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TheEngineer09 t1_j9ez9a7 wrote

Depends on your skill level and budget. Melamine is great for shelves, though the size you mention may require good supports to prevent long term drooping. But it looks nice and there are whole assembly methods for it. Plywood is a good option for larger shelves. Get sanded interior plywood, not exterior grade. Takes more time to finish, normally you'd want to glue on a piece of hardwood to the edge, or use edge banding, to hide the layered edge. I just did a whole closet with 3/4 maple plywood that I stained white and then put a finish over. The most expensive option is solid wood boards. Getting something that comes 17"+wide will be really expensive. Likely you'll need to buy narrower and glue up the larger panels. Pine boards are fine, just spend the time finding clean straight boards. Hardwood boards are honestly overkill for shelves and will be your most expensive option.

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duggatron t1_j9fd89g wrote

I agree with most of this comment except for the hardwood boards being overkill. If this pantry is going to endure for decades, it's worth using hardwood just to reduce the dents and shallow gouges that come from regular use.

Maple is about 3x harder than pine, and it will look considerably better after a decade of use than a bunch of 1 by from Home Depot.

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TheEngineer09 t1_j9fdv6n wrote

For an actual pantry I agree. They said this is just for clothes and shoes though, the abuse should be pretty minimal. Doesn't mean you can't use hardwood, I just don't think it's required for such a low abuse application.

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GoAheadTACCOM t1_j9hexgq wrote

Yeah I just did a pantry of built in shelves and went with birch specifically for the dent factor

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Lasciels_Toy t1_j9g279o wrote

I would suggest going with radiata ply over sanded. Better finish and cheaper locally at home depot, with the cost being that usually 1 side is better than the other. It's my go to since the COVID price increases.

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