A lesson learnt

[Dave_PParticipant @dave_p]

I purchased some 6mm ply from a local DIY shed to use for frames and keel. I know the quality is not great but had no problems in the past particularly when sealed with resin on completion of the hull.

All I can say is the material sold these days should not be described as plywood it is absolute rubbish. It consists of horrible inconsistent material sandwiched between two very thin sheets. I cut out frames and keel only to find the keel fall apart in three pieces with the frame outer edges splintering and crumbling in various places.

I am not a happy chappy having wasted £14 and my labours consigned to the wood recycle bin along with the remaining piece of the sheet. I really don't know what this material can be used for other than lighting the BBQ or bonfire.

In the words of Captain Mainwaring "You stupid boy Price"

[Dave_PParticipant @dave_p]

or Dunce of the month.

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Dave

Unfortunately most of the ply sold at the sheds is only fit for concrete shuttering but I have found that if you have a good look through the stock sometimes a couple of decent pieces of Birch ply can be found.

How this decent material ends up within all of the rubbish is a mystery all I can assume is that the supplier has to make up the quantities for an order and have to use the decent stuff.

When buying specifically for model construction I go to timber merchants (Beers, Travis Perkins etc) where the stock of decent ply can be found, incidentally these suppliers often throw away quite large off cuts of material that are very useful to the model builders and I find that a quick look through the waste wood bins (ask first) can be very fruitful.

Paul

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

I have just bought a fairly large consignment of liteply, birch ply and balsa from SLEC. The quality is superb and the shipping for ten 12" x 48" sheets of ply, ten sheets of 4" wide balsa and a big bottle of aliphatic resin glue was nine quid (and it came in less than 48 hours). No parking problems; no wading through sheets of dross looking for usable stock, and first-class material guaranteed.

It's to be noted that this company has, in one guise or another, been jointly run by the same two families since 1970. It started life as Model Avionics; then became Balsacraft Ltd (t/a Precedent) and latterly SLEC – a name which they inherited when they took over Specialist Light Engineering Company from John Roper (he of Sun Lane Cycles in Gravesend). Here endeth the latest history lesson!

Dave M

Edited By Dave Milbourn on 16/09/2013 08:44:25

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hi Dave

That sounds a very good service and a nice price too!……….£9.00…….Splendid

I also suffer from the lack of a good quality ply supplier now, that`s why I opted for 1.5 mm ply for the Ellie cabin…..My 4mm ply was dreadful quality

BTW…..What are you building?

Nosie Bob

[LARRY WHETTONParticipant @larrywhetton68737]

 

you get all here ,……………………………….Larry…

Hi All,

you find it all here ……………………

Edited By LARRY WHETTON on 16/09/2013 09:04:57

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

BTW…..What are you building?
Nosie Bob

Just stocking up, m'duck.
Dave M

[Gareth JonesParticipant @garethjones79649]

I would just like to reiterate what Dave has said about SLEC. I have bought all my birch plywood and liteply from them for the last few years (Shemarah is all SLEC plywood). The price of the material, quality and delivery has always been excellent. On one occasion I was sent an extra sheet of 1/2 inch ply destined for someone else. When I reported this to SLEC and asked how they wanted it returned they said it was their mistake and I could keep it.

Gareth

[Dave_PParticipant @dave_p]

Thanks all for the advise. We have a Travis Perkins in Ashford, I just didn't think to try there. We also have a modelshop but they only sell small lengths of ply. I have since spoken to the owner and he has said he can get longer lengths but his prices are rather on the high side. The SLEC option looks good too.

Thanks again chaps.

 

Edited By Dave_P on 16/09/2013 19:39:43

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