Plywood question

[jay]

the old saw "knows the price of everything and the value of nothing" certainly applies to the "big" stores.

if you are fortunate enough to find a local [read: privately owned] lumberyard, there may be some real advantage paying a little more in dollars to get the products that are suitable for the task at hand and the wisdom of how to use them.

let's face it, "...low prices are just the beginning..."

[WarPony]

They even paged the lumber guy twice and he never showed

That's why they call it the "Do-it-yourself" store. Don't worry, I've ran into that stuff there and at Lowe's before. Actually, I run into the "Don't give a $hit" attitude alot these days. They test for drugs when they hire but "Jackass" seems to slip right on by.

[Boodro]

Hey WP , thats why when I go to the BOx stores I tellem , they found out stupidity is not a crime ,, your free to go now!

[JohnF]

I just priced ACX plywood at the local lumber yard...$44.66 for 1/2" ACX, and $33.25 for 3/8" am going to pick it up tomorrow because the price is going to keep going up per locals...

We're all paying for the hurricane it appears.

Got a lot of good stuff from HD yesterday when I went to the big city...went over Fremont Pass (13,300-ft) and had 8-10" of wet snow, lots of slush on the highway...a wild thrust into winter!

John at Salida, CO

[charliehm]

...if you are fortunate enough to find a local [read: privately owned] lumberyard..."

Scott,

My sympathies on your problems with finding ACX.

At first, I was doubtful about your report that your Home Dept didn't sell it, but when I went shopping myself at HD and Lowes, my experience echoed yours. *If* they carried it, they did so only in a limited range of sizes, at very high prices, and the product was mushy, 3-ply junk. ( I might as well be building with cardboard.)

So I stopped by a little independent yard, Shur-way on N. Portland Road, where I've occasionally bought the same materials for less the the big box stores.

Bingo!

They had 1/8" Luan. They had 1/4" Luan. They had gorgious 3/8" Birch, Cherry, Hickory, Maple, Oak, and Walnut for $20-25/sheet. (The Hickory was 5-ply, stiff as steel, and I grabbed a sheet for the innner face of my deck.)

But the killer deal was 3/8", 5-ply occume with an exterior glue for $20/ sheet. That's cheaper than fir, and a better product to boot. (That becomes the weatherside of my deck sandwich.)

My conclusion? Even if you can find ACX fir, you probably wouldn't want to use it for its being flimsy, void-filled junk. Somebody out there is manufacturing better plywoods than the big box stores sell, and the prices aren't outrageous. But the hassle is finding a local supplier.

Charlie

[Finntec]

I reluctantly built my TD walls out of 1/2" birch plywood. It was more than sturdy enough! I am really glad I did not use 3/4" plywood. I did use it for the floor though. 3/4" would have been more difficult (on the jigsaw & router) and heavier. All the molding I used fits 1/2" perfectly. Do not be afraid to try 1/2" .

[bledsoe3]

...if you are fortunate enough to find a local [read: privately owned] lumberyard..."

So I stopped by a little independent yard, Shur-way on N. Portland Road, where I've occasionally bought the same materials for less the the big box stores.


But the hassle is finding a local supplier. Charlie

Charlie, You can also try MR Plywood on about 75th and Stark. I got my 1/8" luan for about $12. And there is always somebody around to help that know what they are talking about. At least that was my experience. Jim

[s4son]

I bit the bullet this weekend and went to the lumber yard and got the $35 plywood. I figured with Wilma it was just going to continue to go up in price. I went to Schutte Lumber (http://www.schuttelumber.com/default.shtm) and they are great. This is a real lumber yard not some orange box store. The people were knowledgable and the service fast. I had to get right home because it was threatening to rain so I didn't get to look around. I'll be going back though. Thanks for everyone's help with this, I've learned a lot about plywood!

Scott F.

[oklahomajewel]

And remember Scott ... have Sylvia take plenty of pictures!!! WE LOVE PICTURES!!

Especially me... not buying plywood or anything yet... just dreaming, scheming, ... well actually I've sorta thought about going ahead and buying some supplies like even the plywood and stockpiling it till after the first of year or something. To keep me motivated!

[charliehm]

Jim,

Mr. Plywood is a great place. I've bought from them before. But I didn't mention them, because Scott lives in MO, not OR.

My hope was that my report of my own experience with one small, local yard might be enough for him to realize that HD or Lowes aren't the only places to go shopping, and that for things like decent plywood, they are an inferior place to be looking. Big box profitability depends on volume sales. They're buying truckloads of standard varieties in standard sizes and hoping to sell the same thing to a lot of people, instead of attempting to market to a few odd-ball customers like boat-builders, cabinet-makers, or tear-droppers by having on hand limited quantities of an extensive range of products. (E.g., you'll never find hickory plywood at HD or Lowes.)

I'm glad to see that he found a local yard with materials and service to meet his needs.

Charlie

PS On the subject of obtaining teardrop materials, have you dealt with any steel suppliers besides The Steel Yard?

PPS Shur-Way has 1/8" Luan for $7. The 1/4" stuff is $12. But for paneling, Mr. Plywood beats the pants off Shur-Way in variety and price, which one of the hassles I'm discovering about bulding a TD/TT. The materials I need are scattered to hell and back, and no one store --or even a dozen-- has what I need to buy. So the shopping happens one item at time, and the list is as long as the trailer.

[JohnF]

Can one of you Cubby builders answer this for me - my 8-ft Cubby materials list calls for a full sheel of 1/4-inch Luan plywood, but I can't see any place where it is used in the construction pictures or drawings. Did you use it? Where? Thanks for any information.

John

[toypusher]

I bought a sheet, but never used it for anything. I have no idea where it was supposed to go. Guess somebody should email Kevin and find out!

[JohnF]

I exchanged e-mail with Keven regarding that mystery 1/4" Luan ply sheet he listed in the material list...he sort of believed it was for cabinetry bottoms, etc...it doesn't become involved with the direct construction of the Cubby itself...so you can forget it.

Also He confirmed my suspicions that the text of his instructions for the edge aluminum on the galley sides that called for pan-head screws on the exterior and countersunk screws on the interior sides was in error...the drawing showed countersunk screws on both sides, which is what he intended.

John at Salida, CO

[toypusher]

I used 1/2" channel aluminum on the galley sides and just put countersunk screws on the outside. It fits over the outer skin and the 3/8 plywood and the laminate on the inside just right. I did not have to use 2 pieces to cover that area then. Just how I did mine.

[bledsoe3]

Jim,have you dealt with any steel suppliers besides The Steel Yard?

Charlie, I bought my steel from Eastside Steel on 99th and Powell, just East of I205. I called around and they were the cheapest at the time.
Jim