How to Choose Thin Plywood Correctly

Choosing the best thin plywood depends on several factors, such as the intended use, budget, and availability.

Factors When Choosing

Here are some considerations to help you select.

• Grade: Plywood is available in grades ranging from A to D, with A being the highest quality. Grade A plywood will have minimal imperfections, while Grade D may have numerous knots, voids, and splits. For most applications, you’ll want to aim for Grade A or B.
• Type of Wood: Plywood can be made of various kinds of wood, each with its own characteristics. Standard options include birch, oak, maple, and pine. Choose a type of wood that suits your project requirements regarding strength, appearance, and cost.
• Thickness: Typically ranges from 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch thick. The thickness you choose will depend on the specific requirements of your project. Thicker plywood will generally be more robust but also heavier.
• Ply Count: It is made by gluing together thin layers of wood veneer. The number of layers, or plies, affects the strength and stability of the plywood.
• Finish: Consider whether you need a particular finish, such as sanded or unsanded. Sanded plywood will have a smoother surface, which may be desirable for specific applications, such as cabinetry or furniture making.
• Cost: Prices can vary depending on the grade, type of wood, and other factors. Determine your budget and look for plywood with the best balance of quality and affordability.
• Intended Use: Think about how it will be used. You’ll want to choose plywood with good bending properties for a project requiring bending or flexibility, such as curved furniture or model making.
• Availability: Depending on your location, certain types or grades of plywood may be more readily available than others. Consider what options are accessible locally or if you want to order online and wait for delivery. Ensure that the plywood meets any specific requirements, such as being suitable for interior or exterior use and compatible with the tools and techniques you’ll use for your project.

Commonly Used Types of Thin Plywood

Here are some commonly used types of thin plywood that are known for their quality:

• Baltic Birch is known for its exceptional strength and durability. It’s made from multiple layers of birch veneer glued with waterproof adhesive, resulting in a strong and stable panel. Baltic birch plywood typically comes in various thicknesses, including thin options suitable for projects requiring thin plywood.
• Aircraft plywood, or aircraft-grade plywood, is specifically manufactured to meet the rigorous standards required for aircraft construction. It’s made from lightweight hardwoods and has a high strength-to-weight ratio. Aircraft plywood is available in thin sheets and is suitable for projects requiring lightweight yet strong material.
• Lauan, also known as Philippine mahogany or luan plywood, is a budget-friendly option for projects where appearance is not a primary concern. It’s lightweight and easy to work with, making it suitable for various DIY projects. Lauan plywood is available in thin sheets and is commonly used for interior applications.
• Poplar is made from poplar wood, known for its uniformity and straight grain. It’s relatively lightweight and easy to work with, making it suitable for projects requiring thin plywood sheets. Poplar is commonly used for furniture, cabinetry, and interior paneling.
• Plywood is known for its attractive appearance and durability. It’s made from maple wood veneers and is available in thin sheets suitable for various woodworking projects. Maple plywood is commonly used for furniture, cabinets, and decorative applications where a high-quality finish is desired.

Characteristics & Use

All types of plywood are made with solid resins and wood fibers, sheets, chips, or veneers of varying quality. In general, thin plywood is manufactured in the same way thicker plywood is: by layering very thin sheets of wood one on top of the other, with the wood grain running perpendicular to the adjacent layers, then bonding them together with solid resins or glues.

The minimum number of layers or “plies” for any plywood—even the thinnest—is three.

Using an odd number of layers to manufacture plywood allows the grain on both faces to run in the same direction. This is important for aesthetic purposes. But simultaneously, the extra layer makes a sheet of plywood stronger in one direction than another.

Because of the needs of machines and the manufacturing process, it is typically manufactured without voids, splits, or knotholes found in thicker plywood, especially softwood plywood. Some other types are highly flexible, allowing them to be used around curves.

Thin plywood is a high-strength, high-quality sheet material that resists cracks, breaks, twisting, warping, and shrinkage. Many different hardwood and softwood plywoods meet these needs under specific circumstances.

Also, it provides a decorative or smooth surface to paint or attach other things. Furthermore, it has the strength and flatness to provide a light, smooth, even surface for bonding, flooring, or covering.

Some of the Most Popular Types of Thin Plywood

Aircraft Grade Plywood

Aircraft-grade plywood was first developed for the aircraft industry during World War II. There was a limit to the amount of aluminum available, as most came from Africa, Australia, and South America. At the same time, the third most abundant material in the Earth’s crust requires extra steps to mine and refine, increasing the cost.

To save weight in aircraft manufacture, aircraft-grade plywood tends to be very thin and light. The thinnest plywood products available today are aircraft-grade.

Yet, even though it is thin, it still offers excellent strength. This is partly due to the rosin used for bonding the veneers, explicitly designed to handle higher heat and humidity levels.

Decorative Plywood

Decorative plywood is more commonly referred to as “paneling.” However, this appellation is a bit unfair, as most paneling is vinyl coated with paint in a wood-print design rather than made with a hardwood veneer face. While used in the same applications, decorative plywood provides a much richer appearance, as it is made of natural wood.

These decorative hardwood products come in various thicknesses, with some of the most durable and popular being very thin and lightweight. The hardwood face veneer is often ash, birch, oak, maple, mahogany, teak, or rosewood, although any hardwood can be used. It is sometimes bonded with fabric or resin-impregnated paper and is useful in applications that call for dying or drawing on wood.

The special care used in manufacturing this plywood to provide the best possible appearance shows up in the product’s pricing.

You can expect to pay top dollar for most decorative plywood but will end up with a project that reflects the money you put into it.

Flexible Plywood

Flexible plywood is sometimes known as bendy birch plywood or wiggle board. It is usually lightweight and is best for making curved parts for projects of all sorts.

The plywood is made flexible by a combination of different techniques, not just making it thin. Thin hardwood, even 1/8 inch thick, still isn’t very flexible, although aircraft-grade plywood tends to be more flexible than other hardwood.

Each flexible plywood product is designed specifically for a specific bend radius. When shopping for it, you must know what thickness you want and what radius to which you plan to bend it. The same manufacturer might provide more than one made to the same thickness but with different bend radiuses. This bend radius is only in one direction; typically, the panel is relatively rigid in the other direction.

Flexible plywood can be used in various projects, especially architectural uses, such as making columns and manufacturing furniture, where curved edges of wood panels are necessary.

It has also found a home in the marine industry, where it is used for the furnishings inside of yachts, many of which have to be built with curves to match the shape of the boat’s hull.

Marine Plywood

Thin plywood can fit into one of the above categories, such as marine. It is manufactured to meet specific specifications. The most important parts of those specifications are that the panel is without voids and that moisture-resistant adhesives are used in manufacturing. Many marine grade plywoods are rated as WBP (weather and boil proof).

Marine such as Okoume is typically available in thin, strong, lightweight sheets. Even the thinnest Marine tends to be a bit pricey compared to most other types of plywood. Still, its particular characteristics make it very durable and well worth the investment.

Marine-grade plywood is used because it is less likely to delaminate under the moisture conditions that marine applications subject the plywood to.

Professional Recommendations When Choosing

When choosing, consider the characteristics most desirable for the project and decide based on the product’s ability to meet your needs. Looks, strength, weight, price, and the ability to withstand wear are good to remember.

Musical instruments, models, and cabinets are the most popular items. Other items, like kites, boats, miniatures, and even hockey sticks and blades for wind turbines, call for quality plywood much thinner than the wood used in heavy-duty applications.

Ensure you determine whether the product you are considering is rated for indoor or outdoor use and offers the desired flexibility or rigidity.