Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Plywood shopping experience:
1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Plywood offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Plywood at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.
2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about
3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Plywood? Wrong! If the Plywood is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.
4. Questions - Got a question about Plywood then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....
5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Plywood? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Plywood and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.
6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Plywood wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.
7. Feedback - happy with your Plywood then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.
8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Plywood site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site
9. Contact - got a question about Plywood, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.
10. Payment - ready to pay for your Plywood, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.
constructed from plywood. Notice the high quality wood veneer (light color) covering the lower quality inner wood (dark color).
Plywood was the first type of
engineered wood to be invented. It is made from thin sheets of
wood veneer, called plies or veneers. The layers are glued together, each with its grain at right angles to adjacent layers for strength.O'Halloran, M.R. 1989. Plywood. In
Concise Encyclopedia of Wood and Wood-based Materials, ed. Arno Schniewind. Oxford: Pergamon. p. 221-226. There are usually an odd number of plies, so that the grain on the outside plies runs in the same direction. The plies are bonded under heat and pressure with strong adhesives, usually phenol formaldehyde resin,Handbook of Finnish Plywood, Finnish Forest Industries Federation, 2002, ISBN 952-9506-63-5 making plywood a type of
composite material. A common reason for using plywood instead of plain wood is its resistance to cracking, shrinkage, twisting/warping, and its general high degree of strength. It has replaced many dimensional lumbers on construction applications for these reasons.
Types of plywood
A vast number of varieties of plywood exist, with many conditions and uses.
Softwood plywood is usually made either of
Douglas fir or spruce, pine, and fir, and is typically used for construction and industrial purposes.O'Halloran, p.221. Decorative plywood is usually faced with hardwood, including
red oak,
birch, maple, lauan (Philippine
mahogany) and a large number of other hardwoods.
Plywood for indoor use generally uses the less expensive urea-formaldehyde glue which has limited water resistance, while outdoor and
Marine plywood are designed to withstand rot, and use a water resistant phenol-formaldehyde glue to prevent
delamination and to retain strength in high humidity.
The most common varieties of softwood plywood come in three, five or seven plies with a metric dimension of 1.2 m × 2.4 m or the slightly larger imperial dimension of 4 feet × 8 feet. Plies vary in thickness from 1/10" through 1/6" depending on the panel thickness.
Roofing can use the thinner 3/8-inch plywood. Floorboards are at least 5/8-inch depending on the distance between floor joists. Plywood for flooring applications is often
tongue and grooved. Two of the edges will have
"grooves" notched into them to fit with the adjacent "tongue" that protrudes from the next board.
High-strength plywood, known as
aircraft plywood, is made from mahogany and/or birch. It was used for several World War II
fighter aircraft, including the British-built
de Havilland Mosquito bomber.
Airplane plywood was adapted for furniture by
Alvar Aalto.
Plywood production
Plywood production requires a good log, called a peeler, which is generally straighter and larger in diameter than one required for processing into dimensioned lumber by a sawmill. The log is peeled into sheets of veneer which are then cut to the desired dimensions, dried, patched, glued together and then baked in a press at 140 °C (280 °F) and 19 MPa (2800 psi) to form the plywood wood panel. The panel can then be patched, resized, sanded or otherwise refinished, depending on the market for which it is intended.
History
Plywood has been made for thousands of years; the earliest known occurrence of plywood was in ancient Egypt around 3500 BC when wooden articles were made from sawn veneers glued together crosswise. This was originally done due to a shortage of fine wood. Thin sheets of high quality wood were glued over a substrate of lower quality wood for cosmetic effect, with incidental structural benefits. This manner of inventing plywood has occurred repeatedly throughout history. Most high quality English furniture makers working in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries (and since) have used veneering as a technique. In addition to making the most out the highest quality materials available, it reduces prices and improves stability of construction. The irregularities of grain which confer decorative interest often result in uncontollable warping and cracking if any attempt is made to use the wood in thicknesses much greater than those characterising cabinet-making veneers (typically 1-2mm).
Modern plywood in which the veneer are cut on a
Lathe#Rotary lathes from softwood logs is of relatively recent origin, invented by Immanuel Nobel. The first such lathes were set up in the
United States in the mid
19th century. Plywood has been one of the most ubiquitous building products for decades.
Compare to OSB (Oriented strand board) and MDF (
Medium-density fibreboard).
One of the earliest applications of mass-produced modern plywood manufacturing in the United States was recorded in Portland, Oregon by the Portland Manufacturing Company. The owner,
Thomas J. Autzen helped develop a bonding technology, which greatly shortened the drying and manufacturing process. His early engineering contribution played an important role in making plywood one of the most abundant and affordable building products ever produced.
