DON'T USE 3/4" PLYWOOD If You Don't Need It...TRY THIS! (1/2" Plywood Vs. 3/4" Plywood--When to Use) 

Hope you didn't go with an ARM. The lower rates are tempting I know but you can really get stuck 3 or 4 years down the road when the interest rates rise - then you may lose your whole piece of plywood to foreclosure.

don't miss the payments and your credit report will take off like a rocket on that !!!

Very good.

We’re working on our credit score.... started by applying for a drink at Starbucks You gotta start somewhere, right?!?

Congratulations that’s not easy with the condition of our economy , not only is the price of wood crazy expensive but with the way the government is printing money and giving it away to every special interest group that piece of 1/2 plywood may cost 710.00 dollars .

Good grief…😩

And I hope I never get sooo good that I can no longer learn from a master.

🤣 You made my morning thanks!

Ha...I just caught on 😀

🤣🤣🤣

She was wanting more, not less.

Good one! 😂

I now make my living with wood (previously just a keen hobbyist), but I'd be lost without my table saw. I guess you break down sheet goods with a track saw or handheld circular now? I made a pocket hole jig a few years ago, and has been handy on occasion, though at some point I would like to properly explore its usage, especially with dowels, or maybe also utilising my domino machine. I like the build method of IKEA furniture, so maybe one day.

Exactly what i wanted to know. Tips on 1/2 inch joinery using pocket hole jig. Or other methods.

Exactly what I wanted to know as well. I'm going to be building a pantry and want to use pocket holes. I'll be storing large amounts of flour as well so 1/2" just won't cut it. I made bookshelves out of 1/2" when I was a young person and that didn't work out well with heavy leather books.

@@annyeongdreamz24 I've been using basic #8x3/4 pan-head wood screws bought in bulk at a local hardware supplier instead of Kreg pocket screws. I like to use rabbited joints on intersections and drawer boxes so I get more grain contact. And I ALWAYS use glue. Remember, the majority of the joint strength comes from the glue. Watch this test on different types of joints - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-CE147Ow7RmM.html

figured that out a few times. haha

Pocket holes suck for just about everything. They are a crutch for people who don't know real carpentry. Carpentry got along for centuries without them and most of the stuff being made with them won't last more than a decade.

That’s a very good point, Alipasha!

Anne, if you can... dumpster diving at a construction site can yield useful materials. I pulled good materials from a dumpster which was placed at the curbside of a city street, so there was no trespassing issue.

TIP: learn “Sketchup” modeling & design software. It will help you A TON. You can virtually design i.e. desk and know up front if each piece will fit correctly before ever buying/wasting lumber. In addition, it will print out all the dimensions, plans, and many other features. A lot of people are not aware that it’s designed for woodworking (and MANY other areas) not just houses, etc. Also, the great thing is it’s not too difficult to learn and use (unlike other programs that can be very challenging and frustrating). There’s A LOT of resources, community, and learning materials available (large amount for FREE).

I’m trying to clear space to be able to make my first French cleat wall and wondered if it would make sense to use 3/4” for the cleats and 1/2” for the containers? I’d be doing it partly to save some money, but like Ethan said, stuff in 1/2” looks more elegant. If built right, 1/2” should be plenty strong for the containers, right?

Look into small boat building techniques Tack and Tape, And Stitch and Glue. You can use 1/4"! Also, PMF, poor man's fiberglass...

Thank you for watching, Sundra! I’ve had many great clients over the years who celebrate Navrathri 😄

@@pachinkotronkfollo1075 I like using maranti, better than using pine because it is easier to finish, although you can use pine if you want to paint it.

You’re welcome, Miss Kim! After years of lugging around 3/4”, it won’t even feel like work when you build with 1/2” 🙂

There's a saying in engineering. Anyone can build a bridge that'll stand. But it takes an engineer to build a bridge that will barely stand. I think the 1/2" plywood builds fall into that same category. I, too, recently found out (just because of the cost) that 1/2" plywood is pretty damn strong and useful. And if worse comes worse, you can glue it up and get a 1" material (well, 1/16th short of 1")

Well said.

Miss Kim - what's the cardboard trick, plz?

