In a FH issue sometime within the last couple years, some pics showed kitchen cabs done with bamboo plywood as the face surface of everything. All the fronts, doors and drawerfronts, had vertical grain, and were of bamboo plywood.
Plyboo is one brand-named version of this material.
Has anyone done cabinets with this material as the fronts? If so, what can you report?
I know what it costs. I’m looking for info like flatness, stability, machining, etc.
Replies
We built a closet system out of it. I can tell you it isn't flat, is full of voids, changes radically with season, and gave me the nastiest splinter infections I've ever had.
Machines ok, very sharp blades required, burns easy. We did alot of routing which worked pretty well.
If I ever used it again I would look seriously at veneer instead. Failing that, I would try and wrap a 3/8 core of ply with 3/8 plyboo both sides. I would not count on it to hold flat. And forget any oversized or tall upper doors. Very poor results with tons of warpage, even after installing haefele plane-o-fit flattening rods.
After we were in both feet, had long conversation with several shops that use it. They told me all the things I would expect--smaller pieces, concealed joints and seams, vacuum glue to stable backer.
FWIW, I think the cost is out of wack, but primarily due to the low quality of the culling and glueing and assembly. More than one piece was trashed because of a void discovered in sizing.
I've seen one kitchen of it. I really liked the laminated edge look. Beautiful cabs... then I asked about the price of the ply. Whoa.
I went down to the lobby
To make a small call out.
A pretty dancing girl was there,
And she began to shout,
"Go on back to see the gypsy.
He can move you from the rear,
Drive you from your fear,
Bring you through the mirror.
He did it in Las Vegas,
And he can do it here."