Old timer told me to stop pre-sanding my plywood edges

A retired cabinetmaker I met at a woodworking meetup last year said I was wasting time sanding the edges of my pre-finished plywood before assembly. I ignored him for 6 months until I tried it on a bathroom vanity, and he was right - the glue joints held just as strong without the extra step. Any of you guys skip that sanding step too?

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beth_ward802mo ago

I saw something similar in a woodworking magazine not too long ago about pre-finished plywood. They said that since the factory coating already seals the edges, sanding can sometimes mess up the glue bond by creating dust that stops it from sticking right. Kind of makes sense when you think about it, the glue needs to grab onto that sealed surface, not raw wood. I've been skipping it on smaller projects and haven't noticed any issues either.

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brookep272mo ago

Right, because nothing says "strong bond" like a layer of fine sawdust acting as a nonstick cooking spray for your glue. Guess I'll keep being lazy and successful then.

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