Plywood - QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

How is plywood made?

Plywood is composed of many layers, which are called plies or veneers.
The plies are created from 2 processes:

• The first is Rotary Cut. A log is spun on a roller and a big knife peels off the skin of the log. (Just like peeling an apple).
• The other is Flat Sliced. The log is sliced into long thin slices lengthwise. (Just like slicing a carrot from head to bottom)

The plies are then sandwiched together with a resin (glue) and pressed with enormous pressure. The plywood is then cut into standard 4' x 8' lengths. Sometimes, depending on the customer needs the sheets can be as big as 4' by 20' long. If the plywood has more plies, such as, Baltic Birch Plywood, it makes it very stable.

There is also many types of plywood, including:

• Cabinet grade, for making kitchen cabinets, furniture, woodworking projects, etc.
• Sheathing, used for siding on homes.
  
• Marine plywood has a waterproof resin so it can be used for boats and exterior uses.
  

Plywood is graded by how many imperfections it has. If the plies were clear with no knots, dents, discolouration, it would be considered as Select, #1 or A Grade. If there were plenty of knots and holes it would be lower down on the scale and be called a Shop or Utility grade. For some people, if they're working on a project and the appearance is not necessary, they choose a “middle of the road “ grade.