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cyclotron3k
dbr
That's why ply is not as popular as mdf. I've used so much mdf I'm bored of it but it does what it was designed to do well. I quite like the dead acoustic quality it has.
I'm not sure ply gives as paintable an edge, if you sand mdf edges properly they become like the board face, very paintable. A lot of people don't do this and it's horrible. Until the recent architect/designer lead plywood renaissance ply was often edged with hardwood strips.
The method of joining ply without it splitting is rabbiting and gluing, you could add dowels if you think you need it. The face is clearly not going to finish as smoothly as mdf without some treatment.
There are other modern board materials you could use. Veneered mdf is very nice with the matching iron on edges and a little lacquer. Theres a new type which has a more plastic veneer which is very hardwearing, I thought it was real wood when I saw some cupboards made out of it. I don't know the name of it though.
It's worth investigating alternatives to painted mdf as most modern paints don't stand up well to use. If you don't move stuff around a lot on the shelves it's ok but high traffic and the paint gets damaged fast.
Richlite is an interesting board too.