Ply in Small Quantities

Try k j Howells in cobbs quay, Poole. I was there this week and they have a couple of racks of quarter sheet teak faced ply.
 
Fantasie 19 said:
Does it have to be marine ply? I used some reasonably decent exterior ply from Wickes - 30 odd quid for a huge sheet... if it rots in 3 or 4 years I'll just make new...
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I was going to ask this: I read some time ago that the main difference is that marine ply has less gaps in the cores giving better strength and durability. So for washboards (and I'm about to make new ones too) surely normal ply will do? Of course I may have to do a tiny bit of filling on the edges but hey ho. I would expect to use marine ply for part of the structure or saloon furniture where the edges may need to be perfect.
 
Wickes exterior ply is very good, dunno where they get it from? I have posted before that I replaced the floor of an ex RIB with 12 mm Wickes exterior ply and it was still a good after 5 years very wet use. Trouble is you won't get a decorative face, having said that, go and sort through their racks, some of it isn't too bad.
I also used some of their 4mm ply for lining panels recently. Good stuff, very flexible and sawing it - lots, as you do with lining panels, there were very few voids.
 
Floyd Raser said:
I was going to ask this: I read some time ago that the main difference is that marine ply has less gaps in the cores giving better strength and durability. So for washboards (and I'm about to make new ones too) surely normal ply will do?
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I'm not an expert, but I think proper marine ply also means better quality timber and possibly better glues, as well as the lack of voids.

However, I'd be happy using good quality exterior ply for washboards. To my mind, true marine ply is for building actual boats out of, ie immersed in seawater for months at a time.

Pete
 
Ok thanks. Good point regarding immersion - in fact I intend to make a cheap set of winter boards and store the posh ones indoors so exterior grade should be ok.
 
Hello I have used Robbins before and it always arrives well wrapped and the ply faces are without blemishes. When I bought my current boat There were plywood washboards but I have also had 10mm acrylic ones made, there are three and the bottom one has a flat edge along its base then a 45 degree angle shamfered on its top edge, the next has 45 degree shamfered on both edges to marry then the top one a 45 degree on its base and a flat edge to the top. They fit really well and inside the top one I have small handle to lift it out. I only use these when I am on board and of course they let much more light into the cabin. At night I peg a suitable tea cloth up to provide privacy. Cheers
 
xhurleyman said:
the bottom one has a flat edge along its base then a 45 degree angle shamfered on its top edge, the next has 45 degree shamfered on both edges to marry then the top one a 45 degree on its base and a flat edge to the top.
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Our previous boat had a similar arrangement in ply, but with a wind from astern the rain used to blow through the 45° chamfered joints. I made the polycarbonate washboards on the current boat with a half-inch rebate instead.

Pete
 
All ply used outside needs to be WBP, any grade A WBP will show no defects or veneer joins, WBP is a English classification not American, although they have something similar, WBP refers to the glue not the wood, there are many grades of ply and you are able to work out the amount of defects etc to be found in any grade, and therefore there use's.
 
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