red Phenolic covered plywood

[Justin Rapp]

Does anyone have a good source of red Phenolic plywood for use in making jig and sleds like the one in the below link?


https://www.woodsmithplans.com/plan/multipurpose-small-parts-sled/

Thanks in advance

[Dave Cav]

Formboard or signboard. Used a lot for concrete forms or outdoor signs. The stuff I have seen around here is yellow, not red. About the only place I have found it is at a contractor's supply wholesale place, the home centers don't seem to carry it. Yes, it does make great jigs and fixtures. I need to get a couple more sheets of it.

[Paul F Franklin]

Check interstate plastics. You could probably also use MDO, which is what Dave mentioned. Around here, Menards carries 3/4 and 1/2, but it's not red, more brown or tan.

[Tom M King]

Not sure about any supplier near you, but:

https://www.andersonplywood.com/phenolic-plywood/

I'd just laminate Formica on some BB plywood.

[Joe Calhoon]

We used Fin Ply from the Anderson Plywood link Tom posted above for a job years ago. It is a very nice product and stays flatter than typical Baltic Birch. It was expensive to ship to Colorado and have never found a closer source. I saved all the scraps and it is great for jigs,

[Tom M King]

Joe, how do you think the durability compares to Formica? Not that it would matter for a table saw jig, but just for curiosity.

[Justin Rapp]

I called Anderson Plywood and they don't ship. They will pallet up and order for $250 and can arrange my own shipper to pick up. That does not seem like a good choice for 1 small piece of board.

[Dave Sabo]

Woodcraft has a green version of that stuff.

[Justin Rapp]

Woodcraft has a green version of that stuff.

I saw they had it in black. I found some in the woodcraft store over the weekend but it was all in really bad shape. It wasn't stored well so I didn't bring it home. Shipping it from them might work, and of course shipping it cost 1/2 of what the product cost. I'd prefer it in red so it's visible. White would be a 2nd choice.

[Bert McMahan]

You could try looking for countertops at big box stores. It's not quite the same thing, but if you don't need much you could probably score an offcut for pretty cheap.

[Jim Becker]

I saw they had it in black. I found some in the woodcraft store over the weekend but it was all in really bad shape. It wasn't stored well so I didn't bring it home. Shipping it from them might work, and of course shipping it cost 1/2 of what the product cost. I'd prefer it in red so it's visible. White would be a 2nd choice.

Ask the Woodcraft store to order you in fresh for store pickup if what they have in stock is, um...you know...not worthy.

[roger wiegand]

Boulter Plywood in Somerville MA stocks it (it was black last time I bought it, not red) and they ship, but it might well be expensive to do so.

[Joe Calhoon]

Joe, how do you think the durability compares to Formica? Not that it would matter for a table saw jig, but just for curiosity.
Tom, I’ve not made anything sliding out of it. It’s probably not as durable as Formica but I would say a lot more durable than Melimine. What I like is it’s very flat and you don’t have to worry about any delamination since it’s impregnated into the plywood. Wish I had bought extra sheets at the time since the customer was paying! I think it was around $120 or so a sheet 15 years ago. I’m sure a lot more now.
468321

[Justin Rapp]

Ask the Woodcraft store to order you in fresh for store pickup if what they have in stock is, um...you know...not worthy.

This is a great idea and might be my option. Wish it was a bit closer though - about 165 miles round trip to either the one in Delaware or the one out in PA. **** Hopefully woodcraft or rockler is reading this and sees a need to open a store in central NJ.


Tom, I’ve not made anything sliding out of it. It’s probably not as durable as Formica but I would say a lot more durable than Melimine. What I like is it’s very flat and you don’t have to worry about any delamination since it’s impregnated into the plywood. Wish I had bought extra sheets at the time since the customer was paying! I think it was around $120 or so a sheet 15 years ago. I’m sure a lot more now.
468321

That is exactly what i'd love to get my hands on!!! It looks like lowes might have MDO for about 72 a sheet. It's Lowes so my quality expectations are low. I'll check it out but from the pictures, the layers don't look so good.

[johnny means]

Formica laminate is phenolic, so they have very similar durabilty. PM me, I've got acres of black Fenix NTM off cuts. I could send you a USPS flat rate box full for just the cost of shipping.

[Justin Rapp]

Formica laminate is phenolic, so they have very similar durabilty. PM me, I've got acres of black Fenix NTM off cuts. I could send you a USPS flat rate box full for just the cost of shipping.


Great thanks. sent a PM.

