Adding Color to Patterned Plywood

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This week I'm experimenting with dyed veneer and patterned plywood. The results are way better than I could've expected, and it is something that can easily be done in an average wood shop with minimal tools.
Items used in video (Affiliate links)
Dyed Wood Veneers www.rockler.com/dyed-3-square...
Baltic Birch Plywood www.rockler.com/3-4-baltic-bi...
Rockler Glue Mat www.rockler.com/rockler-silic...
Rockler Silicone Glue Brush www.rockler.com/rockler-silic...
ISO Tunes Pro 2.0 Noise Cancelling Ear Buds bit.ly/almfabiso
Saw Stop 32” 3HP Cabinet Saw amzn.to/3ltCEn9
Titebond Original Wood Glue amzn.to/2ZMbAaW
Blue Painters Tape amzn.to/3of89mu
6” Foam Paint Roller amzn.to/3DofYLe
123 Blocks amzn.to/3Ih7lp4
Rockler Marking and Measuring Tool Pouch www.rockler.com/marking-and-m...
Black and Decker Classic Iron amzn.to/3Dh8klE
Wixey Digital Angle Finder amzn.to/3DivQOY
Kreg Precision Bandsaw Fence amzn.to/3EmOp68
Paste Wax amzn.to/3xf4fgB
Magid Safety Glasses amzn.to/3nE9hyu
Mirka Deros 5” Random Orbit Sander amzn.to/2ZSrvVm
Table Saw Blades I use (affiliate links)
Note because I have a 3 hp saw I use “ industrial” 1/8” kerf blades. If you have a lower power saw you'll want to use "Thin Kerf" Blades.
Cutting splines, crosscutting, and general usage | Freud 10” x 50T Combo Blade
Industrial amzn.to/31q5w56
Thin Kerf amzn.to/3cqIYHK
Ripping and milling | 10” x 30T Glue Line Ripping Blade
Industrial amzn.to/3w6Yv7B
Thin Kerf amzn.to/3svkLpg
Plywood | 10” x 80T Freud Ultimate Plywood Blade
Industrial amzn.to/3ssGjTr
Thin Kerf amzn.to/2NZf3NB
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[@MichaelAlm]

Hey everyone, what do you want to see me build with these patterns, and what pattern should I use on that project? Thanks!

[@georich93]

I know it would be alot of work but I'd love to see a full sized cupboard like 900mm tall and 500mm wide, built out of pattern plywood.

[@joshevenson7604]

I've always thought cabinet doors would look so cool.

[@neilf4128]

Here's a thought. What about a hanging light fixture or chandelier for over a staircase or hallway? You might experiment with using the belt sander to flatten them enough to make translucent material

[@ClaireRousseau]

@@neilf4128 That's a great idea! You could also take advantage of patterns with holes in them like the one Ashley suggested, it could be neat in a light fixture, and it'd go well with the colourful cords you can get online (and you know who you can get to sponsor that video too!)

[@davidcarney769]

Hey Michael, great job! I 'd love to see the black pattern with here and there a red V in it as an accent. Makes me think of your logo.

[@papparocket]

I liked the black better. As for a project to build with the black pattern with the flipped pattern that leaves the holes, I think some type of jewelry box with a solid wood frame painted a gloss or semi-gloss black would be a good match. Then for the panels inside the frame (either flush or slightly recessed) would use the black pattern. Might experiment with flipping the pattern continuously to give an even pattern of holes across the piece. Back the patterned plywood panels with a very thin plywood sheet either painted black or with a layer of black veneer so that the bottom of the holes are black (and mysterious). Alternately you could glue a shiny very thin sheet metal to the back and then the bottom of the holes would be reflective (and even more mysterious). A little bit bigger jewelry chest could have two doors on the front that swing open to give access to slide out trays with necklace hooks on the back of the doors. And the side panels could swing open to provide necklace storage hooks. A bigger project would be to make a chest of drawers in a mid-century modern style where the drawer fronts hide the frame cross pieces completely and form a flush and continuous face when the drawers are closed. And the best might be a tall and skinny 6-drawer lingerie chest where the fancy drawer fronts would be a good match for the fancy clothing it holds. The picture I have in my head is to use the patterned plywood as the drawer fronts so that when all the drawers are closed, the edges of all the drawer fronts form a continuous pattern. The width of a saw kerf is about the gap needed between drawer fronts in this type of flush faced chest of drawers. If you make a layup that is the size of all of the drawer fronts, glue it to the backing wood and then cut it into individual drawer fronts, the pattern is guaranteed to line up. And instead of a lot of flips in the pattern, just do one that will line up in the middle of each drawer front. Oh, and one last thought, definitely use some clear epoxy to fill all the holes in the pattern so that dust can't collect down in them. The epoxy polished to a high gloss would match the gloss black frame as well. Keep up the great work!

[@LonghornWorkshop]

They are all great patterns, and they all look away with the addition of colour. Great stuff as usual

[@timmymartin317]

Definitely one of the best looking patterns to date! I love this!

[@MrFinn]

love it man, the black veneer adds such a great dimension to the alpine scene, which is one of my favourite patterns! :)

[@chrisdavis1722]

Love that you added color to an already beautiful technique. It really makes the pattern pop. This could be on a number of projects. I’m seeing this as a drawer or panel door front on a chest or small cabinet, maybe apothecary style. No matter what you do with this, it’ll be stunning! 👍

[@hegmonster]

I think the contrast with the black and white is best and would like to see how darker primary colors look with it. Maybe a Maroon or a Navy Blue?

[@ajfinewoodworks3050]

That is so cool! I love the colors! Such a great idea.

[@valeriethompson8723]

These are so beautiful. I would love to see a project incorporating the random pattern.

[@StormBurnX]

Can't wait to see it finished and stained!!

[@chrisgenovese8188]

Really really cool man! I've enjoyed watching the pattern plywood progression.

[@beurky]

Super cool! I'm always impressed with how you bring visual art to woodworking. I'm getting ready to make some custom chisel handles. After watching this, I'm trying to visualise how to make a pattern blank and turn them into cylindrical pieces.

[@williamellis8993]

Those definitely are amazing, Michael. It's mind boggling how many different patterns can be had. Bill

[@theresamccune1881]

I think the black design with the holes at the center would look great as a room divider screen, if you repeated the center pattern for every other row, so that the holes appear evenly over the whole piece. Very nice work.

[@WinterSo1dier]

They all look amazing! Added clarity to the design and another dimension. I thought you would stain some square dowels black and put them in the holes to complete the one panel. Same look but solid surface

[@MichaelAlm]

Thanks! That's a good idea. Some India ink would probably do the trick. I'll give that a go 👍

[@neilcarr71]

Cool idea. Or fill them with transparent resin - maybe in a ruby red?

[@c0lutch]

@@neilcarr71 I was thinking something similar, except leaving a space between all the pieces and using resin to fill the gaps.

[@ducksfan3525]

I love this patterned plywood and just tried it out myself. I also put the final pieces on top of each other staggered to create a 3D effect. My favorite one you made was with the black and my favorite part is the zig zag in the middle.

[@ardemus]

I love this stuff. The black one is also my favorite, not because of the color, but because of the center reversal and the through holes it creates. It makes me think of creating a partition or shoji screen using the basic idea cranked up so it's visually obscuring but airy and still lets light and sound through.

[@mec912]

I really like the look of the black version. I think it would be interesting to see something done in this style, maybe combining black and a dark green (?) and come up with something that looked similar to scales on a snake/lizard/dragon.

[@davebauerart]

Really cool, the veneers add a nice detail and highlight the patterns!

[@ebrewste]

Wow! Really love it! Glad you kept digging on this. You really took it to the next level.

[@codyowen5070]

The 1/2" ply really brings it to the next level - lots of color pop. Looking forward to seeing them used in a project and some finish really bringing out the veneer.

[@MichaelAlm]

Thanks! Yeah, I totally agree

[@maddiebee123]

These are SOOO COOL!!!!! I love the idea of these for knife scales - my brother-in-law makes knives and I can imagine how amazing these would look on his knives. Along with that idea, it'd be neat to make a knife block with these designs. Thanks for sharing your process, tips and tricks you learned along the way and that big grin when you're finishing up your project. Keep creating Michael!

