Question on plywood in Thailand

[Eric]

Hi Everyone.

I have just started to build a CS 17 here in Thailand. After looking for wood and getting confused, I finally found a helpful Italian who makes some nice boats an hour up the road from me at Rayong ( www.andamanboatyard.com ). He emailed me this answer to my wood question (plus looks like I finally found a source for good epoxy):

Dear Sir,

Thnak for Your appreciation on our works.

We sell epoxy, we four kind for coating, gluing, strong gluing with fast hardner (15 minutes) and for fiberglass laminating.

The Thai exterior grade plywood is Apitong plywood (called also Keruing or Mai yang), isn't certified marine ply as the exterior veneers haven't the same thichness of the inners veneer layers and because certification is costly for a ply factory (common rich China-Thai factory owner are cheap). Anyway is knots free, is hot pressed glued, take epoxy in a good way as the yang wood is perfect for epoxy laimnating works. It is glued with the same glue of marine certified plywood. It is resistant at the boiler test too. You can find info on http://www.resourcesintl-wa.com/info.html even this US importer lie a little on the "marine plywood" diciture. The only problems of this plywood is that is quite heavy (800 Kg/m3) and is stiff. You cannot use it instead a FIR ply without changing scantling on thickness because will not bend but Devlin now start to use it on his plywood boats (Czarinna 43)

Which boat You are building?

Thanks and "Buon Vento".

Please visit our recent work on http://www.by-the-sea.com/archdavisdesign/news/blosxom.pl

Best regards.

Arch Luigi Innamorati

ANDAMAN BOATYARD co., ltd. director

Mail address: 111/4 Moo1 Nat Jomtien Soi 6

next JOMTIEN YACHT CLUB 1

20250 Sattahip, Chonbury THAILAND

tel. 0066 (0)38 706060

fax 0066 (0)38 730041 or 0066 (0)38 255782

mobile 0066 (0)1 3854058

www.andamanboatyard.com

Please don't forget to visit our satisfied customer's webpage at

www.roemcke.no/boatbuilder/

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Anyway, does anybody have any thoughts on this wood? The link he includes is helpful. It is beautiful, clean ply, but it is HEAVY. And stiff. But cheap, only about 12 dollars a sheet here for 5mm.

Any feedback is much appreciated.

Eric

[Designer]

Hi Eric,

Welcome to the forum. You are starting an exciting adventure, I visited Phuket many years ago and would love to be there and building a boat.

I have never seen or used keruing plywood but I would be tempted to use it because of it's availability and price. The boat was designed around okume ply and keruing seems to be a lot heavier. If the 5mm is a 5ply you could probably substitute it for 6mm.

[capt jake]

There is an importer in Tacoma who sells Keuring. Nice looking and the price is good also. It is really heavy and stiff though. The stiffness is the only thing that concerned me (giving that the panels have to flex). I believe the rot resitance is also very good.

[lsearle]

o k guys,how about heavy plywood for the bottom panels, and okoume fo r the rest?[plus blue foam composite for the coachroof] same schedule for fiberglass. just a thought from an old sydney skiffie

[Designer]

Yes, there is nothing wrong with using a heavier ply for the bottom and lighter ply for topsides. I also like blue foam sandwich for cabin tops as long as you have some beams to carry the shear loads.

[willfowke]

I'm considering building a couple of kayaks here in Thailand. I have facilities, labour etc etc....but no marine ply.......

any ideas - or substitutes?

weight of course is crucial here.

[LiveSteam]

I'm considering building a couple of kayaks here in Thailand. I have facilities, labour etc etc....but no marine ply.......

any ideas - or substitutes?

weight of course is crucial here.

You can get imported Marine Plywood BS1088 at:

www.phuketunderground.com/marine-plywood

LiveSteam