Last Tuesday, I went to buy some plywood to build a bookshelf in the garage. I thought I was pretty experienced, having made a few small pieces of furniture before. I picked out a sheet of plywood that looked fairly flat, with an even color and no major surface issues, and brought it home.
I cut it into pieces in my car, planning to assemble it the next day. But when I looked at it the following morning—I was stunned.All the boards had warped, curling up like potato chips. I couldn’t press them flat with my hands. Any bookshelf made from them would be crooked and unusable.
Feeling frustrated, I messaged my friend Dave, a seasoned carpenter with nearly twenty years of experience. He replied, “Did you use that cheap plywood? Did you see the letters ‘RTD’?”
I froze: “RTD? What’s that?”
Learning a Lesson from the Master Craftsman
That weekend, Dave took me to his friend Tom’s workshop. Tom was a true artisan—his workbench was covered in wood shavings, hand-drawn blueprints plastered on the walls, and tools piled everywhere on the floor.
I showed him my warped board. He picked it up, examined it, and chuckled: “Kid, you’re using regular plywood, not RTD.”
He explained that ‘RTD’ stands for “Ready to Decorate.” This type of plywood has a smoother surface and tighter-pressed inner layers, making it less prone to absorbing water and warping.
Then he pulled out a sheet labeled “RTD” and another regular one for comparison:
Dave added, “If you’re making fine furniture like cabinets, bookshelves, or tabletops, you absolutely must use RTD. Otherwise, after all your hard work, it’ll warp within days.”
I tried it myself—the difference is huge
After hearing their advice, I wanted to see if the difference was really that significant. So I used leftover scraps to conduct three small tests:
1. Checking for warping in a damp environment
I placed a small piece of RTD board and a small piece of regular board together on the damp basement floor. After two days:
2. Planing test: Which is easier to work with?
I tried trimming both edges with a hand plane:
3. Load-bearing capacity test
I bridged the two boards and placed several bricks on top:
Another small discovery: After painting, the glue lines on the regular board showed through clearly. The RTD board, however, had an even finish after painting—the joints were completely invisible, saving me the cost of a primer coat.
Rebuilding the Bookshelf—Finally Successful
Learning from my mistakes, I specifically bought genuine RTD plywood this time.It cost a bit more—about $15 extra per sheet. But I figured it was better to get it right the first time than to ruin it and start over.
This time, I followed Tom’s method:
After three days in the garage, the finished bookshelf showed zero warping. The shelves are straight, the corners square, and it holds items securely.
Dave took a look, nodded, and said, “This time it’s right.”
My Takeaways
Through this failure and relearning, I realized:
RTD plywood isn’t just fancy jargon—it’s genuinely useful. It’s far better suited for home furniture, especially pieces you want to look clean, flat, and durable.
Though slightly pricier than regular plywood, it saves you major headaches: no endless repairs, no warping worries, and easier painting.
If you’re doing woodworking—whether building shelves, cabinets, or tables—here’s my advice:
Now, looking at that perfectly straight bookshelf, I feel quite pleased. Though my first failed attempt was frustrating, it taught me how to truly select materials. Woodworking isn’t just about getting your hands dirty—it’s about understanding materials.