[al ladd]

These guys sell small quantities :

https://www.etsy.com/listing/974135600/phenolic-baltic-birch-plywood-espresso?gpla=1&gao=1&&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping_us_-craft_supplies_and_tools&utm_custom1=_k_Cj0KCQiAkNiMBhCxARIsAIDDKNWBe39a7W5 hp-K9D2-abDXBR8Bf4KRPzFF25IvyeRUQD-zQBPxgIwwaAtXiEALw_wcB_k_&utm_content=go_12665398257_121762925993_5116102103 43_pla-295462056867_c__974135600_468297379&utm_custom2=12665398257&gclid=Cj0KCQiAkNiMBhCxARIsAIDDKNWBe39a7W5hp-K9D2-abDXBR8Bf4KRPzFF25IvyeRUQD-zQBPxgIwwaAtXiEALw_wcB

[Jim Becker]

This is a great idea and might be my option. Wish it was a bit closer though - about 165 miles round trip to either the one in Delaware or the one out in PA. **** Hopefully woodcraft or rockler is reading this and sees a need to open a store in central NJ.

They are all franchises...there used to be more of them, too. It's a tough business to be in in this day and age because "woodworking" is something that a lot less people do now than in the past as a hobby and that's the market that Woodcraft, Rockler and similar cater to.

[Justin Rapp]

They are all franchises...there used to be more of them, too. It's a tough business to be in in this day and age because "woodworking" is something that a lot less people do now than in the past as a hobby and that's the market that Woodcraft, Rockler and similar cater to.

It's understandable, however looking at Rockler, there are 3 in the Dallas area, 3 in the chicagoland area. Between Woodcraft and Rockler, you'd think that there would be one smack in the middle between Philly and New York City, which is such a densely populated area.

[Jim Becker]

It would be nice, but somebody's got to want to make the (large) investment required to open up a brick and mortar operation and the risks it brings with a waning market and a clear preference by so many folks to just shop online. Tough situation.

[Justin Rapp]

It would be nice, but somebody's got to want to make the (large) investment required to open up a brick and mortar operation and the risks it brings with a waning market and a clear preference by so many folks to just shop online. Tough situation.

Valid point. I am about 165 miles round trip to a woodcraft store, either DE or PA. However I know if the store was about 80 miles round trip, i'd be there all the time, and i'd be broke.

[Jim Becker]

I hear you. The Allentown store is about 60 miles each way for me...but they really don't have anything I'm interested/need at this point. "Back in the day", when there was one near to my old house in Bensalem PA...a very nice store, too...I did buy from them as they had a lot of things helpful to a new woodworker including materials. The 5/4 cherry that Professor Dr. SWMBO's desk is made from came from that Woodcraft store. It was my first actual furniture project in 1997 and I had not idea there were actual hardwood dealers out there. :) Most of my original Jet equipment was actually purchased from a local independent dealer a few towns over. It was two "mature" gentlemen who had a nice business going with space in an industrial park. They were very customer focused. Back then, you could walk into a store, buy machines and often even take them home with you right then. Those guys even loaned me their small hydraulic lift table so I could unload the gear from the back of the one and only pickup truck I've ever owned.

I have stopped at the Allentown Woodcraft a few times over the past decade, but it was usually because I was in that area for something else and felt like browsing. I bought a few kitchen knife kits and doo-dads there.

[Kris Cook]

Sounds like you got it figured out but if not, another option would be to find a junk treadmill. I saved the base from a defunct one we got rid of. Base was MDF (or denser) covered with what I assumed was phenolic. Very smooth and durable. I was saving it for a router table but I recently threw it away as I ended up purchasing a purpose-built router table. Maybe someone else can benefit from this option, as well.

[Keith Outten]

You might consider PVC sheet. I know it is available in red, I have a few small pieces of 1/4" thick red PVC in my shop but I often use white 3/8" and 3/4" thick PVC. It doesn't de-laminate, is soft so it cuts and routes easily. Not affected by humidity or temperature changes. Solid surface material is my first choice for jigs and fixtures if you can find a local source you can often get it for free.

[Tom M King]

I still have some jigs, and router bases, made from Corian from back in the '80's when that was the kitchen countertop of choice. All still good after several decades.

Another nice material is solid phenolic bowling alley surface. I was given a bunch of scraps of it, and made some router table tops out of it. It's much harder than any sheet type, but still machines fine with wood, and metal working tools. It does have a fake, although nice quality, woodgrain design.

[Justin Rapp]

You might consider PVC sheet. I know it is available in red, I have a few small pieces of 1/4" thick red PVC in my shop but I often use white 3/8" and 3/4" thick PVC. It doesn't de-laminate, is soft so it cuts and routes easily. Not affected by humidity or temperature changes. Solid surface material is my first choice for jigs and fixtures if you can find a local source you can often get it for free.

This might be a good option if I can find some local. I found on the net and shipping was more than the product. Such is life these days when shipping costs are off the charts.