The search for plywood

[Guest tomstock]

Ok I'm starting the most common thread. Maybe we should keep a list of suppliers for different areas? Anyway:

I've called more than a dozen places today with no luck finding marine grade plywood. The closest I came was a place an hour or so south that wanted $100 a sheet for 1/2" Okoume and $66 for 1/4", but no 3/8. Okoume is a bit over my budget for plywood. I'd be happy with ACX but I cant find that either. I've checked common places like Home Depot, Lowes (who by the way dont even know what Marine grade or ACX is) and a good number of smaller lumber yards. B-C exterior is the only think I can find.

Should I settle for A/D Exterior (shudder)?

I'm in the St. Petersburg/Tampa area of West central Florida.

Anyone know where I can find something suitable?

Thanks

-tom

[Frank Hagan]

Check out our Wood FAQ for information on how to interpret those APA grading stamps on the plywood. The difference between AC and BC ... the "X" doesn't really mean anything ... might be slight. Many Weekenders have been built from AC or BC "Exposure 1" plywood with good result (including mine).

Another "trick" people have used is to look at 1/4" luaun underlayment, usually sold for about $10 - $11 a sheet. It can be doubled for the 1/2" sections. It is "water resistant", made to be used under flooring. In my Home Depot, it is stored over with the hardwood plywood, instead of with the construction grade material.

The best price I've found for real marine grade okume ply is about $26 per 1/4" (4mm) sheet, so I would consider the prices you were quoted as pretty high.

The Weekender doesn't have a lot of hard bends, so the difference in the number of plies is less important (most marine 1/4" or 4mm ply has five plies, whereas construction grade has 3 plies). And if you're going to use fiberglass and epoxy anyway, the necessity for marine plywood is less ... unless you plan to keep your Weekender in the water all the time. Then I would definately go with marine ply.

[Ed Jones]

I used the 1/4" lauan under lament doubled with staggered but joints on my PC. Just make sure it is rated as water resistant. The glue will most likely be "black" and not brown in color. What ever you do DO NOT use pine plywood on your boat as it will swell and delaminate.

[Guest tomstock]

How can I tell what the plywood is made of? For example most of the plywood at home depot only says "Exterior BC". Even the 2x12s I looked at said "#2 Prime". Prime?! ?!

-tom

[Guest tomstock]

Ok, I managed to find a wholesaler that carries ACX Fir in 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2". Is this what I want? If so I'll have to order it through a different dealer as they dont sell directly to the public.

Thanks

-tom

[Chris Potts]

Frank just out of curiousity where did you find 1/4" okume plywood for $26 per sheet

Chris

[Barry Pyeatt]

Tom,

A lot of the plywood sold at the Home Depot and Lowes stores as well as most of the lumber yards will have a lot of different species of wood used in its construction. Most common in the Southeastern states is pine for the face veneers and pine or other woods for the interior veneers as well.

I would order from a full service yard serving the construction trade if you are looking for ACX or if you are looking for Marine grades then most of them will order for you from a supplier.

I would try to avoid the ply with pine as a material, it is not as good a quality as Doug Fir, Mahogany or Okume. The primary qualifyer should the rating as water resistant underlayment or marine use.

If you are going to skimp anywhere, do it somewhere other than in the hull construction. Trim and decorative pieces can be changed or upgraded. But hull construction is a lot more difficult to upgrade or change out after it is built. Since the hull is going to be glassed on the exterior Doug Fir ply works well, but Pine ply just doesn't hold up well.

[Guest tomstock]

Hi, I managed to speak to yet someone else (at the same lumber shop, COX lumber) that confirmed that I can get 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 "AC Fir". He says it's not actually "Exterior" but that it is water resistant and uses the same glue as exterior ply and that this stuff is commonly used for underlayments, etc.

As for marine ply, there was some difficulty finding it in the 1/4" and 3/8" sizes, although 1/2" was available. I think I'll go with this AC Fir so I can get started providing it is the same as the ACX mentioned in the plans.

1/4" 23.99 AC Fir (Water resistant)

3/8"" 28.99 AC Fir (Water resistant)

1/2" 32.99 AC Fir (Water resistant)

-tom

[Brent]

World Panel Products is located in Florida, and has good prices on Meranti and Okume.

888 836 3379

www.worldpanel.com

[Barry Pyeatt]

Tom,

The AC from that supplier would work just fine. The only really significant difference with Marine would be in the 3/8" where the Marine will have 5 laminations as compared to 3 in AC. That makes for a better quality of plywood for your deck etc. But that is not a major difference.

[Guest tomstock]

>World Panel Products is located in Florida, and has good prices on >Meranti and Okume.

>888 836 3379

>www.worldpanel.com

Thanks Brent, nice products. Unfortunately almost 3 times the cost of the AC Exterior. I think I'll just go with the AC fir since I can pick it up about 3 blocks from here, and I'll save almost $400 on just the ply alone. I'm planning to spend about $650-$700 this week for my first wave of materials... I can hardly sleep

-tom

[Frank Hagan]

Frank just out of curiousity where did you find 1/4" okume plywood for $26 per sheet

In Southern California' date=' Plywood and Door sells okume, meranti and birch marine ply at really reasonable prices. I was pricing 1/4" (4mm) okume, and the price per sheet for 4 sheets was $26 per sheet (or maybe $28 ... I do remember it was an even number under $30). Its "malvo okume ply" produced by a French company, and according to the salesperson I talked to, has one of the standards stamps (I can't remember ANYTHING tonight ... its something like BS1088 or the other standard. Sheesh!) I haven't seen it yet; I'll be buying some for a Spindrift I'm going to build after April 15th.

[Memphis Mike]

Check out www.woodfinder.net It will let you know the sources in your area.

[tdrown]

I am building mine with ACX Plywood from the Home Depot, in my area they have Fir for pretty cheap. The only problem is Home Depot is very poor quality, I only went there since I am on a VERY tight budget. I called a few places and Marine Grade is pretty hard to find here also. (the places and prices are listed on this site: http://tyler.drown.org/plywood.html I've noticed that most of the lumber yards just call it AC. If you can afford it go marine from a trusty supplier, if you can find very good ACX that looks good, doesn't look like swiss cheese on the C-side, if and you can't see through the middle you might be ok with it. I'm no expert, but these are just some observations that I have made throough this process. If the plywood meets all the qualifications of exterior maybe they can't call it that because the company doesn't belong to the APA, who makes the standards and rates the grades of plywood.

These are the requirments for Exterior-grade and Exposure-1 (which is actually what the X stands for if I my recollection is correct).

Exterior Panels -

Made with a water resistant bond and are designed for applications subject to permanent exposure to the weather or moisture.The minimum grade of veneer permitted in Exterior plywood is C.

Exposure 1 Panels -

Consists of a water-resistant bond and are designed for applications where long delays may be expected prior to providing protection, or where high moisture conditions may be encountered in service.

[Islands]

Another of my favorite subjects Plywood, I did locate a place that imports ply for a reasonable cost :smilecolros:

http://www.almquistlumber.com/plywoods.htm they had a good supply when I called but the shipping might be a bit much :roll: :grab: