In reply to:

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plywood doesn't have the most pleasing grain and color anyway

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Plywood does not inherently have displeasing grain or color. It appearance depends on two things. The veneer used and the construction of the plys. If the edges are visible, it would be best plywood to use Baltic Birch plywood which has very thin plys. If the edges are hidden, it really can be hard to separate it from solid wood. The plywood used in his docking station is obviously veneered with rotary cut fir plywood like you find at hardware stores, which is not at all suited for fine woodworking. It's not even easy to make it look real good with paint.

Furniture grade plywoods which use quarter sawn or flat sawn veneers, are an excellent choice for the project as long as the edges are concealed.

Stu