A plywood rant

[masonsailor2]

When I ordered the ply for the current project I specified “domestic” plywood. I ordered 3/4” and 1/4”. When I specify domestic it means I need it to be exactly or within fairly narrow tolerances of the width specified. So now that I am working with it it turns out not to be metric or standard. It is wider than metric and narrower than standard. Totally maddening. I have both the metric and standard router bits and neither produced a dado that was acceptable. In order to get a good fit I had to use the narrower metric bit and then move the jig slightly and then router again to widen the dado enough to get the proper fit. It wasn’t the suppliers fault as it was stamped Georgia Pacific 3/4” on the edges.
Paul

[ChrisNeilan]

AARRGGGHHHHH!

[jsburger]

When I ordered the ply for the current project I specified “domestic” plywood. I ordered 3/4” and 1/4”. When I specify domestic it means I need it to be exactly or within fairly narrow tolerances of the width specified. So now that I am working with it it turns out not to be metric or standard. It is wider than metric and narrower than standard. Totally maddening. I have both the metric and standard router bits and neither produced a dado that was acceptable. In order to get a good fit I had to use the narrower metric bit and then move the jig slightly and then router again to widen the dado enough to get the proper fit. It wasn’t the suppliers fault as it was stamped Georgia Pacific 3/4” on the edges.
Paul

I understand what you meant but, where can you order "Domestic plywood" that means anything meaningful? Made in the USA has not meant 3/4" that plywood is 3/4" inch for years.

[garys]

I work with the understanding that all plywood I buy is less than advertised thickness. Working under that theory, I can't miss because every sheet I buy is undersize.

[masonsailor2]

I think the frustration is also due to dealing with the supplier here in Las Vegas. In past years I have always dealt with Austin Lumber in Orange County Ca and Jackal Enterprises in Watsonville Ca. With both of them when I ordered plywood it always came in the dimensions I specified. They both were excellent at obtaining the ply I needed in the 25/32 or 3/4 that I ordered. Never had this issue. I am not sure of the logistics at their end but it was always in the correct dimensions. For now it is merely an annoyance. I am doing each small project at my own pace and taking the extra time to get the correct fit is doable. In past years when the projects were very large and time was critical this would have been a disaster. Retooling the whole shop to fit some random size unit of plywood would not have been practical and the time it would have taken for them to replace the unit would have been costly. It’s also my fault for not checking when it arrived.
Paul

[Hobbyman2]

I read some where you can by router bits that will work with the new under sized junk. using the router I usually just adjust the thickness to the size dado I am using . makes for more work, and at these prices ?

[BuckeyeDennis]

Here’s a link to a simple router dado jig that adjusts to whatever thickness of plywood you happen to get. You use a piece of the actual workpiece material to set the slot width between two guide fences. Then you just run a pattern bit along both fences, which transfers the correct dado width to your workpiece. Building one of these has been on my to-do list for a while.

http://www.woodworkersjournal.com/jig-b ... very-time/

[masonsailor2]

Thanks for the link Dennis. I use a similar system that is not as simple as that jig. I think I will give that one a try.
Paul