Tried pre-finished plywood for a kitchen job in Phoenix and regretted it hard

Holly Allen · 2026-05-07T12:55:04.839225+00:00

I did a 12-foot run of cabinets using pre-finished plywood because the client wanted a smooth look without me spraying. The edges chipped like crazy when I cut them and touch-up paint never matched right. Last time I do that instead of just sanding and finishing raw plywood myself. Anybody else find pre-finished more trouble than it's worth?

the_oliver4mo ago

Did you try scoring both sides of the cut line before running the saw, or just the top?

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colescott4mo ago

Did you try ironing the edges before cutting?

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tessap734mo ago

Nah, ironing the edges is actually how you mess up pre finished stuff imo, @miasanchez had it right about scoring being key.

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miasanchez4mo ago

Heard pre finished can be a nightmare if you don't score the cuts first.

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