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Author Topic: Sourcing Plywood  (Read 3537 times)

AmbuTech

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Sourcing Plywood
« on: January 13, 2011, 01:24:59 pm »

I have been investigating prices of 1/8 and 1/4 ply for boat building. I have found that my local "Wood Yard" can do me a good deal on ply. Is there any reason I cannot used "Wood Yard" ply rather than using "Model Shop" ply????

Rgds Ken

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Colin Bishop

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Re: Sourcing Plywood
« Reply #1 on: January 13, 2011, 01:36:46 pm »

It rather depends on the quality really.You need to have a close look at it and check that the sheets are perfectly flat and not warped and that the edges don't show evidence of voids. The external faces should be free of knots and of course the specification needs to be WPB exterior quality. Ply sold from models shops should be top quality but you do pay proportionately more for smaller pieces. You can get decent stuff from local wood suppliers and eveny DiY stores but I have seen some terrible quality ply in Homebase on occasion when I was looking to build a boat storage box.

Colin
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AmbuTech

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Re: Sourcing Plywood
« Reply #2 on: January 13, 2011, 01:47:16 pm »

Hi Colin

You have confirmed exactly what I was thinking already. I will pop down the wood yard and have a look before I buy.

Is it REALLY necessary to buy EXTERNAL? With all the paint and varnish we use and the amount of "ON THE WATER" time most model boats have, I would have thought that even Internal ply would be fine

Rgds Ken
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John W E

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Re: Sourcing Plywood
« Reply #3 on: January 13, 2011, 02:13:46 pm »

Hi
 
Last but not least how many veneers is the ply wood ?
 
Inexpensive ply tends to be only three ply – meaning - too thin outside veneers and a thick core filler which is sub-standard coarse grain and is difficult to fix to and tends to split.
 
Good grade model shop ply is normally 5 ply - meaning 5 veneers in the makeup and so does not split too easily when edge fixing to it - as in fixing planking to ribs.
 
Aye
john
 
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john s 2

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Re: Sourcing Plywood
« Reply #4 on: January 13, 2011, 04:27:36 pm »

Living near the Sea. Ive been able to get some useful offcuts from a local boatbuilder.Very helpful especially when i told him that it was
for model boat costruction. John.
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Roadrunner

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Re: Sourcing Plywood
« Reply #5 on: January 13, 2011, 05:22:07 pm »

Its preferable to use 'exterior' graded ply on boating but not entirely necessary, you can water tight the material using an exterior wood sealer, covered with its final coats of paints and varnishes it will be fine to use, just be sure to give it a few coats of the sealer inside and out, don't be stingy!

If you can, it may be worth investigating using glass tissues and resin as a finished paint surface, this will protect the boat should you scrape the paint off in a section.   

An example of using glass tissues can be found here http://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=7947.msg77358#msg77358
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