[kristkustoms]

...and anyone that buys/uses luann plywood. The quality of this stuff has gone down the crapper at my local stores. I seriously can't find a good piece of luann anywhere. Checked Lowe's, Home Depot, and Menard's. They are all warped. It looks like the wood itself has changed too. The luann I used to get had sort of a wood core, with a super thin outer layer of plywood. Now, the luann that the stores carry is just 3 or 4 layers of maybe 1/16" plywood, and it all is warped really bad. Anyone else see this happening? I'm not trying to achieve the wavy headliner look...

[NEW INTERIORS]

Originally Posted by kristkustoms

...and anyone that buys/uses luann plywood. The quality of this stuff has gone down the crapper at my local stores. I seriously can't find a good piece of luann anywhere. Checked Lowe's, Home Depot, and Menard's. They are all warped. It looks like the wood itself has changed too. The luann I used to get had sort of a wood core, with a super thin outer layer of plywood. Now, the luann that the stores carry is just 3 or 4 layers of maybe 1/16" plywood, and it all is warped really bad. Anyone else see this happening? I'm not trying to achieve the wavy headliner look...

I agree with you,It is like that with all the wood,Not just Luann,

[79C10]

It's the 'bigger/better/faster/more' syndrome , but with wood products , you can only have 1 ,3 and 4.The quality of 'old wood' was far superior to the stuff we use today. trees grew slower and the rings were tighter together,making the wood stronger. Today they cut it , and KILN dry it ( cook it dry ) so they can sell it as fast as possible. It still air dries during shipping/storage. That wood usually has a born on date somewhere on it. It's normally only a month or 2 old.
It's time to start building styrofoam houses ,and save some trees.
For plywood. and guitars.

[wedgehead63]

I switched to ABS plastic sheeting for panels and doors. It's not the cheapest, but it works great.

[DanTwoLakes]

I have a real lumber yard right across the street from my shop, and the luan plywood I get there is still fine. It's more expensive than the stuff at the superstores, but that's fine with me if the quality is there. Also, I don't have to drive 20 miles to get it.

Shawn: Isn't there a lumber yard somewhere in Fort Wayne thatyou can check on to see if they carry the good stuff?

[kristkustoms]

Originally Posted by wedgehead63

I switched to ABS plastic sheeting for panels and doors. It's not the cheapest, but it works great.

I use plastic for everything...except my headliner base panel. I still like a good old luann headliner base, that is if i can get a flat piece.

[kristkustoms]

Originally Posted by DanTwoLakes

I have a real lumber yard right across the street from my shop, and the luan plywood I get there is still fine. It's more expensive than the stuff at the superstores, but that's fine with me if the quality is there. Also, I don't have to drive 20 miles to get it.

Shawn: Isn't there a lumber yard somewhere in Fort Wayne thatyou can check on to see if they carry the good stuff?

Its on the opposite side of town, but it looks like i might need to take a trip there.

[DanTwoLakes]

I only use luan plywood as a headliner base, also. It's the only thing I trust to stay up there. All other panels are made from either plastic or waterproof panel board.

If you want to see some real crap, check out the treated plywood. Ever since they stopped using CCA it looks like it was made in a roller coaster factory.

[DanTwoLakes]

Originally Posted by NEW INTERIORS

I agree with you,It is like that with all the wood,Not just Luann,

I am lucky enough to have a real live lumber mill about 8 miles from me, so I can still get the best dimension lumber at only slightly more than Menard's or Home Depot. It's straight and stays that way, and they will replace anything I don't like and take back anything I don't use. They don't make plywood, however.

[DanTwoLakes]

Originally Posted by kristkustoms

I use plastic for everything...except my headliner base panel. I still like a good old luann headliner base, that is if i can get a flat piece.

Shawn: I had a few extra minutes to take some pictures. This is the 1/4" luan plywood I get from my local lumber yard. You can see it's perfectly flat and straight. They get it from a company called Amerhart in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Amerhart orders it from Malaysia. It is called underlayment grade or exterior grade.
It sells for $14.00 a sheet.

[timothale]

i have bought door skin ply before not any recently, the size of a normal house door, 36 " by 80 " it might be better quality , some door companies and a cabinet supply dealer had it.

[Redhot-30]

I buy about 20-25 sheets at a time, it is the only thing I use.

I had noticed that when I had ordered it from 84 Lumber (upstate NY), it started to go bad, IE: bad checking, warped, just crap!

i ended up going to a plywood distributor, and now I buy from them exclusively. They are only 4 miles away. They also give me good pricing too!

They told me, the majority of luan in this country is produced where else?...China!!

I had received an order from one of the other places previously, that ended up being bender board. If you held on to one end vertically,(4'X8'), the other end was horizontal on the floor! I made them take it back.

Once I found the plywood distributor, I've stuck with them ever since.