# Birch Plywood with Primer one side



## tmyers (Jan 11, 2017)

I purchased some 3/4 Birch veneer plywood to make a router table. Since it is a router table it need not be a work of art but since it has a nice finish I plan to either stain it lightly or just use a good poly on it to bring out a bit of shine and make it easy to cleanup. This is my question. One side is bare finished birch and the other side is pre-primed. I am not sure if it is a real primer or just a sealer for the grain. Can this primed side be sanded down and finished or is it only intended to be painted?

I have made sure the primed side is all on the interior so it is not critical but this would be good information for future projects as well. 

Thanks for your help.


----------



## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

If you want to use that then either paint it or varnish it. There are primers which can accept any type of finish (oil or water) and if they didn't specify I would think it's one of those. I wouldn't use a lacquer type finish as it might not be compatible nor would it be as tough.


----------



## tmyers (Jan 11, 2017)

Would it be a good idea to sand it down to expose some of the wood grain?

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk


----------



## sunnybob (Apr 3, 2015)

You want a router table to be as friction free as possible. Wood grain is not as good as pre finished (usuallY)
Melamine coated chipboard is one of the best table materials, as long as its at least 20 mm (3/4") thick to allow for track grooves to be cut


----------



## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

I agree with Bob. I've used melamine several times and it has the added bonus of being perfectly flat, something which plywood may not be. In the making of plywood sometimes the plies are pieced together and sometimes the plies get overlapped which can result in a lump at the surface. The last table I built I used mdf as the substrate and covered with counter top laminate which is more durable than the melamine is. Still you should expect to get a good number of years service from a melamine top if you look after it.


----------



## hawkeye10 (Jul 28, 2015)

sunnybob said:


> You want a router table to be as friction free as possible. Wood grain is not as good as pre finished (usuallY)
> Melamine coated chipboard is one of the best table materials, as long as its at least 20 mm (3/4") thick to allow for track grooves to be cut


I agree 100%. Use ply on every thing else but not the top.


----------



## tmyers (Jan 11, 2017)

The top is a manufactured board from Kreg. The stand I am putting under it is what is made of plywood. Just didn't know if sanding the primer would make it look a bit nicer than trying to put a finish over the primer. Sorry I wasn't more clear.


----------



## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

No prob. Generally, primer isn't all that durable. It's just meant to give a good surface for the final finish to stick to. It is probably a good idea to give it a very light sanding, as in with a sanding sponge, just to help the finish stick to it.


----------