​@@bethanyanderson1745 ​Oh, things slide along cardboard more easily, so if you have carpet, or even on hardwood or stone, you can put cardboard under the legs, even bring it up around the legs and tape it on if you need to, and the furniture/heavy thing usually slides more easily, or if you have a big enough sheet of it, you can tug the sheet of cardboard itself, and if I were outside on a sort of rocky/uneven surface, I would put a few layers down and slide things along, some to cover the ground, some under the feet of the object itself. They sell those plastic “magic sliders” to go under the feet of furniture but cardboard is usually enough. Sometimes I also “walk” the item, tipping and twisting it from leg to leg or side to side as I go along, or flipping it end over end, protecting the object itself of course. with an uneven surface, you just want a way to make it more even so things don’t stick and get stuck and be hard to move, so cardboard or a sheet of wood or a combination of both can help get things past rough ground. I do a lot of work alone, so you have to get creative sometimes when moving heavy things, and think in terms of evening out the rough or uneven surfaces, making them smooth and slippery, without slipping yourself of course, and in terms of leverage. I don’t know how many kids still use a seesaw or a teeter totter, depending on what part of the country you’re from, but it’s a good way for them to learn how to lift heavy things more easily. Then of course another method on smooth surfaces is a few round wooden rods, like closet rod. If you can get the item up under the rod and get another one under the other end, and have a couple more, you can create “rollers“. Then as you move the item forward, you take the back one and put it towards the front so it has something to move onto, and you just keep rolling it forward along the rods, they become “wheels”. If it’s not super heavy, PVC pipe works as well. If it’s a fairly straight line you are going in, this method works pretty well. Then of course there are the “forearm forklifts”, and they work pretty well, managed to make use of them on my own, they are designed for two people to use together. Just always bend and lift at the knees, and your L4/L5 well thank you, that’s the part of the spine that goes first when people abuse their backs and lift improperly. There’s a reason why at the gym, weight lifters do a loud “whoo-uff!” kind iof grunt when they exhale just as they lift something heavy. They’re exhaling forcefully, and it’s tightening all the muscles around their spine to protect it, they’re not just doing it to sound cool (well, maybe some of them are doing it just to sound cool and they don’t even though they’re protecting their back). You just don’t want to continue to hold your breath, though. You want to hold all those muscles where they are when you make that sound, you want to keep your abs tight, because that helps protect your back, but you don’t want to hold your breath, and that can take people some practice to hold their abs tight but not hold their breath, but eventually they can keep them as separate actions. Holding your breath under exertion can cause a stroke and other damage to your cardiovascular system. You don’t want to deprive your body of oxygen when it’s doing heavy lifting...Especially when you’re lifting overhead, it’s a huge no-no to hold your breath, and a lot of people do it. They can pass out and drop that heavy thing on their head, or on their body as they hit the ground, or give themselves a stroke or heart attack in the process as well. So, hold your abs and glutes tight, and keep on breathing. That protects your back, but if you can’t do both, then just breathe, because breathing is always more important. Always. Extra into, I know, but it seems to go with the whole thing.

Most definitely my friend. Thanks for sharing your experiences. 😊🌎✨

Sorry it i should be... IKEA: Hold my lingonberry sauce

Honest Carpenter: ---> WOOD IKEA: ---> PAPER

@@johnhill8958 compressed fiber junk furnature XD

And no strength will be the result. You get what you pay for.

@@dlvmil-spec Depends on the application. If it's not load baring, it won't make sense.

You’re welcome, Zombalia! Work safe 🙂

You mean pocket screw "joinery"?

Yeah, I would be concerned with rabbets, dados for shelving, and half-lap joints. I think glue will help, but I think you would at least need 3/4 material for the uprights of a tall cabinet. But I have used 1/2" ply for simple square boxes with box joints on the corners and those have been extremely sturdy.

@@neonedge9 ...

I thought the video would go into reinforcement techniques when using the 1/2" ply at its limits, as opposed to just information that the 3/4" is just overkill in most applications.

I've done 36" tall cabinets with 1/2" but the walls were weak so instead of mdf backing, i used another piece of 1/2 ply for the back and pocket joined to the carcass to keep rigidity

This is a very good point, Earl. I like 3/4” for the cleat (have used it before on this channel and will use it again), but building small fixtures with 3/4” is just cumbersome. 1/2” looks much more appropriate for small storage.

