Calling the forum’s Aussie readers (look the other way, all you North Americans).
In my search for quality plywood, I’ve stumbled over a premium product from Queensland in Australia made from hoop pine – a native Australian timber related to NZ kauri and (I think) huon pine. Great family connections right?
On paper, the product looks very good, and it gets great trade reviews. As an indication of the prowess of the sole manufacturer, they’re about to introduce a ply panel that’s only 0.75mm thick! There’s something about the sap of hoop pine that facilitates easy peeling.
So. My question: Is hoop pine ply worth the premium price? Where I live, in the deep south of the South Island of NZ, freight costs are a consideration. I’ve been quoted indicative prices of NZ$40 per 2400 by 1200mm sheet for 6mm, NZ$75 for 12mm, and NZ$150 for 25mm (that’s 1 inch). Plus freight, about another NZ$100 for a 5-8 sheet package, plus 12.5% tax. Not cheap. Is it worth it?
www.macpherson.co.nz
Edited 7/2/2004 6:22 pm ET by kiwimac
Replies
Mac,
The technical name of hoop pine is Arucaria (aracaria? - sp?) cunninghamii. It's our bread and butter plywood here, nothing out of the ordinary. Used in all building uses.
Brims panels are one of the main producers. Here's their website for more info.
It's rotary peeled so it's cheap - o.7mm veneers are common.
Colour is v. similar to radiata.
Sounds as though they're looking for a higher value market.
Cheers,
eddie
Thanks mate
The couple of trade write-ups I've seen recently are positioning this as a premium product, and that's how it's marketed here. The choice in NZ is terrible - there's a West Coast (SI) mill that seems to be the only supplier in the south, and their stuff is rough as.
M
Mac,
I re-read my post & I'd better correct an error in sizes.
Our standard ply is the usual 1.5mm to 2.0mm ply thickness, so 3 ply is about 5-6mm, etc.... Veneers are routinely cut at 0.7mm.
Cheers,
eddie
Edited 7/3/2004 4:33 pm ET by eddie (aust)
Yeah
Which makes a 0.75mm, presumeably 3-ply, sheet measuring 2.4m by 1.2m pretty impressive, right?
The people who make this stuff (I gather there's only 1 significant manufacturer - the firm you've named above) say it's the best ply product in Australia.
My guess is that it's the down-under equivalent of the Baltic Birch ply that our American cousins use.
M
Hi Mac,
I'd say you're right on all counts.
? where would you use a 0.7mm three ply ? ready cross banded veneer for going over solid??
Have a good one,
eddie
... where would you use 0.7mm ply ...?
I don't intend to. The guy from Brims mentioned it in the article I read just to brag. It tells me that Brims' hoop pine ply is a premium product, and maybe worth the premium price.
Actually, I think the commercial use for very thin ply is often in top-end packaging, as a substitute for cardboard. It's very light and strong and looks good.
One reason why I'm messing around looking for the ply 'holy grail' is that when working in the UK I could buy hardwood ply that was nearly perfect - no gaps, no blemishes, no knots ... I even used to rip it into 25mm strips and laminate-up to make cool-looking furniture (I once won a prize with some). The stuff here in Kiwi is just c**p by comparison!
Look out for the All Blacks next weekend!
M
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