Thicker plywood

[Steven Bolton]

Plywood sure has a thin skin. I just sand through some birch plywood and I was being careful. Does anyone sell plywood that is a little thicker?

Thanks

Steve Bolton

[David DeCristoforo]

If you mean with a thicker face veneer, probably not. But you can most likely get some that is even thinner. Try some walnut or mahogany ply. I've sanded through some of that stuff with a palm sander with 180 grit paper on it.... Miracle of modern technology....

[Joe Chritz]

Baltic birch usually has a decent thickness for the face.

I have purchased maple ply that wasn't to bad on thickness but still probably only .040 or so.

I now use a flush trim bit or usually a scraper to flush hardwood edging just to avoid that problem.

Joe

[fRED mCnEILL]

Stay away from the Chinese stuff!

Fred Mc

[Tom Veatch]

...Does anyone sell plywood that is a little thicker?...

You can find it, but it may take some looking. About a month ago, I bought several sheets of 3/4 (yeah, right!) oak veneer core plywood from a local lumber supplier to fill an order from the wife for several bookcases. Good stuff, top side of $50/sheet. 13 ply like Baltic Birch except 4x8 and not void free. You could actually see the thickness of the face veneer without resorting to a microscope, not like the last plywood I bought from the orange borg.

[Frank Drew]

Years ago I read that they'd developed the methods and equipment to slice veneers 1/100" thin. Yikes! Look at that wrong and you're through it.

[Steve Schoene]

Plywood is pre-sanded and not meant to be touched with a power tool or any grit coarser than 220, at least so they say.

I suppose the only real solution is to veneer your own, with thicker veneer on both sides of the plywood. Not for the quick and dirty project of course. You could even make your own veneer and have 1/16th inch of veneer to play with.

[Howard Acheson]

I have to second Steve's comments. Plywood is factory sanded to about 180 grit. No further machine sanding should be necessary or attempted. Only sand by hand if absolutely necessary and then use 180 grit or 220.

The real way to smooth plywood is to apply your first coat of finish. Let it dry and then sand it with 320 paper using a flat, cushioned sanding block. Now you are sanding the finish and minimize the risk of sanding through the veneer. You can sand the first coat of finish to a much smoother surface that you can sand wood.

[Jeff Duncan]

Try to find Norbond or Columbia products, they often have decent veneers. Definitely stay away from generic box store ply if you want a decent thickness to your face veneer.

good luck,
JeffD

[David DeCristoforo]

"Plywood is factory sanded to about 180 grit. No further machine sanding should be necessary or attempted."

I just love this stuff. This is so typical of how "creative" modern PR agencies and departments are at inventing perfectly logical sounding "advantages" that are actually intended to mask the fact that you are getting less for your money. I'm adding this to my list of "favorite "euphemisms".

"Needs no sanding" = Cannot be sanded. A few others:
"Never needs maintenance" or "Maintenance free" = Cannot be repaired
"Permanently sealed (bearings)" = Cannot be lubricated
"Double insulated" = Made of plastic
Etc.....

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Does anyone sell plywood that is a little thicker?

Yes but you need a time machine.

[Frank Drew]

If all pre-sanded plywood arrived with perfect surfaces then the thinness wouldn't be such an issue, but washboarding isn't unknown and it often only shows up once you apply that first coat of finish.