Plywood

Incomparison with solid wood construction of furniture, using plywood is muchmore efficient as a use of wood.

•   Furniture grade plywood is manufactured specifically to beused as an exposed, visual, attractive, finished surface.

•   One type of furniture grade plywood is called ‘Baltic Birch’plywood.

•   Baltic Birch plywood is made of 7, or 15, layers of birch,each layer turned 90 degrees from the previous layer. Baltic Birch plywood ismade in sheets that are 5’ x 5’.

•   This yields a piece of plywood that is very stable, visuallyrefined, and without voids in the layers.

• Metals

Metals are used to makeparts, such as legs, frames, and table bases, and as a primary material foroffice furniture, kitchen cabinetry, utility shelving, and storage units.

•   Steel in the form of rods, tubing, and sheets is the mostused metal for furniture.

•   Aluminum in the form of tubes, and formed sections, such asangles, channels, and T’s is used for cast legs, frames, and small parts.

•   Metal office furniture and utility files, cabinets, andshelves are made of sheet steel. 

•   The sheets are cut, and then bent to form box shapes, or withbent flanges (edges) used to make shelves or tops.

•   The gauge (thickness) of the sheet metal is an importantfactor in determining the quality of a piece. Sheet metal that is too thin will not hold up well.  Thicker sheet metal is stronger, will lastlonger, and will resist denting and deforming.

• Plastics 

• Plastics used in furniture

PlasticLaminates:  are composed of layers ofheavy paper impregnated with melamine resin.

•   Acrylics: such as Plexiglas and Lucite, resemble glass intheir transparency, but can be made translucent and colored, and opaque.  Acrylics can be bent and molded into curvedshapes.

•   Molded Plastics: such as styrene, polyethylene, nylon, andvinyl, are often made into small parts, such as glides, rollers, edge trim, anddrawer pulls.

•   Fiberglass:  a hybridmaterial in which glass fibers are embedded in a molded polyester resin.  Used to make custom auto body parts and smallboat hulls.