Do you know what sheet goods work best for shop fixtures? Or which ones excel in furniture construction? Armed with our information below, you'll be an instant expert.

Sheet Goods Selector 1

PARTICLEBOARD

Description: Wood shredded into tiny chips (essentially sawdust, often from waste wood), combined with adhesives, and then heated and compressed to form sheets.
Uses: Widely used as a substrate for flooring and countertops and for building inexpensive knockdown furniture and cabinetry. Also suitable for some shop fixtures.
Available Sizes: Sold in 4x8' ¹⁄₄ ", ¹⁄₂ ", ⁵⁄₈ ", ³⁄₄ ", 1", and 1¹⁄₈ " thicknesses. Half and quarter sheets are often available.
Common Grades: PBU—for floor underlayment. M-S, M-1, M-2, M-3 industrial grades are best for making shelving and countertops.
Pros: PBU grade is readily available and inexpensive. Particleboard cuts easily and is fairly stable.
Cons: Low stiffness, heavy, holds fasteners poorly, not moisture resistant.
Where to find it: Home centers carry ¹⁄₄ -³⁄₄ " PBU grade. "M" grades (mostly M-2) are found at building-material and millwork suppliers.
Price (³⁄₄ "x4x8', sheet unless noted): $12+ per sheet for PBU grade. "M" grade prices range about 20 percent higher.

MELAMINE

Description: Particleboard faced with paper impregnated with melamine resin, a type of plastic. Paper on low-cost types is simply adhered. Higher-cost sheets are thermally fused (essentially melted together).
Uses: Great for making cabinet carcases because it wipes clean easily. Use it, as well, for shop fixtures or to make an economical router-table top.
Available Sizes: Sold in 49x97" oversize sheets in ¹⁄₄ ", ¹⁄₂ ", ⁵⁄₈ ", and ³⁄₄ " thicknesses.
Common Grades: There are no standard grades for melamine, but there are "vertical" and "horizontal" types. Higher-priced sheets generally feature thermally fused coatings and are made with thicker paper.
Pros: It is inexpensive, readily available in a variety of colors and in wood-grain patterns, and has an easily cleaned surface. Also available with kraft paper or real-wood veneer on one face.
Cons: Melamine is not moisture resistant, heavy, edges chip easily when cutting unless you use blade designed for cutting laminates.
Where to find it: Home centers carry ¹⁄₂ " and ³⁄₄ " sheets, shelves, and closet parts. Colors other than white and patterned papers are available by special order.
Price (³⁄₄ "x4x8', sheet unless noted): $25+ for adhered-surface, vertical-grade white sheets common in home centers. Colors and wood-grain patterns cost slightly more. $40+ for thermally fused sheets.

HARDBOARD

Description: Ground wood pulp combined with resins and pressed into sheets. May be smooth on one or both faces.
Uses: Excellent for shop fixtures and jigs (especially the variety with two smooth faces) and benchtops. Use perforated hardboard for hanging tools.
Available Sizes: Available in two thicknesses: ¹⁄₈ " and ¹⁄₄ " in 4x8' sheets.
Common Grades: Service (2 green stripes), Standard (1 green stripe), Service-tempered (2 red stripes), Tempered (1 red stripe), S1S (smooth one side), S2S (smooth two sides)
Pros: Readily available, easy to cut, relatively stable, available with two smooth sides or one, takes paint well.
Cons: Standard and Service grades are susceptible to moisture, can't sand faces, flexible, edges easily damaged, holds fasteners poorly.
Where to find it: Home centers carry 4x8' sheets plus half and quarter sheets in standard and tempered grades. Look for the edge stripes.
Price $10 (¹⁄₄ " 4'x8', tempered). Perforated sheets are also available at a similar price.

Sheet Goods Selector 2

MEDIUM-DENSITY FIBERBOARD (MDF)

Description: Cellulose fibers combined with synthetic resin and formed under heat and pressure. Uses: Excellent for shop jigs and fixtures, cabinets, painted projects, molding and millwork, furniture, and as a substrate under veneer and plastic laminate.
Available Sizes: ¹⁄₄ ", ³⁄₈ ", ¹⁄₂ ", ⁵⁄₈ ", ³⁄₄ ", and ⁷⁄₈ " thicknesses in both 4x8' and 49x97" sheets.
Common Grades: One main grade: Industrial. Lower grades, which aren't commonly available, carry "B" or "shop" grade. Also classified by density: Medium-density (MD) is standard; low-density (LD) is a lightweight version.
Pros: Flat, no face or core voids, consistent thickness, glues easily, has machinable edges.
Cons: Heavy [100 lbs. per sheet in MD grade; low-density version (LD) weighs approximately 60 lbs.], standard wood screws hold poorly.
Where to find it: Home centers carry medium-density (MD) ³⁄₄ " sheets. Low-density (LD) is available through millwork suppliers and some hardwood retailers.
Price (³⁄₄ "x4x8', sheet unless noted): $20+ for both MD and LD.

SOFTWOOD PLYWOOD

Description: Face-glued layers of thin softwood veneer.
Uses: Outdoor projects (exterior rated), carpentry and construction, shop cabinets, substrates, underlayment for floors and countertops.
Available Sizes: ¹⁄₄ ", ⁵⁄₁₆ ", ¹¹⁄₃₂ ", ¹⁄₂ ", ⁵⁄₈ ", ²³⁄₃₂ ", and ³⁄₄ " thicknesses in 4x8' sheets.
Common Grades: Veneer grades: A, B, C, D. Panel grades: include sheathing and "Sturd-I-Floor." Exposure: Exterior, Exposure 1, Exposure 2, Interior.
Pros: Cheaper than hardwood plywood, readily available, face veneers can have a nice appearance in higher grades.
Cons: Built more for performance than appearance; thick plies reduce stiffness; interior plies may have voids, face veneers often patched.
Where to find it: All home centers and building-supply stores carry an array of softwood plywood for construction.
Price (³⁄₄ "x4x8', sheet unless noted): $25+ for A-C sanded, varies by type and material.

