Marine Ply

[Keith 66]

Timbmet do Brynzeel which was regarded as the best. But a minimum order of 10 sheets when i asked last year and it was more expensive than Robbins!

 

[john_morris_uk]

Agreed. The boat builder I worked for only used Robbins. The 9mm stuff they used was £100 a sheet. Yikes.

Only £100?? I needed some 12mm teak faced ply recently and ended up paying £330 plus delivery for a full size sheet from Robbins because I don’t know anywhere else that does it in a decent quality. (I was rebuilding some of the interior of our galley).

I’ve got some very decent sized off cuts of 9mm and 12mm teak faced Robbins Elite if anyone is interested. We are in Farnham, Surrey.

 

[K9787]

Everyone recommends Robbins, and I have no doubt that their products are excellent. However, when I was looking into buying plywood to make a dinghy, I was put off by their delivery charges, which seemed to me to be extortionate - they would increase the cost of 4 sheets of ply (all I needed) by about 25% (over 100% for a single sheet!), and given that their plywood is highly-priced (not saying it isn't worth it), that's a big hit. Of course, plywood isn't a convenient size or shape for shipping, but I would expect a company that delivers all over the UK to have advantageous deals with a courier - everyone else manages to do it!

 

[ex-Gladys]

I bought two sheets of holly & teak for new floorboards for Gladys... I think it was 1/2" but it had the genuine wood veneer not the film, and cost (IIRC)£600 in 2009, but my oh my once made by a professional, the floor is GORGEOUS!

 

[Lucy52]

Brynzeel

From Robbins themselves????

I think the issue was he wanted five equal veneers and the teak faced ply offered was “three ply” with a thin teak veneers on each face. He was very fussy restoring an elderly bronze fastened teak sloop. He selected a teak log from the importers and had it quarter sawn under his supervision. He also had new bronze knees and floors cast. Not one to be easily pleased.

Robbins have a good brand name, they retail what they buy, but are not the only supplier, they are also in Bristol not the East Coast.

Sykes do have marine ply on their web site, but you will have to look hard to find it. Okoume as is Brynzeel, from France to BS1088. Genuine marine ply. It won’t be cheep best to phone them. They are a long established large merchant with an extensive range of timber, you can visit and select what you need. They will deliver and have their own fleet of trucks.

Any decent marine timber merchant should be able to supply the proper stuff for a price, but ordering from a local dealer could save on the shipping cost. Much harder to get it from a general timber merchant. Another avenue might be to find a frendly boat yard that would order for you on their account, though more expensive it also might save on the shipping.

 

[Kelpie]

Just to resurrect this thread, I'm on the hunt for a supplier of 6mm ply for boatbuilding. The design spec calls for 5-ply Okume. I'm in NW Scotland so expecting either a massive delivery charge, or a major road trip.
At the moment Fyne Boats in Kendal look like my best bet, they are a tiny bit cheaper than Robbins and about half the distance.

Alternatively, how much of a mistake would it be just to cheap out and use whatever BS1088 ply I can get locally? I'd epoxy coat every surface, and glass over all edges. This is for a tender that will get bashed about, it doesn't have to look pretty but it does need to be sturdy and not too heavy.

 

[Rum Run]

Just to resurrect this thread, I'm on the hunt for a supplier of 6mm ply for boatbuilding. The design spec calls for 5-ply Okume. I'm in NW Scotland so expecting either a massive delivery charge, or a major road trip.
At the moment Fyne Boats in Kendal look like my best bet, they are a tiny bit cheaper than Robbins and about half the distance.

Alternatively, how much of a mistake would it be just to cheap out and use whatever BS1088 ply I can get locally? I'd epoxy coat every surface, and glass over all edges. This is for a tender that will get bashed about, it doesn't have to look pretty but it does need to be sturdy and not too heavy.

I am going to utter a heresy here so take this with a pinch of salt (which will help preserve plywood).
For a utility tender that is going to get rough ish use and not be left in the water, use Finnish birch ply.
The veneers are equal thickness and the gluing is generally good in my experience. Also if you fubar a panel it does not cost one of your children to pay for a replacement sheet. If the tender isn't looked after it won't rot much faster than a one made from Robbins' finest. Just don't admit you did such a thing on the internet!