I've got me some butt-ugly 825 cabinets (painted murder black) that want to be spruced up and taken to factory gray. They've got corner dings, gouges, drill holes, etc. but are pretty stout otherwise.

It occurred to me that I could skin the cabinets with 1/4" plywood on at least the top, sides, and bottom and that would give me a new smooth surface to refinish. This would save major stripping/sanding. I'm assuming I would glue and nail it to the existing surfaces. Apart from making the cabinets a little chunkier looking than stock, is there a positive benefit to adding the extra ply? Does it stiffen the cabinets in a good way?

I'd also like to brace the bass horn internals and anywhere else inside the cabinet it makes the most sense. Can anyone point me to some good looking photos/plans of the internal extra bracing that is the most sensible course?

Is there a way to see if they were originally factory (I've seen some hints of gray under the black) in the way of a stamp or other identification?

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