LumberJocks Woodworking Forum banner

Phenolic Plywood I've checked it out

38K views 28 replies 20 participants last post by  Karson 
#1 ·
Phenolic Plywood I've checked it out

Two hundred and 43 days ago MSKI posted a blog on Phenolic Plywood He had found some interesting stuff on the web that had 4 X 8 sheets of Phenolic Plywood for $51.00 a sheet. The stuff at Woodcraft is 65.00 for a 2 X 4' size.

I thought I'd check it out. I used the WhiteCap Industries web site.

This past summer my wife was flying to see her mother and she was leaving from the Baltimore Airport. Whitecap Industries has a store about 15 miles from the airport. So I went prepared. I took a battery operated skill saw and a straight edge.

Set the GPS up and drove right to the place. The warehouse was about 3 blocks big, down in a area where you could buy 3 blocks cheap. I went to the front desk and asked them where the stuff was stored.

It was in the warehouse , one block south. They said that they had about 2000 sheets of the stuff. It is used to make cement forms when they pour cement and it wont stick to the plywood.

The plywood is 3/4" and has 13 plys of wood, almost like Baltic Birch. I went to the warehouse and all of the inventory was stacked to the ceiling except for some sheets that were laying on a small pile. There were some edge damage and corner damage on a few of the sheets.

So I went back to the cashier and asked if they would sell the damaged sheets for a reduced price. (I mean I don't need a 4X8 sheet for one jig) He quoted a price of $31.00 a sheet and he said for that price i might as well take the good stuff. Why take the damaged ones.

So I told him I'd take three sheets, I went back and started to cut up the sheets to fit in my wife's van. Some were cut with a 2' slice off the end (2 sheets) and some were cut at 32" slices (3 piece cut (2 sheets).

I went back and paid for my order, of the four sheets that I took.

I gave Lee Jesberger a 32" slice (I don't think he's done anything with it yet) and I've made 2 jigs, both for the router. A edge to stand up on my router table so that I can cut route with the board standing on edge.

One for a trim bit the cut flush for the edging on a board The other was for a drawer lock router bit.

The stuff works great. and is stable. And I only have 2 1/2 sheets left. (Sold one sheet to a friend)

It is worth the money.

I used a bolt to attach it to the incra fence.


 
See less See more
2
#3 ·
I called the Baltimore store and they didn't carry it but the Washington DC store did. They were very helpful to point me to the warehouse that had it.
 
#6 ·
I bet I won't see any of this material in my area for another 10 years, but I'll check around.
 
#9 ·
Thanks Karson,
243 days!!! seemed like yesterday, I'm getting old.
I knew someone would try it.
I just built 3 jigs out of odds and ends China Ply laying around, might just have to go get some, I was worried about it not being straight and having alot of voids because it was made for concrete forms and not pemanent structure.
Thanks for the Blog and for the one to try it!
 
#10 ·
In all of the cuts that I've made, I've not noticed any voids.

I will state the the Phenolic layer looks like it's thin, possibility thinner that the stuff at Rockler and Woodcraft. But then I don't have any of the Rockler or Woodcraft stuff at home.

You can see the ripples of the surface of the underlying ply. The surface is smooth, but probably not smooth like a sheet of glass. When I slid a router bit through the surface from the back, I didn't experience any chip out but at one time when readjusting the fence the edge of the router bit was closer to one side and when i turned on the router a small chip of phenolic chipped off.

It's not like it's super fragile, but some of the damage that I noticed at the warehouse were chips on the sides and corners.

If you are looking for a smooth surface that you can put a little wax on to make it real slippery then this is the stuff and you can't beat the price.
 
#13 ·
#14 ·
i bought the sheets before and made a table, it's nice material. Try anderson plywood they have a several colors to choose from. The phenolic plywood looks like apple finnish ply with a fancy colored look. If i am not mistaken it was originally use for forming concrete and was very cheap. Then some creative architect in Venice came up with the idea of using it in interiors and the material caught on and the price shot up. Anyhow here is a link for the phenolic http://www.andersonplywood.com/phenolic_plywood.htm
 
#15 ·
I have been looking all over the place for this stuff. I finally saved up enough money and got my Incra LS Positioner, and I'm ready to start making my Router Table. But I really wanted to make the top of the Router Table out of this stuff. I can always fall back on the melamine clad top, but the Phenolic would look so much cooler.

Does anyone know of any stores in San Antonio, Texas that sell this stuff. From my brief time on this forum it would appear that the majority of the posters are from up north.

Any thoughts?
 
#17 ·
Lee: I called my supplier in Washington DC area and they have lots of it. He then looked in the San Antonio area and Austin area and none of them carry the product, In Washington the part# is 339PSP15M48

However he said that the Beaumont store shows 2 sheets in stock. Their part# is 339PSP3448.
I looked for Phenolic Ply and it's not found on their web. The counter man stated that it was called Phenolic Ply.

Maybe you can pick it up on your drive back from Florida at the Super Bowl.

Good Luck

Our woodworking club made Taper Jig Sliding Table and I supplied all of the Phenolic Ply for the members use It's great stuff and I going to another members home this afternoon to help him make one.
 
#25 ·
Google "White Cap Construction" there are 2 in Austin. But not all of them carry the Phenolic Ply.

Good luck. I'm getting great use out of the stuff that I've used.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top