MEDIUM-DENSITY & HIGH-DENSITY OVERLAY PLYWOOD (MDO/HDO)

Description: Exterior-rated softwood plywood covered on both faces with resin-impregnated fiber (paper).
Uses: Used extensively for highway signs, great for outdoor projects, siding, painted projects, watercraft, cabinets, shop fixtures, and concrete forms.
Available Sizes: ¹⁄₄ ", ⁵⁄₁₆ ", ³⁄₈ ", ¹⁄₂ ", ⁵⁄₈ ", and ³⁄₄ " thicknesses in 4x8' sheets.
Common Grades: Follows softwood plywood grading. Face and back plies (which are covered with paper) rate as B grade or better, inner plies are C grade.
Pros: Resistant to weather and water, flat, smooth, surface is easily paintable, machines easily, and is very durable.
Cons: Not widely available, heavy.
Where to find it: Some home centers, wood specialty stores, sign shops.
Price (³⁄₄ "x4x8', sheet unless noted): $35+ for MDO, HDO costs slightly more.

Sheet Goods Selector 3

HARDWOOD PLYWOOD

Description: Veneers (softwood or hardwood) glued in layers with alternating grain, and covered with hardwood veneer.
Uses: The traditional sheet good of choice for everything from furniture and cabinets to wall paneling and boxes.
Available Sizes: ¹⁄₄ ", ¹⁄₂ ", and ³⁄₄ " are most common. Occasionally, you'll find ¹⁄₈ ", ³⁄₈ ", and ⁵⁄₈ " in some species.
Common Grades: Face: AA, A, B, C/D/E, Special. Back: 1, 2, 3, 4. Core: J, K, L, M. Panel types: Technical type, Type I, Type II (Type II most common for interior use.)
Pros: More stable and less expensive than solid wood, widely available, made in a variety of species, and with many choices for veneer matching on faces.
Cons: Thick sheets are heavy, exposed ply edges may mean you'll have to band with solid wood, thin face veneers (¹⁄₃₂ ") are easy
to sand through and damage.
Where to find it: Home centers carry a few species, such as oak, birch, maple. Turn to building suppliers and hardwood retailers for other species.
Price (³⁄₄ "x4x8', sheet unless noted): $35 to $100+. Prices vary greatly due to species, face and back grades, ply count, and cut of veneer. A/2 or B/2 is reasonably priced and suitable for furniture.

BALTIC AND FINNISH BIRCH

Description: Made from ultra-thin (¹⁄₁₆ "), void-free birch veneers. Finnish birch is like Baltic, but is made with exterior adhesive for outdoor use.
Uses: Use to create shop jigs and fixtures, cabinets, drawer sides, furniture, and as a substrate.
Available Sizes: In millimeters: 4 (¹⁄₈ "), 6.5 (¹⁄₄ "), 9 (³⁄₈ "), 12 (¹⁄₂ "), 15 (⁵⁄₈ "), and 18 (³⁄₄ ") in 60x60" sheets.
Common Grades: No standardized grades, but manufactured with void-free plies and face veneers carrying a grade of B or better.
Pros: Stiff, stable, consistent thickness, no voids, nice-looking edge, holds screws.
Cons: Hard to find, costly, odd (60x60") size sheet, available only with birch face.
Where to find it: Woodworking-supply stores, hardwood retailers, mail-order catalogs (small sizes).
Price (³⁄₄ "x4x8', sheet unless noted): $45+ for standard-size 60x60" sheets.

APPLEPLY

Description: American version of Baltic birch with alder and birch core plies and quality veneer faces. Birch face is standard, other woods available.
Uses: Same uses as Baltic above, plus applications where a fine-hardwood face veneer is needed.
Available Sizes: Available in ¹⁄₄ ", ³⁄₈ ", ¹⁄₂ ", ³⁄₄ ", 1", and 1¹⁄₄ " thicknesses, in 4x8' sheets.
Common Grades: No standardized grades, but manufactured with void-free plies and face veneers carrying a grade of B or better.
Pros: Stiff, stable, void-free, nice-looking edge, holds screws, offers a variety of face veneers.
Cons: Difficult to find, costly, requires large order to get optional veneers.
Where to find it: You'll find distributor information at www.statesind.com [4].
Price (³⁄₄ "x4x8', sheet unless noted): $50+.

Bendable Plywood

BENDABLE PLYWOOD

Price (³⁄₄ "x4x8', sheet unless noted): $35+ (¹⁄₈ " 4'x8' sheet).
Description: Plywood with a single face veneer and core plies with all grain running perpendicular to face to allow cross-grain bending.
Uses: Used mostly as a substrate for building cabinets, etc., with rounded corners. Sheets with clear face veneers are suitable for furniture.
Available Sizes: ¹⁄₈ " and ³⁄₈ " are common, though thicker sheets are produced. Sold in 4x8' sheets.
Common Grades: Able to conform to tight radii without splitting or cracking with no need for kerf-bending or steaming.
Pros: Flexibility allows radiused corners, decorative shapes.
Cons: Not designed for structural use, quality of face veneer varies greatly.
Where to find it: Building-supply stores and hardwood retailers.