Plastic-Covered Plywood
By Benjamen Johnson
The selection of engineered building materials available to contractors and the general public gets bigger and better every year — there’s melamine, plywood, Baltic birch plywood, chipboard, MDO, MDF, particle board, phenolic, and more. One of the relative newcomers, phenolic-faced plywood looks to be a good combination of stability, strength, and water resistance.
Rockler just introduced phenolic-faced 14-ply solid birch 3/4″ plywood. This void-free and stable material features a waterproof and low-friction surface that would be good for tabletops, jigs, or projects. They sell it in sheets of 24″ x 32″ for $40.
Woodcraft also sells phenolic-faced 3/4″ plywood. Their offering consists of birch ply glued together with exterior glue and sandwiched between phenolic-impregnated birch ply. You’ll pay about $60 for a quarter sheet.
Both can be machined with standard woodworking tools and will hold screws well.
Phenolic-Faced Plywood [Rockler]
Phenolic-Faced Plywood [Woodcraft]
February 23rd, 2009 at 12:49 pm
Hmmm, might make a good, cheap toolbox work surface.
February 23rd, 2009 at 7:27 pm
Check the price before you call it a cheap surface!
1/2 x 24 x 48 is almost $50!
February 23rd, 2009 at 7:55 pm
I wonder if this is stronger than a solid core door.
F.
February 23rd, 2009 at 9:06 pm
$50 is cheaper then a couple hundred for phenolic work surface for my Matco box.
February 24th, 2009 at 7:06 am
It’s 3/4″ x 24″ x 32″ for $40, right? Or am I misreading something? It also sounds like the surface (not the ends) are water proof.
February 24th, 2009 at 9:48 am
If you buy it by a full sheet, 48 x 96, it is quite a bit cheaper. Most lumber stores can order it, but I find they rarely stock it. I paid $75 for two full sheets last summer. It makes a great surface for mitre saw stands, assembly tables, etc. You will need a zero clearance setup to cut it, because the edges tear out easily. My Festool plunge saw and zero clearance insert on the table saw had no problems with it.
February 24th, 2009 at 10:37 am
Fine Woodworking magazine - had a recent feature:
http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/Workshop/WorkshopPDF.aspx?id=30588