[@renbortosky7052]

These are so cool! The black is my favorite, also. For the multi-colored ones, red and blue show up best - not sure if it's the camera, my screen, or reality, but the yellow veneer is pretty subtle when compared to the red and blue. I think the black one could just be mounted on a wall as is! Drawer facings would also be incredibly cool. (Also, hello Wintson!)

[@billymacmakes]

I liked the Alpine pattern the best. Looks amazing with that reverse halfway through. Well done!

[@felixfromnebraska8648]

Michael, You always hook me in for these pattern plywood designs. I love the Red and Blue's the most but thought maybe a Green next time you make some. I feel a cutting board would be a unique gift, but I'm now sure how it would hold up under that situation. Another project might be an end table. Anything you create will be extraordinary, I'm sure. Thanks for sharing, my friend. Felix

[@heatherbrown7192]

I like the black and the half-inch red. The multi-color was nice in theory but didn’t have quite as much of the pop of contrast. I’d love to see those patterns again in a higher contrast!

[@glenncanning8189]

I imagine throwing on a finish (especially an oil-based finish) would very much help with that.

[@maciejjabonski833]

Agree!

[@RedBudRed]

You are a plywood wizard! Love it man. SOOO good!

[@MichaelAlm]

Thank you so much 😀

[@RedBudRed]

@@MichaelAlm I think the obvious use would be for doors to a credenza or something but I think an in-lay down the center of a table/coffee table could be sick too!

[@ronaldoyuen]

Soooooo good, I've been thinking about this for a few years now so fantastic to see someone who's actually done it. Great viewing, thank you

[@theleveretts4179]

That black pattern is friggin sweet. The red smaller pattern would be awesome to see as knife scales, or even a hunting rifle stock.

[@MCsCreations]

Fantastic, Michael! Amazing patterns! 😃 Really awesome work! Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊

[@jomercer21113]

This is like 3-D quilt piecing! Wonderful projects!

[@vtellez01]

I like the black veneer the best. Look forward to seeing what you make out of these pieces.

[@haxney]

Wow, this looks amazing! If you're worried about the strength of the pieces when using them on finished projects, it seems like you could put a thin layer of epoxy around it to reinforce the pattern. From making end grain cutting boards, I'm super paranoid about having missed a spot in the glue up and weakening the overall panel.

[@brianhornby2564]

Looks amazing. I have a 5x5 that was slated for drawers to a Murphy bed, but now I just want to cut it up in patterns. I love your video and the Murphy bed I made was inspired by your video a while ago. Same Rockler kit. BYW, the shed looks great too.

[@havaneseday]

Wow! Amazing end result 👏

[@J.M.Lander]

Love the black, love the weave, love the chaotic red, loving your creativity as always!

[@Angie_suv]

This is so pretty! I loved the style of the black one, thank you Ashley, but I prefer the red veneer. Combining the two would be perfection

[@constantinosschinas4503]

Black Fishscale with decorative line is marvellous. Would go with a minimalistic japanese inspired stool, little table. Keep pattern surface small. Random Red is awesome as well, like graffiti. Multi Coloured is very sweet too.

[@Goodbye_Pepper]

I love the black veneer! I'd love to see your art deco pattern with it.

[@GabrielDimude]

Exactly what I need for my next project! Thanks for this video Michael!

[@evanandrews8858]

My dude, you're killing it with these patterned plywood vids.

[@MichaelAlm]

Hahaha! Thank you 🙌

[@emmettmorris850]

Your videos are so professional looking. And the sound is awesome. Thanks !

