What kind of plywood is this?

[Geek]

Was at the lumber store tonight, sniffing around for cutoffs/scraps. Found some plywood that has maple veneer on both sides with an OSB core. None of the people there, including the manager knew what it was, only they got a small skid of it last year

[454Casull]

Maybe a combined-core plywood?

http://www.taunton.com/finehomebuild...ges/h00016.asp

[Geek]

Thanks for the link!

I forgot to mention that the guy said they were glad to get rid of it, because it costed a lot more ($75/sheet) than furniture grade maple ply ($60/sheet), which is lighter, stronger and holds screws better.

It interested me because it looked like it might be great acoustically, while still able to finish up super
(and the fact he let me have the left over 1/2 sheet for $10)

[chrisb]

Greg:

This looks an engineered core panel product of which we've seen many different manufacturer's samples psss through our front office. Usually a thick aspen or poplar oriented strand core, cross laminated with either softwood veneer or even MDF plys, with a birch or select species face veneer, possibly finished with a UV cured clear top coat.

Fine for basic cabinet carcass construction, but requires high quality tooling for clean finish with complicated joinery (i.e. dadoes, lock-miters, blind dovetails)


I'd guess that much of the increased cost over more traditional product types is the rapid amortization of the newer technology/ manufacturing equipment and additional production steps required for utilization of lower grade raw materials. For example there are extra steps involved in thickness sanding the MDF/PB layers prior to bonding the final face veneers. Regardless of admirable advancements in efficiency of newer production equipment, it can cost millions of dollars, and doesn't last forever.



There's been a lot of discussion and "ink" given recently to the subject of suitability of materials for speaker cabinets, without, I believe, any definitive conclusion as to the "best" or even relative merits per type of application.

So just build 2 pairs of an identical, proven design, and conduct a "blind" listening test, as to which "sounds better".


(flame war anyone?)

[Geek]

Hi Chris,

I was hoping you'd pop in here

Originally posted by chrisb
So just build 2 pairs of an identical, proven design, and conduct a "blind" listening test, as to which "sounds better".

Would make for an interesting test, but at $15 sheet more than baltic birch, I have zero intentions of getting more. It's also not carried out in my area anymore and I was warned about extreme blade damage from this stuff by a carpenter over at my forums, as well as toxic dust/fumes from the binder. Worse than MDF.

So, I'll use this 1/2 sheet and be done with it.

Thanks all for your input, it sure helps to know what *not* to use

Cheers!

[el`Ol]

Lucky canadians. I also find OSB is acoustically good, but I didn`t even dream about getting it with maple veneer.

[peace brainerd]

Is there a standard for the face veneer of these panels? I picked up some panels of birch veneered plywood at Home Depot the other day to build up a two inch thick workbench top. They were china imported and very inexpensive. They are very dense and strong and good looking, but once I started working on them, I discovered that the actual veneer of birch is (almost literally) paper thin. It's fine for my purposes, but I'm really glad that I didn't invest time and effort in cabinets with this plywood.

[AndrewT]

Hi,
Birch ply from the Baltic states is usually of very good quality and consistently even through the cross section as well as from batch to batch.
The cores are usually of similar thickness all the way through (completely unlike stout core ply) and the outer face may be slightly thinner due to surfacing to a constant board thickness.
I don't think I have ever handled or seen far eastern birch ply so cannot comment on it's qualities particularly in comparison to birch ply as used in the UK.

[Schaef]

I believe there are standards, but unless Home Depot tells you which standard they bought, its not going to do you any good. Basic rule of thumb, if you're buying from big box store (either orange or blue) its not the greatest quality. These stores are for two groups, the home DIYer that doesn't know where to get the better stuff, and the professional that doesn't care about quality, only price.

I'll shop there for basic stuff that the level doesn't make much of a difference, but when I want quality stuff, I go elsewhere, I also pay a lot more for the good stuff. You really do get what you pay for when it comes to certain things. Their plywood selection is atrocious and crap, their dimensional lumber selection is also terrible. Try to find a straight 2x2 in one of their stacks. I also find I can possibly get better customer service if I go elsewhere for things than the box stores, so the extra cost is worth it.

[Geek]

These stores are for two groups, the home DIYer that doesn't know where to get the better stuff, and the professional that doesn't care about quality, only price.

Fortunately, Windsor Plywood is a renowned specialty wood chain and they compete (and many times beat) Rona/Revy on the specialty woods, like BB or maple ply.