CABINET DOORS FROM MDO

Our cabinet doors were in rough shape. Since they were just slabs of birch plywood, I decided it would be easier to make new ones than to repair them. And since they would be painted, I chose to use MDO (medium-density overlay). MDO is basically plywood with a layer of resin on both faces. Developed for sign making, MDO is smooth, holds paint well and stands up to moisture. Like most plywood, MDO has ugly gaps in the edges. I filled them with my favorite filler (see above). MDO isn’t carried by most home centers, but you can special-order it. I paid about $50 for each 4 x 8-ft. sheet of 1/2-in. MDO.