@@TheHonestCarpenter I have always used 1X pine or fir for French cleats. It cuts smoother than plywood and doesn't"t chip out: there are no voids. Plus it's just as strong (or stronger) than an engineered product like plywood. The cleats are never seen, so dimensional lumber works for me.

I won't confirm, since I am (an eternal) beginner. But looking at the many woodworking videos I see on YT , this french cleat business seems to me often overkill : making holes in wall, all this wood used for taking care of stuff which could safely stay in a jam-jar easily, (think to the planet, my god!), and who wants to move one's tools from one place to the other all the time... My two cents. (And I am French ! :))

​@@etiloyon3681, I agree that it is easy to go overboard with shop fixtures and furnishings, but as another eternal beginner, I consider making them practice for my "real" projects, and therefore time well spent. Also, about 20 years ago I moved into a new house and soon put up large peg-board sheets on one wall of my garage shop to store all my tools. Over the years as I got new tools, I had to spend time reorganizing as I got new tools that I wanted to keep near related ones. French cleats would have made that much easier. Finally, about two years ago I moved to a new house. If I had made a french cleat wall 20 years ago, it would have been easier to quickly put new cleats up on a wall here, and then put up all my existing fixtures. But now I have to essentially start over with organizing my new shop.

@@earlmorton1216 Ah, yes, it's true. Many people buy tool for building gears for putting tool. And they use a lot of composite wood like platted wood, MDF, and so forth. Here in France I just bought a board of chestnut board (2.5m x 0.20m x 0.02m and I understand them. €10 = $12 ! !Woodworking is turning into trendy hobby. Maybe I am wrong after all . The fact is I don't like to make holes in my walls and you have to admit French cleats don't help at this level. Good luck for your projects and thanks for your kind time.

Kreg Jig isn't great for anything

Hi John, We’re building out a van and using 1/2” ply for our cabinet doors. What hinges did you end up going with? We just realized you have to drill a 1/2” hole to install cabinet door hinges and are not quite sure how to proceed. Good things, Nat

Use the proper depth setting on your Keeg jig for 1/2 applications. $8 adds up quick, and the price of lumber will not coming down anytime soon.

@MrSheeDo Thank you for chiming in! I’m a girl with no building experience, relying on YT and the guys at my local hardware store for guidance. I’m going to be making a 26” d x 60” w butt joint, double deck (open to the front-no drawers) desk held together with glue and pocket screws. Maybe also brads (although the gun is a bit intimidating). The desk top will be standing on iron hairpin legs. I think I want 3/4” plywood. Also, I like the look of the striated edge, and 1/2” ply wouldn’t give me enough edge. I’m eager to try my hand at using a pocket jig.

@@meridelmoss1802 if, and I express "if" you can find Baltic birch, go for that. But it's hard to find, but if you're looking for that edge you like Baltic birch sheets will provide that

Meriden, be very careful about getting advice from people at homedepot.

@@patrickkimberlin3209 Thank you for the recommendation. I think Baltic is very pretty. If in short supply, I’ll wait. Better to hang out at the kitchen counter than rush and end up with unlovely results.

Never too late to make the change, J.D. 😆

why wouldn't you use it again for desktops??, i want to build one for my computer set up and i was hopping to make it arround 4 inches thick and i am considering unsing 1/2" on top and botom sheet and 3/4 for all supports in between, should i consider changing the top sheet?

That can depend a lot on where you buy it. For just a couple dollars more per sheet, my local lumber yard has 1/2" and 5/8" that are 5 plies, and 3/4" that has 7 plies! That stuff is strong and stable.

I’ve used a lot of 3-ply 1/2” plywood. It works ok, but takes a lot more effort. By comparison, 5-ply birch 1/2” is a luxury. I just had a washing machine flood a cabinet I built 12 years ago. It filled 6 drawers with water. I was surprised that the drawers stayed together, and wet water-tight. Just cheap 1/2” 3-ply. But I recall hating the splinters the rough pine plywood was producing. Oddly, I can afford better, but grew up scavenging whatever I could.

