A few words about Auraco

[Tim A]

I've been waiting forever for one of my local Home Improvement big-box stores to get some in. In the meantime I've been purchasing 5-ply A/C from a local Lumber Yard. I stopped by to grab a few sheets the other day, and they were closed. Gone. No more. Another sign of our huge economic problems.

There's another full service yard close to me, so I tried them. Told them what I wanted and they took me out to the yard so I could see what they had.

Auraco.

Ok, so I now I know. Mystery solved. Auraco is a brand name, not a type of wood. They had it in 1/4" A/B, 1/2" A/C, and 1/2" A/B. That's all it is, just standard graded plywood.

The A/C was very nice. They let me look through sheets to find some I wanted. I only had to go down 3, the next 2 were as good as A/B. $25 for A/C, $38 for A/B.

So if you've been scouring your area trying to find Auraco, stop. Just ask for 5-ply A/C or A/B. Same stuff.

[Sydney]

Another sign of our huge economic problems.

In my area 84 lumber announced the closing of a large number of their yards.
The closest access to usable plywood for me is 130 miles round trip, and as you said - expect to go through the stacks to find the good stuff.

[Tim A]

That's what it was, a Pine84. Hate to see them go,but they catered to the developers, and quite frankly ain't nobody buildin' nuttin' right now.

Oh well at least now I know where to get the ever mysterious and oft sought Auraco.

[Mark Coward]

I've just built two O10.5's with mostly Arauco, along with some leftover BB. I notice that it is definitely a softer wood, the saw just zips through it compared to BB. Makes cutting easier, I just wonder how well it holds up in the long run.

[Tim A]

It's about the same hardness as fir or pine.

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

So if you've been scouring your area trying to find Auraco, stop. Just ask for 5-ply A/C or A/B. Same stuff.

-1. I don't know if it's a brand name or a species name, but it's definitely not the same as pine, spruce or fir. The grain is different, almost as imperceptable as that of birch, and it takes a minimum coating of DuraTex to get a grain-free finish, which is far from the case with N American softwoods.

[bumpcity76]

http://www.araucoply.com/araucoplyusa/default.asp

Maybe this will help.

[Ozmirage]

http://www.dealerslumber.com/siding.html

AraucoPly is manufactured in Chile from plantation forests called Radiata Pine. These trees are pruned to grow fast, consistant and with less knots than traditional pine. All AraucoPly panel products meet US Product Standards PS1-95 and are Teco Tested. General uses and applications include furniture, cabinets, decorative panels, underlayment, pool tables, speakers, countertops, concrete forming, road signs, etc.

[Tim A]

The grain is different, almost as imperceptable as that of birch, and it takes a minimum coating of DuraTex to get a grain-free finish, which is far from the case with N American softwoods.

It sounds like we're getting two different types of Auraco. This stuff is much closer to standard ply than Birch. Here's a pic. From left to right: Auraco, A/C, Baltic Birch.

[Les Webb]

Aurauco from Lowe's is radiata pine. Google radiata pine and you will be able to tell the difference. Aurauco is actually a city in Chile IIRC and there is a plywood plant there. Could be any number of different types of ply coming out of there.

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

The grain is different, almost as imperceptable as that of birch, and it takes a minimum coating of DuraTex to get a grain-free finish, which is far from the case with N American softwoods.

It sounds like we're getting two different types of Auraco. This stuff is much closer to standard ply than Birch. Here's a pic. From left to right: Auraco, A/C, Baltic Birch.

It's not so much the look as the depth of the grain. Pine etc. has a depth to the grain that no matter how much you sand it takes many coats of DuraTex to make it invisible. The Arauco I've been getting has no grain showing after one coat.

[gdougherty]

It's not so much the look as the depth of the grain. Pine etc. has a depth to the grain that no matter how much you sand it takes many coats of DuraTex to make it invisible. The Arauco I've been getting has no grain showing after one coat.

Just don't get it wet. I found that out the hard way after wiping it down with a rag that was a bit too damp. The grain really raises up in that case.

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

Just don't get it wet. I found that out the hard way after wiping it down with a rag that was a bit too damp. The grain really raises up in that case.

Wetting wood to raise the grain between sandings is an old finishing trick, highly recommended for fine furniture and instruments, not really worth it with DuraTex. I sand with a 40 grit disc, blow it clean with a shop vac, slap on the DuraTex.

[djengineer]

So what is the verdict on the different woods? I am headed to Lowes this weekend to get enough for 2 DR250s and want to make sure I'm not buying the wrong stuff. Lowes.com is showing no locations selling this stuff...Thanks!

[gdougherty]

If you can find it, it's very workable stuff. Lightweight and clean looking. Almost good enough that you could just stain it except for the occasional knot they replace with the standard football shaped cutout. The Lowes by me has 1/2 and 1/4 ply. Everything you need but 1/8 for the but cheeks and horn throat. I think it's listed as A/C project ply or something like that. Always has a white tag stapled on the edge of each sheet that says Arauco. Nice that they use plastic rather than metal staples.