"Swingman" wrote in message
news.com...
Ever seen an antique, museum piece with veneered sides and top? The basic
principles are virtually identical with using ply's of wood (plywood) to
gain dimensional stability on certain parts or assemblies, particularly
when
adding inlay patterns.

IMO, quality plywood, properly cut and correctly used, in no way cheapens
a
piece any more than "veneer" does.

I just finished a walnut coffee table for a customer. The top, eight
sided,
has a 1/4" strip of cherry between the 1/2" thick walnut edge and the
walnut
plywood top. It would have been very difficult to make this work without
the
dimensional stability of a plywood or veneered top. A solid wood top would
just about guarantee gaps in the "inlay" at the joints within the first
year.

There is undoubtedly much value in the material, but a "solid wood" piece
that falls apart in 10 years will have no value, regardless of the
material.

This is a good point. If it isn't there, what good is it?


BTW, be careful what you call "solid wood" ... most furniture stores class
plywood as "solid wood" these days, just as they would veneer.

I guess when I picture plywood I see some nasty stuff from Home Depot next
to the two by fours. Is the plywood used in furniture different from "that"
stack? (I know there are several stacks, but I hope you understand what I
mean.)