[@aprildegele1510]

I did this and it works like a CHARM! I couldn't believe it. One note, you MUST tape and weight the veneer while the glue is drying so it doesn't curl. Even taping it to freezer paper isn't enough because that paper will bend with the wood. Also, watch for over-gluing. The first time I tried this, the glue was a little thick on the edges and ended up running under the veneer. Not a big deal, you'd think, until you try to iron it just to find that the craft paper sticks to that glue also. Just know that the veneer, even when weighted, will warp and look unusable until it's completely dry ... at which point it's totally flat again. The second time, I ran the glue right up to the edge, but not over and decided that losing a 32nd to a 16th of an inch was better than losing more with the paper stuck to the veneer. NOTE: This glue and paper can be removed from the veneer with white vinegar. But you MUST be patient not soak the veneer or the glue beneath will also get messed up. White vinegar melts the glue, turns it opaque, and once it's soaked enough (dabbing over and over ... you never want to flood joints), it can be peeled off with your fingernail. This works great for projects. You can also dab until it wipes off with a towel and a little scrubbing, but again, this works great with fingerprints on a project, but not with veneer, so I chose to sacrifice a tiny bit of veneer instead.

[@Nanenna]

These are really cool! I just saw the video of the three offset handle nesting trays and I think they would look really cool with the hexagons, could do each tray with a different pattern depending on how you orient them.

[@alans1816]

My favorite is the random one. I like that as you look at it, you notice many different ways they fit together.

[@MFunkibut]

The hexagons [and someone's comments about a chess board] put me in the mind of a very fancy Settlers of Catan playfield. Don't play the game myself but have seen it around KZbin. Also wonder if just regular cardstock would work. Easier to acquire, more affordable, more colors, maybe even easier to work with.

[@MichaelAlm]

Ooo! That’s a great idea

[@doubledarefan]

Or use construction paper.

[@Diana-vp3zr]

They turned out awesome. I liked the black one, because it has a really unique pattern when you reversed it.

[@JTWoodworks]

The alpine with the black veneer looks so nice! I'm also really liking the yellow veneer. It's subtle but it stands out just enough to make a difference

[@MichaelAlm]

Thanks dude! I was concerned that the yellow might just look like wood glue, but it surprised me too. Like you said just enough of a difference to see it in there.

[@juliangreaves4727]

Awesome Michael. They all looked great but I’m with you on the black one. I’ve no idea what you should make with them but I can’t wait to find out. 👏👏👏

[@raynoladominguez4730]

Your favorite is my favorite, it reminds me of an Art Deco look. I imagine cutting it into strips again, and creating picture frames.

[@warrenmunn3224]

The last red one, random placement looks great. Just a thought for gluing up the 90 degree pieces, maybe create a small series of 45 degree pieces glued to your fence (or fence extension) to make placement easier. The Hex Pattern having facets against the fences seemed to glue easier than the black one. An end grain Tambour with the black would be mind blowing, especially with the gaps along the centre line.

[@JimGrohol]

Black veneer all the way. The color contrast to the lighter woods makes it work. I'd love to see it with a finish on it, I'm sure the black will pop more! Even like a Rubio Pure. The reverse you did on the black is nice. You should do that throughout the piece (every other 2 rows flip it). Almost has a snake like pattern to it.

[@riskchannel633]

It would be really cool with the first pieces you made to come up with some sort of Celtic woven board

[@ClaireRousseau]

Wow, the colours look really amazing! I agree, the mountain shape is really fun - there's a nice art deco vibe with it being flipped halfway through. Now, I'm wondering if you could do some sort of figurative display piece with different colours & patterns to represent elements of a landscape. Depending on the contrast levels and the plywood thickness, you could get really cool effects.

[@ClaireRousseau]

I'd also be curious to see some smaller projects with patterned plywood. It might not be as interesting for you, but I'd love to see a video on how to get started/practice & maybe what results you could get from a lesser quality plywood like we could get at the hardware store. I really want to try making some myself but I'm pretty new to woodworking and I'm worried about messing up expensive plywood on my budget table saw.

[@altArchitecture]

Art Deco for sure!

[@IEnjoyCreatingVideos]

Great job on the patterns Michael! it really turned out nice :) Thanks for sharing with us!💖👍😎JP

[@ckristjana23]

thanks for sharing this technique! i'm studying interior design and this just adds a new component.

[@1Aroe1]

Colored stains in addition to color veneer could just take the whole thing to a new crazy level.

[@guillaumepierre861]

The mixed colored saw dust at 13:35 is super nice ! I don't know why I like this shot especially 🤷‍♂️ The all video is awesome by the way ! I love thoses experimentation a lot, I found them very inspiring ! I'm dreaming of an complet conter top made out of pattern plywood... But I assume it'll be a heck lot of work... And I don't already know how, but I'm quite sure this technic can be scaled up and being used I architecture in a stunning way (with kerto, CLT or some kind of beam arrangement) in structural or just esthetic way... Thank for the video and the great work !

[@Scadaboy]

I eliminated the cupping of veneers when I do this very same process by misting the opposite side with a little water before you apply glue to the side that's up. That way you have equilibrium in your moisture and both sides respond fairly similarly and the curl is gone.

[@HDHDT]

Very cool, thank you for all that wonderful information. Merry Christmas!!

[@jewdd1989]

Color and patterned ply?! YESSSSSSS 👏🏼 Thanks Micheal, made my week

[@MichaelAlm]

Glad you liked it!!

[@dwwoodbuilds]

That black reverse pattern is really nice. Reminds me of scales (dragon or a pangolin). I agree that the colored veneer edges really accents the patterns and makes them pop. As to patterns for the future, have you considered a fractal pattern? Fractal that has the same detail at different scale... Far away, you see the pattern, but as you get closer you see the same pattern, but smaller scale and closer again, same pattern but even smaller scale... Not sure this is even possible, but thinking how people use images to make pixels in pictures, so not really fractal, but you see something different depending how how close you look. Great video Michael and looking forward to what you share next!

[@MichaelAlm]

Thanks! Oh man, a fractal is an interesting challenge 🤔

[@scottspropertyservices6877]

Assuming you could use the coloured veneer to make the bigger pattern visible from far away & then as you get closer the non coloured patterns in the middle are made out of the same pattern just smaller. I like your idea dw wood builds!

[@Skrap007]

One thing I always wanted to do was use a wood glue that was colored/dyed to black to contrast the wood plies to make my own sheet of plywood. As I seen a table top done in a restaurant like that in my travels and I figured out that they had colored the glue on the plywood, but the scope of trying to make my own full sheet of plywood like that was out of the question at that time. But for a small sheets of plywood and using for a pattern would look good, or just doing the glue coloring for between the cuts of store bought plywood would work similar to the dyed veneer sheet.

[@lotfibouhedjeur]

That first pattern is so elegant.

[@octahedron646]

The black is also my favorite They are all insane results 😍

[@tonibarber8119]

Michael, all of these are way cool, but the black one is the WOW factor

[@robbiemer8178]

Well, those all turned out great! For me, I think I like the black veneer pattern best. It just helps define the pattern better as you said. I think the next step down this particular rabbit hole seems like it would be to make your own plywood to start from. Maybe something with darker wood layers and lighter veneers to highlight with. As for build and pattern ideas, I'm not sure about what to build but I think some kind of pattern that radiates out from a central hexagon to fill a panel would look very good. Perhaps for a door in a cabinet. Or, maybe, drawer fronts for a desk. Not really sure, tbh. One thing I am absolutely sure of is that I will be very interested in watching you build "stuff" that incorporates these new patterns you're making! Thanks for sharing this with us.

[@Cyzmic2]

Forget carpentry, you're an artist now. Great creativity, experimentation and amazing work! Please keep it up. Love all the patterns, especially random red.

[@10FingersWoodworking]

Wow, they all look great.

[@Keelsman]

The unplanned glue-up!!! Order and chaos, like watching the ocean... Delightful!

[@stephencoles3664]

I'd love to see if you can make a celtic knot-type pattern with this technique. Super cool technique. Thank you!

[@Denisifix]

Really cool looking. Love it!

[@KrisMartin1982]

The black one is the most versatile one and love the almost open weave...

[@stevesoldwedel]

Really awesome stuff. A thin sheet of that stuff would make a striking pickguard and/or headstock faceplate (or truss rod cover) for a guitar. You could even make an entire guitar top out of it. The red 1/2" made my favorite patterns.

[@patriciabockenstette6550]

Black & white is my favorite. Great ideas. Thanks for sharing. Be safe.

[@a.h.happydogs7898]

I want your puppy. I love that you've been adding color.

[@davidlowe5192]

Michael they are all awesome, but the first one with the black is probably the favourite and the random red a close second for me. I think you should use them in a nice box using them for the lid and bottom. 😊

[@mikalshively]

It is about time!!! Color is where it is at ...

