"Void Free" plywood - South England (Portsmouth)

[Magic Matt Blues]

I'm beginning to feel like an idiot again, and my enthusiasm for building drained. At the moment I am glad I've not bought the drivers for the speakers, and had only bought the PU adhesive. I bought a circular saw... practiced with it... was starting to build my confidence up a bit, but I've hit a brick wall again.

I'm getting a little tired of phoning around and popping in to various suppliers and having essentially the same conversation, by which they tell me there's no such thing as "void free" plywood, even if it is European Birch. I've had multiple places say they stock it when I've emailed, only to get there and be told they actually quoted for the standard ply because there's no such thing as "void free". I even took the long trek over to Southampton to Travis Perkins, where I'd been told they could supply me... only to get strange looks when I said those two dreaded words "void free"...

Can anyone supply me some 12mm "void free" ply?

If not, I'm going to have to either give up or make it out of "that cheap stuff at Wickes", and if that cheap stuff is as bad as I'm being led to believe, I'm better off giving up.

[Chris_Allen]

I've used several different types of ply, all but the crappiest (cheapest!) stuff was void free.

I've been picking up 12mm birch 8'x4' for around £35 locally. Meyer Timber is recommended as a ply supplier in Southampton, I couldn't find much in Portsmouth which I found amazing given its location!

To be honest, I don't think being void free is 100% essential. Having no veneer and the ply being flat is much more important. Most hardwood plys won't have voids but avoid ply labelled 'structural' as it tends to be poor quality.

Can you pick up full sheets or will you need them cutting smaller for transport?

[Magic Matt Blues]

I only have a standard car, though the back seats fold flat, so I expect it would have to be cut down. That's going to restrict what I can get out of a sheet, so I'll have to see how much of a difference it makes, compared to the cost of hiring a van.

Portsmouth seems to be mad on Marine Ply... you can get that everywhere, though only in 18mm or 9mm it seems...

I'll send Meyer Timber an email and see what they can supply, thanks.

[Bruce Weldy]

Having been through probably 15 sheets of baltic birch in 5x5 and 4x8, I have never seen a void.

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

Where in the plans does it say that you must use void free plywood? I didn't see that myself.

[Magic Matt Blues]

The plans don't actually say either way. When the topic came up on Bass Chat, you didn't say it wasn't required. Since I'd been told by a few people that it was, and it made a difference, and there was a fair bit of talk about examining the ends of plywood to ensure there were equal thicknesses of material and no voids, I concluded that's what I should be buying.

[Tom Smit]

The occasional void is okay. When you see it on an edge, just fill it with PU when you go to install the panel, or second side....which ever is the case at that moment. Avoid large voids if at all possible.

[Rich4349]

I only have a standard car, though the back seats fold flat, so I expect it would have to be cut down. That's going to restrict what I can get out of a sheet...

Why? Bring your plans, tape measure, t-square and pencil, and make your cut line where you would have normally at home. (Mark which side of the line the cut goes for them, and point it out to them.) If they only offer 1 free cut, this will work very well on 5x5s, less so on 4x8s, due to the more complicated cut sheet layout. ORR...be a nutjob like me, and bring your own circular saw, heavy duty drop cord, and 3-4 equal sized buckets, and DIY right outside of the store , but down away from the front doors to minimize attention. I have the same problem with my otherwise very handy economy wagon.

[Magic Matt Blues]

Cutting outside the store on buckets sounds like a laugh... but I think I might just hire a Ford Transit for a day. I *think* a 4x8 sheet will fit.

[Rich4349]

Suit yourself! But one cut down the middle (planned so that it doesn't ruin 3-4 future panels) makes the whole thing doable.

[Magic Matt Blues]

Really - just one? Hmmm.... going to play with that layout software again, lol...

[Rich4349]

It certainly depends on the layout, and also just how wide the back of your car is. Is it a hatchback? If so, the glass hatch will help out immensely. I've brought home very large items with the front and rear seats folded down, and whatever item sticking out of the back of the hatch. Even taking 19" off of a 48" sheet gets you down to 29" wide- that'd be plenty of room in my Matrix. And the diagonal is wider, if you were to prop the wood up on one side some. Just bring blankets to pad your car- don't need to make it look like Sanford and Son's truck inside! (Or, make that Steptoe and Son, in your case!)

[jswingchun]

I have built cabs with ply that had pretty massive voids. Never been a problem for me. PL does wonders.

[Magic Matt Blues]

Sticky-stuff I have plenty of I think.... 4 x 310ml cartridges of PU18... evil stuff...

[Rune Bivrin]

Sticky-stuff I have plenty of I think.... 4 x 310ml cartridges of PU18... evil stuff...

Oh boy!

If I'm reading correctly that is NOT an expanding PU adhesive like PL Premium. Expect to be told off by the community (and they'd be right)