Phenolic Ply

[Col_T]

The front locker lid needs replacing, and I'm thinking of phenolic ply with the ashes sealed using West System epoxy.

 

Which is more weather resistant - hardwood core or birch core??

 

Thanks in advance.

[Ally]

I thought birch was a hardwood.

[matty40s]

Trick question obviously.

[Col_T]

Sorry, both - I think of birch as a soft wood with things like teak and iroko as hard woods - just goes to show how much I know about things!!

 

I found a site advertising birch core phenolic ply and hardwood core phenolic ply as two separate products, with different prices, which kind of underlined my thoughts. Thanks for the info.

[Slim]

33 minutes ago, Col_T said:

Sorry, both - I think of birch as a soft wood with things like teak and iroko as hard woods - just goes to show how much I know about things!!

 

I found a site advertising birch core phenolic ply and hardwood core phenolic ply as two separate products, with different prices, which kind of underlined my thoughts. Thanks for the info.

Did you know that Balsa is a hardwood. Hard woods lose their leaves, softwoods don't.

[Ally]

I've never used "hardwood" phenolic ply,  only birch which is usually very good standard. As long as the edges are sealed. I've always found it to be solid and flat and Hardy. But as I said, I've never tried any other so can't fairly compare.

[Col_T]

9 hours ago, Slim said:

Did you know that Balsa is a hardwood. Hard woods lose their leaves, softwoods don't.

 

Nope, didn't know either of those things, I'll go for the birch core.

 

Thanks to all for filing in yet another hole in my education.

[Murflynn]

6 minutes ago, Col_T said:

 

Nope, didn't know either of those things, I'll go for the birch core.

 

Thanks to all for filing in yet another hole in my education.

 

single file or in ranks of three?

 

 

 

 

Perhaps the site selling the apparently different types of ply is unaware that the stuff referred to as 'hardwood ply' is actually birch?  

Birch is the norm, and is immensely stiff and dense.

Edited April 6, 2021 by Murflynn

[pete.i]

Whichever you buy ensure that it isn't made in China. Everything that comes out of the hell hole is rubbish and it's the chinese junk that is mostly sold by UK suppliers. I would advise to only go for genuine Buffalo Board although I do not know of any UK suppliers. Genuine Buffalo Board has a buffalo motif stamped on it, not that that means much these days. The chinese rubbish will delaminate within months even if you seal the edges.

 

[cuthound]

Hexagrip is another quality brand of phenolic ply.

 

Van fitting out companies often have offcuts, suitable for locker lids and engine covers, at reasonable prices.

[Col_T]

So, the board has arrived, and the edges have been sealed with three coats of West System epoxy which wraps around onto both the top and bottom surfaces.

 

Lady-wife and I are now discussing whether the whole of the top of the board, with a textured surface, should also be sealed. My immediate thought was that the textured surface should be weather proof - the board will be the lid to the front locker - but I really don't know for sure.

 

So, seal the whole of the top surface or not?

[cuthound]

The phenolic covering is already waterproof, so you only need to seal the edges and any other cuts (for lifting rings etc) to the phenlic finish that you make.

Edited May 3, 2021 by cuthound

[tree monkey]

On 05/04/2021 at 22:39, Slim said:

Did you know that Balsa is a hardwood. Hard woods lose their leaves, softwoods don't.

Wellllllllllll not exactly

[Col_T]

Thanks folks.

 

We're going with not sealing the top surface - for now, that is!

[Slim]

4 hours ago, tree monkey said:

Wellllllllllll not exactly

Wellllllllll, a) it's what I was taught 60 years ago for my o level and b) it's what I found stated on several sites today when I googled the question. ?

[tree monkey]

2 hours ago, Slim said:

Wellllllllll, a) it's what I was taught 60 years ago for my o level and b) it's what I found stated on several sites today when I googled the question. ?

Larch, ginko, dawn redwood all deciduous, all conifers 

Quercus ilex evergreen hardwood.

 

Sorry you are right,  but there exceptions 

 

[Nightwatch]

Hexagrip is the beesknees. Buffalo board not as good, in my view.

[Sea Dog]

1 hour ago, Nightwatch said:

Hexagrip is the beesknees. Buffalo board not as good, in my view.

And I bought an 8' X 4' sheet of 18mm no name (Chinese?) phenolic ply from a timber merchant over eBay. It was so shabby I contacted the seller for a return and we settled on 20 quid for it rather than him have the hassle of collection. Frankly, it still wasn't a bargain! The ply build is rough as old Harry. You pays yer money...