Settle design construction advice needed

I’m designing a settle in the Frank Lloyd Wright style meaning flat wood sides and back. I am planning on building the carcass out of Baltic birch plywood with a wood veneer rather than using MDF which may make the settle too heavy when all is said and done with the amount of structural ribbing needed. The ribbing will be every 12”-14” for structural support. My questions are as follows


If I construct the settle before I apply the veneer I will not be able to apply the veneer with a vacuum press. Should I veneer the plywood before I cut the parts?

Is ¾” plywood overkill or would 5/8” or ½” be better to conserve weight? Maybe 5/8” for the exterior surfaces and ½” for the ribbing?

Since the carcass is going to be veneered, do I need to veneer both sides of the plywood to contain wood expansion? I haven’t made up my mind if I’ll be using 1/16 re-sawn veneer I cut myself or a thinner veneer purchased from an on line vendor. I’m considering oak or cherry.

It interesting, the design is very simple; basically a wood box with a cutout for seat and back cushions but the construction’s going to be complicated.

I’m sure I’ll have more questions during construction.

Thanks

Terry

Veneer first. Make the panels larger than you need, and trim to size after the veneering operation.

If the panels are not structural, they really only need to be strong enough (and thick enough) to handle their own weight. Half inch would work. Quarter inch might work if the panels aren't big -- many kitchen doors have 1/4" plywood glued-in panels.

Balanced panels (that is, putting the same thickness of veneer on the back as on the front) are good where there's no other structure to constrain the panel from moving -- for instance a door. In a sofa, there's likely framing and ribs and such which will ensure the panels will not warp. Be that as it may, I'd still consider veneering the backs. You sound like veneering is a new thing for you, so veneering the backs will give you some practice before you tackle the show face.

http://www.arkitekturanyc.com/pic/49.jpg

This is very close to what I had in mind except without the round columns. The flat sides would extend up to the arm rests.


The reason I was considering 5/8"s or 3/4" for the sides and back was so the sofa would seem more substantial, no flex if someone were to press against the exterrior surface.


I haven't veneered before so it is going to be a new experience for me. I don't think I can buy pre-veneered plywood with the grain running in the direction I want
meaning I want the grain vertical, not horizontal on the piece. All the pre-made veneer I’ve seen the grain runs the length of the piece of plywood rather than the width.


Terry

I don't quite understand what you're saying about pre-veneered plywood. The ends of the sofa could be cut from standard plywood, right? They're less than 48" wide. Maybe you're thinking about the back of the sofa? If the back is wood, and if you want the grain running up-down, you make it with two pieces of plywood. You'll have a seaming issue to solve in the middle, but that's not the only time you have to solve that issue. You have to solve it at the other vertical edges of the back.

My reasoning for doing the veneering myself is so I can have one long piece for the back of the sofa with no seams. The back of the sofa is going to be visable as one enters the living room from the entry.

Terry