boater1234 said:
Alot of people think marine plywood is different well i got news it is not that much different then good plywood at lowes or home depot...
The difference between reg plywood and marine is the glue they use on the wood as it is stronger and holds together alot better.
Uh, no.
For the record, the glue used in marine grade plywood is the SAME glue used in the CHEAPEST plywood available at Lowes and Home Depot. Basically, there are two adhesives used in all plywoods. An interior, and an exterior grade. The cheap, knarly, knotty plywood available at the home centers is an exterior grade sheathing, designed to be bought in bulk, sheath a wall or roof, then covered up.
The interior grade ply, which is actually a step up in cost, uses an interior grade glue, which we would deem not waterproof. This interior grade usually lacks voids on the outer faces, making it useful for cabinet and furniture work. Those little football shaped plugs in the plywood are where knots and voids were punched out, and replaced with a plug of good wood. Generally, these plugs will only be on the outer plys. Ever cut a piece of plywood, and found some openings in your cut edge? Those are voids in the inner plys, which don't have plugs.
Now, marine grade, first of all, does not have a grade lower than B, and most is A which means that it will not have any voids throughout all the plys. Thus, everywhere a knot or bad spot would be, there is one of those little footballs. These voids are what cause poor adhesion, AND give water a place to accumulate (how it gets in there, I don't know. Water will find it's way into ANYTHING you don't want it to - Murphy musta had some weird spiritual connection with water, or something. :roll: ). Furthermore, marine grade often has a greater number of thinner plys, rather than a few thicker ones.
The other difference in marine grade, is the type of wood. Most exterior plywoods are pine. Many interior plys can be gotten with a hardwood. Marine grade is usually made of a fir, often Douglas fir, or Western larch.
So yes, there are a LOT of differences between marine grade, and a cheap plywood. However, the glue is about the only thing that is NOT a difference.
Personally, I wouldn't spend the money on marine grade to build a deck on a tin rig. However, if I was constructing a plywood hull, I would spring for the marine grade. If the hull is going to be pounding through the water, I don't want interior voids. Furthermore, I would much rather have the higher quality thinner plys, as opposed to the thicker ones.
One more thing, boater, is a synthetic water sealer better than a conventional water sealer? :lol: