Hey Chris! Sorry to hear about your buddy.
You are absolutely right about Sam helping me heal. I hope you will be able to Adopt another friend too!
The ply is all BC Ext. with the B side IN. It still requires a bit of sanding, but for the price versus Cabinet Grade, I couldn't beat it. I have had to watch for voids and fill as needed, but it hasn't been a big deal.
Now that the exterior has color on it I can really see what it needs for final finish. I will be sanding and filling with body filler before what I am sure will be two more coats.
The interior required Stain Conditioner before staining to keep it from looking blotchy. I'm pretty happy with the color and consistency and the rag from the conditioner acted as the final tack rag too! It will be getting a couple coats of poly with 120 grit sanding in between.
Hope this helps.
Gary