bending plywood

[AndyF]

At an auction this weekend I bought a lot of plywood and MDF panels. In the lot were several panels which were labelled "bending plywood" Does anyone know how this stuff is made and how it needs to be supported when I use it? Its much more flexible in every direction than regular plywood.

[fivestring]

<font color="red">"Its much more flexible in every direction than regular plywood." </font color>

It's used for arches, curved sides of chests and trunks, boat hulls, etc. It does not have the strength of regular plywood.

I would guess that the layers are glued in the same grain direction rather than alternating grain layers in regular plywood.

[DocHeb]

Usually bending plywood is flexible in one direction, but not as much in the other direction. It is used to make items such as pedestals for tables, or making columns. The specialty plywood shop near me sells sheets designed to roll in the 4' dimension, and other sheets that bend in the 8' direction. There is only a single layer in the core between the external veneer sheets, and the sheets bend perpendicular to the long axis of the core's grain. The sheets they sell are 1/8" or 1/4" thick, and are glued over a frame for support.

[Pat]

Andy, I'm ringing in a little late but wonder what your intended use was for the bending plywood. It isn't really very good for most uses that "regular" plywood is selected for. Hope you got a good deal on the MDF. I need just a small piece to replace the piece on my OLD Craftsman electric mitre saw as it gets chewed up over time and really deteriorated when it got a bit wet. I haven't found it in less than full sheets and the thickness I wanted was MOST PRICEY.

Best to you this fine 2004.

[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[AndyF]

Hey Pat,

I didn't even know the bending plywood was in the pile when I bought it. I was bidding based on the cherry and oak veneer plywood at the top of the pile and the rack the plywood was on. With more than 20 full sheets of plywood and and MDF in the pile as well as a bunch of partials I wasn't able to check what all was in the pile before bidding. Regarding the bending ply. I figured I'd ask here to see if there might be something I can do with it.

It turns out that the real deal item was at the bottom of the pile - 2 sheets of 15mm marine plywood. I need to rebuild a bench seat on my boat and this will do a much better job than the exterior plywood I was planning to use.

One thing you might consider for your chop saw is to laminate several thicknesses of MDF together and then put a masonite sacrificial top layer on. When the masonite gets too beat up, peel it off, sand down the MDF and put on a new masonite top.

Best wishes for the new year.

[ScottAR]

Pat, just had an idea.

Go to your favorite big box home improvement chain and buy a raw MDF shelf board. Whittle your piece(s) out of it and use the rest for a shelf someplace. Proabably be a little cheaper and less waste than a whole sheet.

OR, watch the racks for broken sheets. They usually go for cheap.

[Pat]

Oh, one of those deals, eh? I am reminded of the cartoon where the auctioneer is saying, "and the fine old moth eated mounted moosehead goes to the man in the back with his hand clamped tightly on his small son's mouth!"

Well if you can't use the bendy stuff for what it was intended maybe you could use it in pairs with one having its bending axis in one direction and the second sheet at rt angles. Maybe it will inspire you to builld something curvy. Boat did you say? Boats like curvy things.

Yacht or stinkpot, i.e. sails or motor?

Pat (In sunny warm Oklalhoma with a second night of 55 degrees for overnight low)

[Pat]

Scott, Good suggestions. Maybe I don't know what it is I am trying to replace but I have never seen shelves made of this material. Maybe it isn't MDF and I am confused (again.) It swelled up when it got moist, decomposes easily(sloughing off fine fluffy detritus, is relatively fine textured, and is light grey in color. It is well over an inch thick. Until it got wet it seemed like a good thing as it sure didn't interfere with the blade and its soft touch didn't mar anything I mitered.

Oh well, maybe I gave up too easily. I have seen whole sheets of whatever it is at the BIG STORES, so I should keep an eye open for a scrap or damaged sheet, as suggested. I need about 8x18 inches or so and a 4x8 ft sheet seemed to be super overkill.

OLD technology this Craftsman Miter saw. My much fancier Milwaukee doesn't use any sacrificial "board" just an oval piece of plastic that they sell relatively dear.

[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[GaryM]

Sounds like you might have Homosote board. Non structural, it's made from old newsprint. Is the surface kind of textured? Not much, just a little pebbly?

Makes excellant base for model train sets!

[AndyF]

&gt;&gt; Yacht or stinkpot, i.e. sails or motor?

40+ yr. old 15' Sears/Starcraft runabout w/old Evinrude 40hp Lark outboard. It isn't much to look at, but is nice for putting around the lake.