: Hello all,

: i often read, that only marine standard plywood has to be taken into account
: for stich and glue kayak building. (i believe that this was discussed very
: often, but...). I bought 4mm plywood and ask for marine standard but i
: fear it isn´t. The wood i bought looks good but has only 1mm outside
: layers of Okume wood. The middle layer is 2mm thick. Shall i throw it away
: or could it fit ? What are your expierience with this kind of plywood ?

: Regards

: Wolfgang

Wolfgang

I think you will be alright with your plywood. 1mm is actually a fairly generous outer skin thickness. There is plenty enough material to sand if done carefully. Most plywoods, now, are using exterior glues, they will withstand a bit of moisture without problems. I think what most folks are watching for in the lesser grades of plywood are the voids in the inner ply. You can usually check for them by using a very bright light, behind the sheet in a darkened room and the voids will show up. If you circle them with a pencil, you can either cut around them, or using a syringe filled with epoxy and fill them.

I would go ahead and check for voids and if you can work around them, go for it. If you have some little voids, fill them. If your plywood has too many, or too big of voids for your personal comfort, then use it for bulkheards and the like. Even with a few voids, the plywood is still good for many uses.
Hope this helps!

Rehd