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Old 11-26-2007, 12:42 PM   #4
Tim A.
4 Rivet Member
Profile:  2002 19' Bambi
Lafayette , California
Posts: 284

This reply is going to get me into trouble, but here goes since I cannot restrain myself.

I know what the question really is, but the designation "real wood" I always find interesting because of its assumptions. Particleboard, plywood, MDF, OSB, masonite, and solid wood are all made mostly of real wood, just processed differently. That processing does not necessarily diminish their utility or suitability. Nor does it always determine the beauty of the items made from them. We should remember that some of the finest and most expensive antique furniture is wood veneer over non-decorative, stacked, laminated wood.

Wood is a great material and it is good that it comes in various forms. For cabinets subject to the flexing and vibration of a moving trailer, plywood is an excellent material for the basic cabinet box. Frame and panel fronts (doors and such) of solid wood look very nice, but do have the disadvantage of greater weight.

Surface finishes on wood are almost always "plastic" of some sort. Varnishes and oil finishes polymerize and contains resins and much of their true difference from a vinyl overlay is in penetration, transparency, and uniformity.

I suspect that some of the vintage Airstreams with "wood" cabinets have plywood fronts with a decorative wood veneer. That surely does not make them less desirable.
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