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The Strong Man of Plywoods
The essence of resilience
Plywood is defined as a special type of factory-made wood which is made from thin sheets of wood, typically called wood veneer. These layers of wood (called Veneers) are glued together for improved strength. This method of gluing the wood veneers together makes the plywood stronger and much harder to bend. At this point, it is interesting to note that generally all types of plywood are referred to as Veneer Plywood, but different processes and gluing methods are what make the names of plywood differ. Birch plywood is a very resilient type of plywood, which is generally stiff and has excellent resistance.
Why do home builders love Birch plywood?
Simple – even though it is quite a thin type of plywood, it is extremely hardy and can be used for various home-improvement, DIY and small-scale construction projects. It has a fairly light colour and its surface is smooth, so it typically does not have rough edges or splinters. Birch plywood is so easy to use that it is the ideal type of wood for home builders and amateur carpenters, particularly as it is easy to cut and shape. Because of this, it is perfect for the construction of child-friendly units, furniture and cabinets which involve a significant amount of contact on a daily basis.
Child’s play
Due to the fact that it is quite reasonably priced, easily available and durable, it is also generally used for the construction of small structures, such as kennels, dollhouses and even children’s toys.
Size does matter!
Birch plywood comes in several sizes – for larger projects, sizes may vary from 32 inches wide to 28 inches high, or even as much as 36 inches. The usual thickness of birch plywood board is between a minimum of 3 and maximum of 36 millimetres. It all depends on the size of the project – in this case, size does matter!
Treated or plain?
Depending on what the customer requires, birch plywood can be plain (untreated) or treated – both sides could be left unsanded, alternatively, one or even both sides could be sanded. However, due to its extremely smooth surface, it is possible to leave some pieces unsanded, while others might need some work so as to obtain the flawlessly smooth texture which many people tend to associate with birch plywood. Another way of treating it is by making wood for interiors that are resistant to water or for waterproof exteriors.
One board – many veneers
A misconception that people tend to have is that birch plywood consists of a single board of wood. This is not the case, in fact, it consists of several birch veneer layers, and this is what determines the thickness of the board. Astoundingly, birch plywood can consist of as many as 25 veneers which are bound together by a resin or glue of high quality. Another interesting fact about this type plywood is its European origins – it comes from Finland, the Baltics, Russia and Estonia.
Birch plywood – what every home builder wishes for: affordable, easy to use, durable and outstanding quality. |
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A Specialist Wood
All plywood is generally referred to as Veneer Plywood, which is formed by gluing together three or more thin sheets of wood which are called veneers or plies. However, during this process, plywood can either be hard or soft, and Exterior Plywood is generally classified as hardwood because it is typically used for heavier and more durable applications. Plywood is generally a strong, long-standing product. In addition to general veneer plywood, there are specialist types of plywood: Exterior Plywood is classified as one of these.
Great for Outdoor Use
The production of Exterior Plywood is different, as it is glued together with strong, industrial glue that can withstand a low amount of moisture. Note that depending on the purpose of the wood, the type of glue used to bind it together will also vary. This gluing process happens after a log of good quality is rotated along a sharp blade to shave off sheets of wood which are then resized and glued together. It is after this process that the wood is baked in a press at 1400C, and the end product is referred to as plywood. This type of plywood can tolerate an average amount of moisture, so it is used in outdoor construction or other building applications.
It Comes in Many Grades
Exterior Plywood is easily accessible and available in many grades, notably A, B, C and D. The A grade stands for the highest quality and the best graded plywood. D stands for the lowest quality plywood that has many blemishes. However, some kinds of plywood can be paired together, for example, in construction, a C-D grade plywood would be used, this is because C-D grade plywood is good for structural use. Exterior Plywood is generally grade A-C and creates a well-balanced plywood that is both durable and of high quality.
Durability is Key
Exterior Plywood is available in large sizes because it is used outdoors. In addition to construction, this type of plywood is also used in the production of sheds and cladding, due to its resistance to moisture, shrinkage, twisting and warping. Despite its durability, Exterior Plywood cannot be used in an area of high moisture; it is best used under low moisture conditions in order to use the wood optimally.