@@hjeffwallace Yeah, for sure. I'm definitely guilty of dumpster diving for lumber scraps all the time. I'm not even talking about fancy birch, though. Just the normal SYP plywood at my local lumber yard has 1 or 2 more plies for the same thickness as the Lowes crap.

Is there a downside to gluing 2 sheets of 1/4" to get a higher ply count than "regular" 1/2"? It should be about the same $, but 2x the plys. Yes, I'm cheap. Yes, "regular" ply is a lot easier to just go get at the big-box toy store.

@@brucebennett7229 Should be fine if you you glue up properly. I'd only worry about delamination if you're using veneered plywood from the box stores. Those thin veneers often delaminate on their own, and you'd be doubling your risk with a face glue up

I'm sorry but I don't follow your logic that if we use thinner material for the carcass that causes us to use a reduced thickness of the face frame? There's no reason you can't make the carcass out of 1/2 and still use 3/4 face frames. Also, you need to define, significantly weakened. A dado in 3/4 is 3/8 deep. A dado in 1/2 is 1/4 deep. I don't buy that the 1/8 difference in depth of the dado is "significantly weaker" The dado in a carcass is supporting a cross member or back panel. That cross member isn't going to fall out of the dado or collapse. The back panel isn't going to break out of the frame either. You've built your argument against 1/2" on unsupported conjecture.

@@jesseporter-qb2vc Sorry. I should have said 'width of the face frame' and not 'thickness'. 1/2" x 2 = 1" thick cabinet wall when two cabinets are attached side by side.... normally this is 3/4" x 2 = 1.5" which we then cover with a 2" wide frame that overhangs each edge 1/4" into the space of the cabinet. If you put a 2" wide frame over top of the joint where the two 1/2" walls meet, you'll have a 1/2" overhang on each side. Drawer slides and hinges are often made to fit a 1/4" overhang so 1/2" will need padding. Not the end of the world, I suppose, but something that needs to be considered. You're probably right about the dadoes.

I used 5/8 for the rolling table saw cart too, JHans! I knew it would get knocked around a lot, so I wanted it to be tough. But even cutting out that nominal 1/8 takes pounds off the casters!

@@TheHonestCarpenter Agree. The 5/8 also laid down better than the 1/2 resulting in relatively flat walls. Plus I used trim screws which worked well.

@AJ XOXO The walls above the garage doors are 1/2 inch. The plywood sheets were not flat from the store and resulted in some waviness. The 5/8 inch sheets were flatter when purchased and resulted in three very flat walls. I did not need 3/4 inch to get the results I wanted.

@AJ XOXO I don’t believe any thickness plywood is going to straighten the studs. Before laying the plywood, you could shim the studs to the proud dimension (stud that sticks out the most), which could help with the overall flatness of the finished wall.

You notice you don’t find antiques woodwork cabinetry or furniture made out of 1/2” materials! Majority of furniture/cabinetry made today won’t ever last long enough to be considered a antique in the future!

@@ghostridergale Some of the finest antique furniture in the world is made out of incredibly intricate and small pieces of wood.

@@thopkins2271 yeah, like hickory. Don't see too many antiques rocking pine half inch plyboard... Unless it's all bent up.

@@PhilPic01 That’s the kicker.

@@thopkins2271 yes and because they were expensive from the get go, people treated them better because of it.

I agree!!

I've been trying 1/2 on large upper cabinets for the backs. Large being in the range of 44 high x 48 wide. I have found that pocket screws will do well going through the 1/2 into 3/4, so mixed thicknesses to do this. Check jig settings and screw lengths before going live though.

I'm using pocket holes on 1/2 right now. I'm new to this and $49 looked like a deal. I'm not going to regret this am I?

@@T1Oracle did you? or did it work? :)

Pocket holes work in 1/2 inch plywood. Not sure about hinges

I just finished building a double sink vanity and single sink vanity entirely out of 3/4". I felt it was needed because of the weight of the vanity tops/sinks/water. Moving on to the kitchen cabinets now I'll be using 1/2" for vertical surfaces and 3/4" for horizontal with the exception being the sink cabinet and island will all be made with 3/4".

3/4 is just way too heavy, 1/2 inch just about cut the weight in half and it's still strong, as long as it's not particle board you'll be ok

Jaya Ma!