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Leon[_6_] Leon[_6_] is offline
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Default Is Plain/Flat Sawn Plywood Veneer Worth It?


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I don't think the striping problem depends on the way the wood is
sawn. In my kitchen they used flat sawn oak plywood for the doors and
you can clearly see dramatic contrasts in the color that result from
the book matching. The contrast is visible in the normal kitchen
lighting. I recently worked on a cabinet where when I went to
arrange the wood (quarter sawn cherry) I discovered that if I turned a
board end for end the color would change dramatically. To get the
colors to match I had to keep the boards oriented the same direction
they were in the tree. If I flipped one over (book match) I would get
a color contrast unless I also turned it end for end. I suspect that
all non-rotary plywood is book matched, so it'll all have this
problem.


This problem mostly exists because of the way light reflects back off off
and or out of the grain. Typically book matched pieces have the grain
pointing in mirrored dirrections also. Actually you can often see regular
hard woods change from light to dark and back again if you spin the wood
360 degrees and or walk around the piece.
I have found that if you stain the pieces the light and dark is much less
dramatic if noticeable at all. Clear unobstructive finishes that do not
stain the wood tend to exagerate the light and dark patterns.