Marine Plywood Or???

I'm tired of the junk 1/2" plywood that cost $19/sheet (was the last time I bought some at HD) and want something better that will last.

Uses, face the inside of RV cabinets for can goods, a battery tray to hold 160lbs of battery's, a new closet, drawer bottom's, extra shelf's, etc;

Solid lumber is just as poor quality as the plywood.

I've searched and can't find marine plywood in Phoenix or Tuscon.

Suggestions?

T_Bone

"Cabinet grade" also doesn't mean anything really. Some of this stuff has more plys, some has LESS. Depends (like most things). The most economical stuff I've found is almost universally referred to as "metric" or "imported" birch plywood. It's as cheap as Luan (luan is also referred to in solid lumber form as Phillipine {spelling} mahogany, but is actually a member of the cedar family) but not open grained, has many plys, generally free from voids. Standard metric sizes (about 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4), havn't found any 3/8. So it paints very well, don't have to mess with filling voids (it's actually graded as having no voids, so the ones that are there are minimal) and doesn't stink so bad when cut!

It's NO WHERE NEAR marine grade, so a very comprehensive finish is required when used in an exterior application, or for your battery tray. Being tight grained, easier to do.

Tools

I'll have to take a trip to the lumber yard and see what they carry here. I really haven't worked much wood the past few years so I may have jumped the gun.

I did look up Lauan and Okume tho. I like the grain on Okume really well.

Wow have prices went up. I even ran accross a website on a class action suit against the big four producers of plywood as they stated prices in 2003 was $200/1000 and went too $530/1000 in mid 2004. Maybe they'll take on the oil companies next...LMAO

T_Bone

Peter Ayling of Merrickville, Ontario built plywood boats for a living (motor torpedo boats and the fuselages for Mosquito bombers during WWII).

When I needed plywood to replace the decks on my old cruiser, the fir went on under WEST System Epoxy and has held up very well now for about 22 years.

JU

There's a similar product called Apple Ply. I haven't used it, but I believe it comes in standard 4x8' sheets.

There's a lot of stuff called "marine plywood". The only qualification is that it can't have any voids. The lower end stuff is basically the same as exterior grade fir, but with no voids. The good stuff is typically imported from Europe and comes in metric thicknesses. It will be certified by Lloyds to be suitable for boat construction. It's typically made of okume, an African mahogany, but other woods are available. The top name used to be Bruynzeel, made in the Netherlands, but a quick search indicates that they've gone out of business. A number of companies still make marine-grade okume, all are overkill for your needs.

BTW, I made a lapstrake canoe from 4mm okume. It's 11-1/2 feet long and weighs abut 35 lbs.