High quality
The advantages of using Exterior Plywood include a uniform strength and high quality, which means that the wood is less likely to shrink or swell in extreme weather conditions – this also depends on the type of glue used to bind the wood together and what the purpose of the wood will be. Plywood has less chance of splitting, shrinking or twisting under pressure. It is available in both large and small sizes. It is also economical and effective, as the process encourages conservation in that it utilises everything in the production process, for example, sawdust, which is collected from the first process of shaving the log.
Durable, excellent quality, environmentally friendly – Exterior Plywood is a builder’s dream – make sure that you buy Exterior Plywood for all your outdoor construction uses. |
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The bamboo plant contains a very hard but hollow stem which is the part of the bamboo that is used to make bamboo plywood. When one feels it one realized that it is so hard it resembles wood. In Asia, bamboo is a common material for making of furniture and even houses, the durability or the material is pretty strong.
If you are not sure about bamboo, visit a good Chinese Bamboo Restaurant, most of these restaurants utilize bamboo for their chairs, table and even the walls are bamboo. In other parts of the world bamboo plywood is gaining popularity. The product is versatile, very attractive and considered to be strong and durable.
Bamboo plywood is one of the more expensive plywoods on the market today; this is due to process that is required to produce a good product. The process of creating plywood out of bamboo requires a fair amount of finishing as well as the need for the bamboo to be treated with pesticides and insecticides since they are highly susceptible to insect infestation which can rot the bamboo.
Tables, chairs, artifacts and other items are made with bamboo, to complement a home furnished with furniture items made of bamboo, and one can also have bamboo plywood floors. Bamboo has a natural beauty, strength and versatility, apart from chairs and tables one can also use it to create counter-tops, cabinets and other pieces of furniture. These pieces of furniture are not only for the home environment, but are ideally suited to an office environment as well.
Preparations and planning is vitally necessary if you plan to use plywoods made of bamboo on a floor, make sure that the surface is scrupulously clean, you will need adhesives for laying the floor and a floor that contains dirt will not easily adhere or seal successfully, therefore there is more chance of damage to the floor. Also ensure that the floor is level, an uneven surface will soon produce cracks and damage to the floor which can be further escalated should it get wet, as water will seep into the gaps and start the rotting process. You will not discover this before it’s too late.
Like normal wooden floors, bamboo plywoods are created of fine strips of bamboo placed in layers, which are cross laminated as well as heat pressed together, this provides a stable base and also prevents warping. It surprising to think that this is three to four time more stable that oak wood. These plywoods come in horizontal or vertical grains and patterns; you will find them in carbonized or blonde colour.
The process easy to understand, the plywood created of bamboo strips that are laminated, these strips come from the stalk of the bamboo, the strips are then milled flat, the next process is to boil it in a bath of lime and boric acid solution. The purpose of the bath is to extract the starch, that’s what attracts termites or even the powder post beetle. The lime and boric solution is a natural non toxic insect repellent. This ensures that the bamboo is pest free and also that it remains so.
There are many different varieties of bamboo plywood be sure to check them all out before you make an informed decision. |
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Not a marine creature?
Marine Plywood is not a type of marine creature or intellectual marine activity; it is in fact a type of wood. Plywood to be exact, and although all plywood is generally called Veneer Plywood, Marine Plywood is different in that it is a specialist kind of wood. Its end purpose and the type of glue used to bind it together make this kind of plywood different from all the other types of plywood available. But, before this marine process and use is explained, how is plywood made?
Good quality logs
The process of producing plywood usually begins with a good quality log, in the case of Marine Plywood, woods used in the first process include Cedar, Spruce, Cypress, Douglas fir, Australian Eucalyptus and Long Leaf Yellow Pine. Although these are a mixture of hard and soft woods, they can be used to produce light weight boats or heavy weight ships. This log is laid horizontally and rotated along a sharpened blade that shaves off thin layers of wood. After this continuous shaving process, the sheets of wood, normally called veneers, are resized, left to dry and glued together to create blocks of veneer patches. The glue used to bind the panels together ensures water resistance. The veneer patches are then baked in a press at 1400C and after this baking process, are referred to as plywood panels. The plywood panels can now be resized, sanded, patched or even refinished depending on the purpose of the wood.
