Ply problems...

[Dickie Wrecked]

So, does anyone out there know much about Plywood? I'm under the impression that CD grade should be fine (for making PA speaker boxes), but I have been dissapointed in the 'good' face of most stock, and I can't afford to have knots or voids where I am joining corners or braces. I've splashed out and bought some nice looking (BB I think) sheets, but they cost me over $140 for a 2400x1200 sheet.
Does anybody have any tips on Plywood grading? Or tips on better prices? Or even, does anyone know if there is birch ply in Australia?
I'm also developing some Guitar speaker boxes, and want to finish the front baffle off with a tasty looking veneer. Where is a good place to go? I was going to go to Rarewoods in Abbotsford(?) but I've a suspicion they don't exist anymore.......

Any help wood be greatly appreciated.

[bsrlee]

You are basically going to have to go around & check out what is for sale at each outlet. Here in Sydney I have bought ply from 2 sources - one is a large-ish chain of franchises that 'specialize' in ply, the other a 'timber yard' with 3 outlets.

The chain has slightly better CD ply, but I have found voids in even their 'BB' rated hoop pine ply, and they are a few dollars a sheet more expensive, plus delivery was nearly twice that of the local timber yard.

The timber yard used to have pretty good CD ply, but recently it has had lots of patches and bog/filler everywhere, so I am thinking of going back to the chain store.

Bunnings are not in the race in terms of price or quality. I wish I knew where the construction companies got their ply from - the stuff marked CD is nearly A grade on the show side when I see it nailed up as site hoardings. :~

[SilentButDeadly]

http://www.ewp.asn.au/

That's the place to go fo info about plywood. Heaps of information....

Most of the CD grade is basically just bracing ply these days. It is also usually imported too. And as you've found there's just too many voids in the ply to make it useful for anything other than bracing.

Personally, I'd gun for the hoop pine derived product from Australply. It isn't cheap but it usually good quality....as I suspect you've found with your BB sheets.

Nothing of any quality is as cheap as you'd like it to be these days

[Dickie Wrecked]

I think I might not be making quite as much of a profit as I was thinking.....
I'd always try to avoid bunnings anyway, and guess I'll keep looking for the best materials each time I buy another few sheets.

Cheers guys.

[tcowdroy]

The only way to get a void free sheet is to get marine ply. It'll cost you though. You can get it in hoop pine or Gaboon or Maple. The other possibility is Armourply. It's not pretty, but is all Aussie hardwood and well made. Also, if you don't mind spending serious money, you can get Birch aircraft plywood. A 10mm thick sheet has about 15 layers of perfect, void free timber. Imported and hideously expensive, but a speaker cabinet would look fantastic made out of this stuff.