sides. I would prefer not to use MDF because of the weight.

Plywood often comes with a slight bow.
How can I straighten and keep straight the plywood sides so the door will fit evenly along the sides?

Appreciate any thoughts. Thanks, Carl


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## mdlbldrmatt135 (Dec 6, 2006)

Most good cabinet grade sheets of Ply are pretty darn straight......


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## Boardman (Sep 9, 2007)

I don't know exactly how you're building it, but can you use the shelves to draw it straight? Is one ply side straight?


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

It's entirely possible to get straight plywood. But, if you have your doubts, rabbet the back to accept a 1/4" plywood back, and that would offer support to keep the back edges straight.

For the front edges, make a face frame to be glued to the front edges, and that would provide support. With either a frameless or face frame front, using an overlay door will obscure obvious deflection to some degree.

If you do get a flat sheet, proper handling and storage of the sheet and any panels you cut out will help keep them flat.


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## goingenoan (May 24, 2008)

Here is one more tip: don't buy the "made in China" birch cabinet grade ply sold at Home Depot. I tried using some of this to make a built-in closet in hopes of saving money. I spent quite a bit of time sorting through a stack of 4x8 sheets to find some fairly straight stuff but as soon as I cut it up the stuff just turned into potatoe chip shaped junk! :wallbash: Some of it I could pull straight with fixed shelves but not very easily and not without a lot of sweating and cussing And it seemed the smaller the stuff was cut the more deformed it became :furious: And to top it all off the veneer seemed very brittle and if I wasn't very careful large chunks would break off on the corners and edges.
The lesson learned: buy the best you can afford!

__________________________

Work to live not live to work!:yes:


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## mmwood_1 (Oct 24, 2007)

Cabinetman's suggestions will work for the front and back edges just fine. Fixed shelving will do the trick across the width. However, if you don't want fixed shelving, and you don't want a face frame, then you probably have to find yourself some good, flat sheets. It's pretty hard to flatten bowed ply, except by fastening it securely to something straight and strong.


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## firehawkmph (Apr 26, 2008)

Going...,
I am surprised to hear you had trouble with the hd made in china plywood. I have used this for the last few years on different cabinet projects and never had any problems with it. The plywood at our local hd was maple veneered. With the exception of the top piece or too being scuffed from people handling it, the rest has always seemed nice, and straight. I still have cutoff in my shop from months ago and it didn't bow. Is your shop dry? Maybe your hd is getting some bad wood. 
Mike Hawkins:yes:


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