Countertop material?
This week I am building Ridley's cabinets (1x2 poplar frame, with 1/2" plywood on the backs and 1/4" ply in the side walls).
And I have noted the advice to attach the side panels with angle brackets rather than glue-and-screw. Yep.
NEXT ISSUE: I need to make a galley countertop, about 18"x 54". In that span it will have four or five cross supports, so I am not worried about sagging/bowing. I will -- at some time in the future -- install a sink, and maybe a drop-in stove.
The commercial (Ikea) countertops, thick and heavy, are overkill.
In my last van I used a "project plank" from Lowes -- glue laminated pine, 3/4" thick. With several coats of polyurethane, it worked well. Unforunately the quality of the "panel plank" available in 2018 in contrast to 2010 seems to be .... lacking.
QUESTION: do I need 3/4" thick or would 1/2" suffice, keeping in mind that at some point I will add a sink and stove? For sure 3/4" will be less likely to warp....maybe. But would 1/2" look dorky?
Desired aesthetic: wood. Butcher block would be lovely but probably not attainable in just 3/4" thick. (OK, anything is attainable for $$$)
I could buy 3/4"Baltic Birch and stain/poly it. It is easy to work with, edge looks OK. In central TX, my current location, it is easily sourced for about $50/sheet (60"x60"). However, I would have a lot left over....
I could buy BigBox plywood and laminate it....but that seems like a lot more work that the Baltic birch. And I would have even more waste.
Would it work to buy 3/8" Baltic Birch and glue two layers together? Or since I don't have a million clamps, would I be setting myself up for misery and heartache?
Other ideas? Advice about thickness?
Thanks!
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GreyDawg
2017 T-250 MR 148" 3.7L cargo van. Slowly becoming a campervan...
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