I'm in the kitchen show room looking at cabinets but how can you tell if the
box construction is plywood or particleboard when both has a nice veneer and
the edges are not visible?

"# Fred #" wrote in message

I'm in the kitchen show room looking at cabinets but how can you tell if
the
box construction is plywood or particleboard when both has a nice veneer
and
the edges are not visible?

You can ask, but looking at the back edges of side panels and partitions
will usually allow you to see the un-veneered material.

IME, you would be hard pressed to find anyone in the manufactured cabinet
business who bothers to veneer the back edges of panels that will never be
seen.

YMMV ...

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 1/06/07

Look in the shelf oin holes

# Fred # wrote:
I'm in the kitchen show room looking at cabinets but how can you tell if the
box construction is plywood or particleboard when both has a nice veneer and
the edges are not visible?

Look in the shelf pin holes

# Fred # wrote:
I'm in the kitchen show room looking at cabinets but how can you tell if the
box construction is plywood or particleboard when both has a nice veneer and
the edges are not visible?

Swingman wrote:
"# Fred #" wrote in message

I'm in the kitchen show room looking at cabinets but how can you tell if
the
box construction is plywood or particleboard when both has a nice veneer
and
the edges are not visible?

You can ask, but looking at the back edges of side panels and partitions
will usually allow you to see the un-veneered material.

IME, you would be hard pressed to find anyone in the manufactured cabinet
business who bothers to veneer the back edges of panels that will never be
seen.

If you can't get to the back of the cabinet, see if shelf holes were
used. Most 32 mm sytems will drill holes which aren't always used.
With a $ 375.00 flashlight *G*, you will be able to peek inside the
hole and see if it is PC or ply.
Knocking on it with your knuckle will tell the difference too, but you
have to know what the different sounds are. PC is a much duller thud..
plywood often has a bit of a 'ring' to it..subtle as the 'b' in the
word subtle.
Also, where the cabinet hangs over the kick, feel underneath ...the
gable bottom...nobody edgebands down there.

"# Fred #" wrote in message
. ..
I'm in the kitchen show room looking at cabinets but how can you tell if
the box construction is plywood or particleboard when both has a nice
veneer and the edges are not visible?

Hole saw and cordless drill.

"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message
et...

"# Fred #" wrote in message
. ..
I'm in the kitchen show room looking at cabinets but how can you tell if
the box construction is plywood or particleboard when both has a nice
veneer and the edges are not visible?

Hole saw and cordless drill.


And I'll end up buying the display units. LOL!

I may be old fashion. I still use sound as a non-destructive test. If I
knock with my knuckles or a mallet first on particleboard then on plywood,
the responding echo is not the same. Once my ears are tuned to the sound of
particleboard, plywood with soft and hardwood core and solid wood I can then
make up the difference. This is more so when there are voids in plywood
core or fibreglass. This approach is still in use when surveying boats.
Some pro are using a Mechanics’ listening tool (Stethoscope).

To be 100% sure a destructive test is the best. Some have a core drill to
extract a carrot sample and to look at it. When lots of money is involved
its worth doing... The hole (may be about ¼ ID) can always be filled with
an appropriate plug.





"# Fred #" wrote in message
. ..

"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message
et...

"# Fred #" wrote in message
. ..
I'm in the kitchen show room looking at cabinets but how can you tell if
the box construction is plywood or particleboard when both has a nice
veneer and the edges are not visible?

Hole saw and cordless drill.


And I'll end up buying the display units. LOL!

writes:

I may be old fashion. I still use sound as a non-destructive test. If I
knock with my knuckles or a mallet first on particleboard then on plywood,
the responding echo is not the same. Once my ears are tuned to the sound of
particleboard, plywood with soft and hardwood core and solid wood I can then
make up the difference. This is more so when there are voids in plywood
core or fibreglass. This approach is still in use when surveying boats.
Some pro are using a Mechanics’ listening tool (Stethoscope).

To be 100% sure a destructive test is the best. Some have a core drill to
extract a carrot sample and to look at it. When lots of money is involved
its worth doing... The hole (may be about ¼ ID) can always be filled with
an appropriate plug.


Someone may already have drilled some holes in the thing. Look around
screw holes or hinge holes and see if enough of the core is exposed
anywhere that you can tell what is inside it. The canibinet has to have
some hinges on it somewhere!

Someone may already have drilled some holes in the thing. Look around
screw holes or hinge holes and see if enough of the core is exposed
anywhere that you can tell what is inside it. The canibinet has to have
some hinges on it somewhere!


Bingo, big European hinge holes! Now only if have an invisible cordless
screw gun.

On Sun, 21 Jan 2007 14:33:26 -0800, "# Fred #"
wrote:

Someone may already have drilled some holes in the thing. Look around
screw holes or hinge holes and see if enough of the core is exposed
anywhere that you can tell what is inside it. The canibinet has to have
some hinges on it somewhere!


Bingo, big European hinge holes! Now only if have an invisible cordless
screw gun.

I always have such on my person. It's called a "Swiss Army Knife",
the "Cybertool" version. Not quite invisible, but definitely up to
the task of pulling a screw to examine the construction.