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Looking at building a fitted shelving unit (books, TV etc) for a friend
They don't like the idea of laminate faced boards, or birch ply, the scale and proportions don't really favour solid timber and the timescale doesn't really suit gluing up numerous panels - but a timber, rather than ply look-feel is something they'd like. In the past for smaller projects there was a slim beech-stave work top that IKEA sold that was about an inch thick, was cheap, and worked really nicely as stable, attractive, easy to finish board for making stuff out of.
But they don't sell it any more and and if they did the units are to be 400mm deep so there would be a lot of wastage using 600mm boards.
Trying to think if there are any other engineered / stave / glue-lam type materials that are slim (about 25-30mm) and either close to 400mm wide or in sheets that 400mm could be cut from economically
3 rips out of a sheet of fair faced ply?
Stick some timber edging on it ?
edit: Poor reading comprehension on my part. Nae ply. As you were.
that was my first though - or veneered board. But theres a different quality to solid / stave type boards and it would be nice to deviate from standard ply/sheet thicknesses
(I think I'm just mourning the passing of those Ikea boards though too - they were dead useful - if I'd known they'd get discontinued I'd have stockpiled a load)
Wickes used to do blockboard in that sort of width. It was nasty cheap white pine though.
Or other worktop manufacturers may do similar in island width
Would glued Furniture Board do? Various widths and lengths available from builder merchants, timber yards and of course, B&Q. IIRC, they are about 3/4" thickness, although 22-25mm is also available somewhere
How about engineered floorboards? Square shouldered, 200mm wide and 15mm deep. Join on the T/G. Tack and glue the ply sides. Cut your shelf shape. Fill, sand and finish the join. Face the visible cut side with that oak veneer strip that kitchen fitters use. If you’re reasonably observant with grains, by the time you’ve sanded and filled the join, it’ll be barely visible. Especially if you buy prime boards.
Hmmm, that may all be a bit more time-consuming than it’s worth - if it’s a mates-rates job. 😀
Veneered MDF, if your after thicker than 18 mm I would kregg a solid lipping on and use another panel to cover the fixings, with packers if necessary to make up the desired thickness.
You will have to buy from a proper timber and sheet supplier, not BQ etc. Oak, black walnut, cherry, pine are pretty easy to source.
Pretty sure 22,25,30mm is available, but its ages since I've used it if you want a solid panel with lip/edging. Sheets will be 2440x1220.
something nicer than pine would good but 'glued furniture board' gives me a new search term so thats handy!
Hadn't thought about wider worktops (island width) - looks like they are typically 900 wide (so still a bit of waste when ripping them down - will see if anyone makes ones from thinner blocks
actually - some 27mm red pine furniture board looks like it could be alright
What's the reason for not using solid timber? Small and specialist sawmills could easily cut to those dimensions from whatever they can get their hands on. Did some quite deep Yew boards for a kitchen worktop with our sawyer and single boards for doors.
Widest in our store currently is only 370mm, beech originally destined for floor boards, but never collected and a few pieces of Douglas Fir.
I'm guessing solid timber boards out due to cost? As above lots of local places have appropriate size boards available to rip down.
As something a bit different how about scaffold boards? Though may require 2 glued for full width.
I’m guessing solid timber boards out due to cost?
cost and quantity really - its a unit that will fill the whole end wall of a room - floor to ceiling. So a sources of enough boards that are the required width, and seasoned, and not keen to twist or split would one the issue. That and given the timescales involved it wants to be a material thats fairly close to its final finish
Doubled up scaff boards could be an option - poss a bit too chunky, aesthetically speaking though
I know you said no ply, but that is the best thing to make something that size from, and just trim with some nice timber edging to finish it off. If its going to be used for shelving and storage then they won't even see it really. If you can't get ply in the veneer style you want you could always purchase the veneer and glue it to the ply yourself. If you have a roller for it then it's not too difficult, I have made a work/tabletop doing that before.