Moisture-resistant
Marine Plywood is specially treated to combat rotting in a high-moisture area or environment. This kind of plywood can withstand long periods of exposure to moisture due to its construction, (it is bonded tightly together) which uses Water Boiled proof glue in the gluing process. Marine Plywood is usually used in the construction of docks and boats because of its resistance to moisture. With this in mind, it is not surprising to learn that this type of plywood is the most expensive, because it is manufactured to fill a specialist need in the industry. The final result of this plywood is that it is the strongest, toughest, highest grade plywood available. Its grading is A-A, which is the highest grade of plywood made. In addition to construction of boats and ships, Marine Plywood can also be used to finish basement flooring and outdoor furniture or other weather-resistant, finished surfaces.
No shrinkage here…
Some advantages of using this type of plywood include its high resistance to moisture, high durability and endurance to weather elements. This means that it will not shrink, twist or warp; it also has less chance of splitting. Marine Plywood is typically available in large sizes due to the way it is produced. The production of plywood also encourages conservation, because there is no waste, for instance, sawdust is saved from the shaving process of plywood production. In conclusion, Marine Plywood is a hardy wood that can be used for any application in a high-moisture environment or area. Proven resistance to moisture, wonderful for boats, a conservationist’s envy – Marine Plywood is the best for all your boat construction as well as your outdoor furniture requirements. |
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Veneering is an ancient craft and it dates back quite far in history, it has been recorded in Ancient Egypt. Egypt at that time did not have forests to be able to cut down trees and create boards, they had to import their timber which made it very expensive. The ancient Egyptians created many item made from smaller pieces of their local wood e.g. acacia, they then covered these pieces with a veneer made of the expensive imported woods to create a beautiful uniform finish. These veneers were used for furniture, coffins, and other important items especially funeral items for the Pharaohs. Many of the ancient Egyptians buried their Pharaohs in Tombs set inside Pyramids, each Pharaoh was buried with many of his worldly treasures.
The Ancient Egyptians elevated veneering as an art form, from excavations it has been noted that these ancient people were the earliest known in history for being craftsmen in the art of ‘marquetry’, Marquetry is an art of creating incredible pictures by using a variety of wood veneers as well as other using materials. Two major sources of material for marquetry are African Ebony wood as well as Ivory usually from Elephant tusks.
The history of Veneer plywood and other methods has been part of mans history though the centuries, Imperial Rome, Japan, Ancient Persia, many wealthy patrons employed craftsmen who were gifted in veneering to create many wonderful works of art, many of these can be found in various museums today.
Tools for improved working with veneers were invented to be able to be able to mass produce furniture. A German clockmaker (circa 1500) has been noted as an inventor a jigsaw blade, some call them scroll-saws, and these have been linked to the popularity of fretwork that is the sawing of very intricate shapes form thin pieces of wood. At a later stage a Parisian developed specialized hand tools for cutting intricate designs.
Why do craftsmen choose veneers? Usually it’s because veneers offer advantages over solid wood, wood veneers are thin slices of wood that craftsmen apply to a solid piece of plywood, or sometimes medium density fiberboard. Furniture manufacturers are able to crate many diversified styles of furniture which are cost effective and also stable.
The manufacturing process of veneers include:
- Turning a wooden log on a lathe while a long knife blade peels the veneer.
- Slicing veneers – used for fine figured, wall panels and hardwood veneers used for furniture.
- The longitudinal slicing - the log is cut into flitch slabs approx 50 to 100mm thick
- Crosscut veneer – this is for a more decorative method of veneer, it is a very efficient, fast with very little wastage.
- Staylog lathe slicing – using this method one can have a quarter cut slickin, semi rotary peeling, crown cut slicing or for the difficult timers such as burls, ripple, butts and fiddleback. This is highly flexible therefore it maximizes the yield of the timbers, and is highly suited to the cutting of smaller logs.
Plywood is an engineered type of wood, created by gluing approximately three layers of wood together; the different woods are glued together, thus making this a very strong and durable product.
Veneer plywoods are highly prized today as they were in yesteryear. |
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