Material:Plywood
| MaterialInfoBox Plywood | |
|---|---|
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| Synonyms: | DE: Sperrholz |
| Suggested Tools: | most woodworking tools; see individual sections for exceptions |
Plywood is an engineered wood consisting of several layers of veneers (DE: Funiere) stacked with crossing (versperrten) grain directions. Wood glue ensures the layers are tightly bonded. The resulting material has little to no internal effects of grain direction. Cheap plywood often has veneers of inferior quality as its "invisible" layers which may become evident when laser cutting. Read more about the basics over at OpenDesk.
There are several types of plywood. For example, poplar plywood is rather cheap but will readily warp due to moisture. Baltic birch plywood is harder, more stable and more expensive.
The sheets found in hardware stores are often too large to fit into a laser cutter or a scroll saw but are easily cut by hand when properly clamped down.
Baltic Birch Plywood
| MaterialInfoBox Baltic Birch Plywood | |
|---|---|
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| Synonyms: | multiply birch plywood; DE: Birke Multiplex, Birkensperrholz |
| Suggested Tools: | laser cutter (engraving; not easily cut) |
Baltic birch plywood has good structural and aesthetic qualities which makes it well-suited for a multitude of projects.
It is available nearby at Bauhaus in various sizes. Also check the offcuts section for cheaper pieces! One local retailer with a larger variety is Schoell Modellbau.
Film Faced Plywood
| MaterialInfoBox Wire Mesh Plywood | |
|---|---|
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| Synonyms: | concrete casting plywood, formply, exterior plywood; DE: Phenolharz-Multiplex, Film-Film-Platte |
| Suggested Tools: | probably NOT a laser cutter |
| Similar (More or Less): | melamine |
A common waterproof variant of multiply birch plywood is film faced plywood, which is coated with dark brown phenolic resin on both sides.
It is commonly used in tough boxes, e.g. the one around Martin's "Music Station".
The surface finish could be applied to other wood species as well, but you pretty much only find it on birch plywood around here. You can also find it in other colors at specialist stores.
Since the phenolic resin coat generates a very smooth surface, you can use this material to build reusable concrete forms - it is therefore also known as "formply".
Wire Mesh Plywood
The "wear" side of film faced plywood can additionally be imprinted with a wire mesh pattern, making it more slip resistant and therefore suitable for (outside) flooring and vehicle parts - a.k.a. wiremesh plywood, Sieb-Film-Platte, Siebdruckplatte or Fahrzeugplatte.
Poplar Plywood
| MaterialInfoBox Poplar Plywood | |
|---|---|
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| Synonyms: | cottonwood/aspen plywood; DE: Pappelsperrholz |
| Suggested Tools: | laser cutter |
Poplar plywood is very soft and bright which makes it great for laser cutting or engraving, especially laser engraving photos. It's often already warped when you buy it - try cutting it up into smaller, flatter pieces before you begin your actual project!
Bauhaus is a sourcing option for this type of plywood as well, they sell different thicknesses of 100 × 70 cm sheets as well as DIN A3 "hobby kits" (cheap, but may contain poor quality pieces you only discover when unpacking).
