Spruce Plywood

Spruce plywood is a type of wood that fits into the SPF (Spruce, Pine, Fir) class. It is also commonly known as “Whitewood” and tends to be very light in color. Of course, this depends on the exact species of Spruce being used, but generally, it is a very light-colored wood.

Furthermore, Spruce plywood is known to be lighter and softer than many other types of plywood, although it is harder than pine. However, this wood can work well for basic construction purposes, but only if used correctly.

Uses

Again, Spruce plywood is often used in basic construction projects. This includes boat hulls, ladders, oars, drywall framing, etc. However, some of these situations can get a bit tricky for reasons that will be discussed in the next section.

Secondly, people often use Spruce wood or plywood to make instruments. It may be referred as tonewood, but tonewood is any wood used to make musical instruments. It is a more recommended type of plywood in instrument construction because of its acoustic properties. It has been proven excellent in making sound suitable; examples of instruments built with this type of plywood include guitars, violins, pianos, mandolins, cellos, and various soundboards. Lastly, Spruce plywood is often used to make specialized wooden aircraft panels because of its excellent strength-to-weight ratio. The Wright Brothers’ first aircraft was made from Spruce.

Suggestions

Once again, Spruce is often used in making boats and their accessories (oars, paddles, etc.). However, this type of plywood has very few decay-resistant qualities. This means that exposure to harsh weather conditions or water, this type of wood cannot be expected to last more than one to one and a half years before cracking, splitting, or rotting.

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Spruce plywood is also not recommended for any other type of outdoor use either. Not only does it stand up poorly to weather and water, but it also has very little resistance to insects, unlike cedar plywood. This is also why Spruce tends to rot and decay quickly. It is also not suggested for outdoor usage because of its susceptibility to heat, moisture, and insects. This type of wood can burn easily under the right conditions. It also tends to swell easily, which makes it susceptible to further damage to plywood, like splitting.

However, because it is so lightweight, easy to work with, and versatile, Spruce is an excellent type of plywood to use if the person plans to treat it right. Kept indoors, it can last a long time and provide exceptional service in many different projects (ex. musical instruments, construction basics like flooring, drywall, etc.). Furthermore, if someone can avoid the above mentioned conditions, they will do just fine.

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Locations

Spruce is easy to access, as it grows in many different places worldwide, including North America, Asia, Europe, etc. Purchases can be made at any local hardware store, although it may be called something other than straight “Spruce plywood.”