Should I Use Walnut or Plywood for My Nightstand Panels?

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Asked By W00dW0rker42 On

I'm planning to make some walnut nightstands and need side panels that are 1/2" thick, 15" wide, and 20" tall. I know plywood is generally recommended, but I've got a ton of walnut lying around that I'd like to use. My main worry is about warping and movement, especially since these panels will sit inside a stick and cope face frame. Should I just stick with purchasing walnut plywood, or is it worth trying to make the hardwood panels? Any tips on minimizing movement would be super helpful! Thanks a lot!

2 Answers

Answered By TimberTamer99 On

If you already have the walnut stock milled to the right thickness, you might as well give it a try! But if you need to resaw or plane it down, I’d suggest saving that wood for another project and just buying plywood instead. It's usually a safer bet for minimizing warping.

W00dW0rker42 -

Yeah, I’d have to resaw or mill it down, unfortunately!

Answered By BarkBlaster56 On

If you have a bandsaw, you could resaw the walnut into thin veneer (around 3/32") and then glue it onto MDF. That way, you get the look of walnut without the warping risks! Just make sure you have a solid method for bonding the veneer to the MDF; since I don't have a vacuum press, I'm curious how I'd do that with four panels too!

W00dW0rker42 -

Do you have a good way to bond the walnut to the MDF? I’ll figure out the resaw part, but I'm unsure about the gluing!

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