Plywood grades
Plywood grades are determined by the veneer quality on the face and back of each panel. The first letter designates quality of face veneer (best side), while the second letter denotes the surface quality of the back of the panel.http://www.timber.org.au/NTEP/menu.asp?id=104#Veneer_quality The letter "X" simply indicates the panel was manufactured with exterior type adhesive.
"A": Highest grade quality available. Can be defect free or contain small knots, providing they are replaced with wooden plugs (the fillers having a "boat" or a "football" shape) or repaired with synthetic patch. This grade may contain occasional surface splits that are repaired with synthetic filler. The surface is always sanded and provides for smooth paintable face quality.
"B": Second highest quality veneer grade. Normally a by-product of downgraded "A" quality veneer. Solid surface, but may contain small diameter knots and narrow surface splits. Normally repaired with wooden plugs or synthetic filler. Surface normally sanded smooth.
"C": Considered to be a lower end face quality, but a reasonable choice for general construction purposes. May contain tight knots up to 1½ inches diameter, some open knot holes, some face splits, and discoloration. Some manufactures may repair the defects with synthetic filler. Panels typically not sanded.
"D": Considered to be the lowest quality veneer and often used for the back surface for construction grade panels. Allows for several knots, large and small, as well as open knots up to 2½ inches diameter. Open knots, splits, and discoloration are acceptable. "D" grade veneers are neither repaired nor sanded. This grade is not recommended for permanent exposure to weather elements.
Plywood applications
Plywood is used in any application that needs high quality wooden sheet material. High quality in this context means resistance to cracking, breaking, shrinkage, twisting and warping.Plywood is also used as an engineering material for stressed-skin applications. Plywood has been used in this fashion for marine and aviation application since the WWII era. Most notable is the British De Havilland Mosquito bomber, which was primarily made out of wood. Plywood is currently used in stressed-skin applications quite successfully. The American designers
Charles Eames and
Ray Eames and
Phil Bolger are world famous for their furniture designed with plywood.
See also
References
Further reading
- A video podcast from podcastschool.net
- APA - The Engineered Wood Association (formerly known as the American Plywood Association)
- Canadian Plywood Association - Plywood Manufacturing Process, Grades and Specifications, Engineering Design Values, Technical Literature, Mill Contact Info, Environmental Practices, International Certification, Hobby Ply-Plans
- Sellers, Terry. 1985. Plywood and Adhesive Technology. New York: Dekker. ISBN 0-8247-7407-8
- Yahoo about Article On Plywood Grades
constructed from plywood. Notice the high quality wood veneer (light color) covering the lower quality inner wood (dark color).
Plywood was the first type of
engineered wood to be invented. It is made from thin sheets of
wood veneer, called plies or veneers. The layers are glued together, each with its grain at right angles to adjacent layers for strength.O'Halloran, M.R. 1989. Plywood. In
Concise Encyclopedia of Wood and Wood-based Materials, ed. Arno Schniewind. Oxford: Pergamon. p. 221-226. There are usually an odd number of plies, so that the grain on the outside plies runs in the same direction. The plies are bonded under heat and pressure with strong
adhesives, usually phenol formaldehyde resin,Handbook of Finnish Plywood, Finnish Forest Industries Federation, 2002, ISBN 952-9506-63-5 making plywood a type of
composite material. A common reason for using plywood instead of plain
wood is its resistance to cracking, shrinkage, twisting/warping, and its general high degree of strength. It has replaced many
dimensional lumbers on
construction applications for these reasons.
Types of plywood
A vast number of varieties of plywood exist, with many conditions and uses. Softwood plywood is usually made either of Douglas fir or
spruce,
pine, and
fir, and is typically used for construction and industrial purposes.O'Halloran, p.221. Decorative plywood is usually faced with
hardwood, including red oak, birch, maple,
lauan (Philippine mahogany) and a large number of other hardwoods.
Plywood for indoor use generally uses the less expensive urea-formaldehyde glue which has limited water resistance, while outdoor and
Marine plywood are designed to withstand rot, and use a water resistant phenol-formaldehyde glue to prevent
delamination and to retain strength in high humidity.
The most common varieties of softwood plywood come in three, five or seven plies with a metric dimension of 1.2 m × 2.4 m or the slightly larger imperial dimension of 4 feet × 8 feet. Plies vary in thickness from 1/10" through 1/6" depending on the panel thickness.
Roofing can use the thinner 3/8-inch plywood. Floorboards are at least 5/8-inch depending on the distance between floor joists. Plywood for flooring applications is often
tongue and grooved. Two of the edges will have
"grooves" notched into them to fit with the adjacent "tongue" that protrudes from the next board.
High-strength plywood, known as
aircraft plywood, is made from mahogany and/or birch. It was used for several
World War II fighter aircraft, including the British-built
de Havilland Mosquito bomber.
Airplane plywood was adapted for furniture by
Alvar Aalto.
Plywood production
Plywood production requires a good log, called a peeler, which is generally straighter and larger in diameter than one required for processing into dimensioned lumber by a
sawmill. The log is peeled into sheets of veneer which are then cut to the desired dimensions, dried, patched, glued together and then baked in a press at 140 °C (280 °F) and 19 MPa (2800 psi) to form the plywood wood panel. The panel can then be patched, resized, sanded or otherwise refinished, depending on the market for which it is intended.
History
Plywood has been made for thousands of years; the earliest known occurrence of plywood was in
ancient Egypt around 3500 BC when wooden articles were made from sawn veneers glued together crosswise. This was originally done due to a shortage of fine wood. Thin sheets of high quality wood were glued over a substrate of lower quality wood for cosmetic effect, with incidental structural benefits. This manner of inventing plywood has occurred repeatedly throughout history. Most high quality English furniture makers working in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries (and since) have used veneering as a technique. In addition to making the most out the highest quality materials available, it reduces prices and improves stability of construction. The irregularities of grain which confer decorative interest often result in uncontollable warping and cracking if any attempt is made to use the wood in thicknesses much greater than those characterising cabinet-making veneers (typically 1-2mm).
Modern plywood in which the veneer are cut on a
Lathe#Rotary lathes from softwood logs is of relatively recent origin, invented by Immanuel Nobel. The first such lathes were set up in the
United States in the mid 19th century. Plywood has been one of the most ubiquitous building products for decades.
Compare to OSB (Oriented strand board) and MDF (
Medium-density fibreboard).
One of the earliest applications of mass-produced modern plywood manufacturing in the United States was recorded in Portland, Oregon by the Portland Manufacturing Company. The owner, Thomas J. Autzen helped develop a bonding technology, which greatly shortened the drying and manufacturing process. His early engineering contribution played an important role in making plywood one of the most abundant and affordable building products ever produced.
Plywood grades
Plywood grades are determined by the veneer quality on the face and back of each panel. The first letter designates quality of face veneer (best side), while the second letter denotes the surface quality of the back of the panel.http://www.timber.org.au/NTEP/menu.asp?id=104#Veneer_quality The letter "X" simply indicates the panel was manufactured with exterior type adhesive.
"A": Highest grade quality available. Can be defect free or contain small knots, providing they are replaced with wooden plugs (the fillers having a "boat" or a "football" shape) or repaired with synthetic patch. This grade may contain occasional surface splits that are repaired with synthetic filler. The surface is always sanded and provides for smooth paintable face quality.
"B": Second highest quality veneer grade. Normally a by-product of downgraded "A" quality veneer. Solid surface, but may contain small diameter knots and narrow surface splits. Normally repaired with wooden plugs or synthetic filler. Surface normally sanded smooth.
"C": Considered to be a lower end face quality, but a reasonable choice for general construction purposes. May contain tight knots up to 1½ inches diameter, some open knot holes, some face splits, and discoloration. Some manufactures may repair the defects with synthetic filler. Panels typically not sanded.
"D": Considered to be the lowest quality veneer and often used for the back surface for construction grade panels. Allows for several knots, large and small, as well as open knots up to 2½ inches diameter. Open knots, splits, and discoloration are acceptable. "D" grade veneers are neither repaired nor sanded. This grade is not recommended for permanent exposure to weather elements.
Plywood applications
Plywood is used in any application that needs high quality wooden sheet material. High quality in this context means resistance to cracking, breaking, shrinkage, twisting and warping.Plywood is also used as an engineering material for stressed-skin applications. Plywood has been used in this fashion for marine and aviation application since the WWII era. Most notable is the British De Havilland Mosquito bomber, which was primarily made out of wood. Plywood is currently used in stressed-skin applications quite successfully. The American designers
Charles Eames and Ray Eames and Phil Bolger are world famous for their furniture designed with plywood.
See also
References
Further reading
- A video podcast from podcastschool.net
- APA - The Engineered Wood Association (formerly known as the American Plywood Association)
- Canadian Plywood Association - Plywood Manufacturing Process, Grades and Specifications, Engineering Design Values, Technical Literature, Mill Contact Info, Environmental Practices, International Certification, Hobby Ply-Plans
- Sellers, Terry. 1985. Plywood and Adhesive Technology. New York: Dekker. ISBN 0-8247-7407-8
- Yahoo about Article On Plywood Grades
Plywood
Image courtesy of . http://www.diydata.com. Name: -Plywood. Sources: -Plywood is made by gluing together a number of thin veneers or plies of softwood or hardwood.
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