[@duanemiller5606]

In traditional veneering they would spread their glue onto their base product then on both sides of the veneer before applying. With this thought in mind maybe you’re cracking of your veneers is lack of moisture in the veneer so that they’re just getting to dry. Maybe a towel that’s barely damp no dripping of any kind just slightly damp so that the steam can help the veneer while the heat activates the glue, that or glue it wet. Basically you’re a base piece of wood glue veneer wax paper clamping board or block and clamp it up tight.

[@greghamilton5872]

Love the originality! Great job sir! I'd love to give this a try someday.

[@me68206]

Parchment paper (silicone treated baking paper) is good for using as an ironing paper. This project was awesome; well done!

[@hickorygolddoc]

Very fun. I do love the black!

[@badyorkiewoodworking1531]

The Escher square pattern is gorgeous!

[@roy.h.barrett]

I think they are all bad ass. I particularly like the black reversed alpine. Well done. Youve a new appreciative followers.

[@SeraphimKnight]

To be honest even if you're using the topic of patterned plywood to farm clicks at this point I don't mind, I love all the videos you make about this.

[@rickmunroe4159]

Michael, again, many thanks for the great video. I am completing my first chevron pattern, a replacement top for my wife's TV tray, with matching coasters. As I was heading down the rabbit hole behind you I found some information I wanted to share, this has to do with wood glue open times. Much came from a WWGOA video, the rest from other research. Glue Open Time Comment Titebond Liquid Hyde 66 Dries brown Elmer’s Glue All (White) 37 Dries clear Elmer’s Wood Glue (Yellow) 20 Titebond II Extend 19 Dries Yellow Titebond III 15 Dries Yellow Titebond Original 11 Dries Yellow I use the Elmer's and feel it helps. Good Luck, Rickster

[@Gibbtall]

I actually really love the random one. The fact that they link up and make their own little patterns makes it feel designed but still feels random. It'd be great in a large panel.

[@BenRawson78]

I was thinking the same, the random patterns in it added something new to the idea.

[@richs5422]

The black pattern is really cool.

[@CBrobo1]

The black pattern is indeed awesome, but honestly they all are.

[@margeryk000]

I think they ALL look great!

[@MichaelAlm]

Thank you!

[@st170ish]

Speaker baffles will really showcase them. Oh and an idea, before the bandsaw glue on more veneers to complete the colour 360° for more awesomeness 👌

[@donnecheli2721]

You would have to make more pattern ply, but I think a lamp would be amazing. Potentially even making the light shade with coloured plywood, which may reflect the colour throughout the room

[@KodyKimani]

you are a wood artist! absolutely beautiful!

[@eldestmillennial3136]

I'm loving the black - and the holes where the two sides of the patterns meet leave all sorts of creative ideas open to me. For some reason, I thought "Lampshade", but I'm sure you could come up with something much more inventive.

[@janicegreen4724]

Love the black pattern! And would LOVE a cheese board with that pattern!

[@jonny555ive]

These are SO RAD 🤘🤘 I'd like to see white pearl epoxy in the holes of the black one..... I think that would really put it over the top. Excellent work buddy, I'm seriously impressed 👍👍

[@antonenberg]

Supercool video! Love the pattern and the accent colors!😍 You should build a bin to catch the cut plywood on your table saw 😉

[@MichaelAlm]

Thank you!! Hahaha! That’s exactly what I should make

[@davidlanfair]

I like the black, random pattern at the end and that synth song.

[@davidlanfair]

I also liked the square space commercial. Scott Brown does it good too,.

[@tysonschroeter9431]

This looks amazing… Would really love to see a Murphy Bed build using this for the fronts of the cabinetry. Maybe not the entire front… perhaps offset with a “L border along top and side of a solid colour or shade doors to a surrounding storage area. Either way… would love to see you incorporate this into cabinetry fronts one way or another. Your builds are amazing thanks for sharing 🙌

[@DokterRoetker]

I really like this, adds so much to the patterned plywood. And seeing you like Escher so much, you should visit The Hague and the Escher museum 🙂