I need/slash want to build a few pieces of furniture for my house.
After visiting a shop, I had the carpenter go on a long tirade on how my choice on OSB was poor, when compared to the standard plywood the shop uses for their work, being weaker and not as “clean” looking.
We personally like OSB, here. We already have a few pieces and the rough look of the material is our style.
But is it really a poorer choice when compared to plywood?
The next project will be a bookcase and it will have to withstand a heavy load.
I brought a small strip of plywood home with me, as a sample. The material is made up of five layers. If necessary, I can upload a picture later.
I intend to use 15mm material for the sides of the boxes that will compose the bookcase, with 9mm for the back. These specifications exist for OSB; on plywood, I was told the closest is 13mm and 6mm.
Can someone share some advice and knowledge in what can be the better choice to build this project?
I can assure you that you will regret spending time and effort building something out of OSB and then having to live with it for the rest of your life.
Spend a bit more, do it well, and then enjoy the fruits of your labor for years to come.
The beauty of an OSB bookshelf is that you definitely won’t have to live with it for the rest of your life.
I leaning on building one because I’ve seen it used in commercial venues. Can’t be that poor.
But is [OSB] really a poorer choice when compared to plywood?
Yes quite literally. Plywood outperforms OSB in almost every category except price.
OSB won’t hold screws as well and any elements intended to be load-bearing will flex more than plywood. It’s just not really well-suited for cabinetry or casework. It’s mainly intended for sheathing or acting as a subsurface under flooring or roofing material.
I think everyone has answered your question correctly so far. You can’t beat plywood for strength, but it is expensive. There are middle ground alternatives.
There is Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF) which is between the two on strength but takes paint brilliantly. Many cabinet makers use this exclusively for mid range quality furniture.
Even cheaper is chipboard which is about as bad, or worse than OSB but you can get it laminated. Most very cheap furniture from places like IKEA use it and it can do a reasonable job.
All of these materials have their quirks, mainly on how you finish end grain (even plywood). Both MDF and chipboard suck at taking a screw so you have to get special screws and use them carefully. Make sure you do some research, there’s plenty of YouTube videos on using the products.
MDF bends easily and will keep its saggy shape. Would not use it for the horizontal planks.
Just talk to the carpenter again, and ask him for advice. But here’s my advice.
Both will work just fine, but I personally like plywood. Just go a little thicker if you’re worried.
Imo, just go with the 13mm all around.
I personally went with a sheet of 3/4 inch thick sheet of pine plywood, which I cut to 12 inch deep, and the premade wood brackets. I don’t know what the metric equivalents would be, but I’m sure you can figure it out.
