Material selection suggestions...

[harryball]

I make a bat house kit, I've been running it in 1/2" BCX sanded ply since it's all I've been able to get. But the quality of BCX has gone down sharply in the last 6 months.

I just spent 2 hours dealing with a sheet and only 45 minutes is cutting time. The thickness varied more than .040" over the sheet and there are large voids. It curls like a potato chip but what's worse, it curls 1" in the last 8" of the board in the middle. i.e. the outsides are touching on the width, it's 1" off in the middle but about 8" down the X it's touching the table again. Think Pringles. It takes a huge force with the clamp to hold and it's impossible for any vac to hold down.

I've been trying to find some exterior glue product to use. It does not have to be weather proof, just exterior glue. Price is an issue as well (of course) and weight. Does anyone know what a 1/2" sheet of Extera weighs?

I've been trying to find ACX fir but so far have only found 3/4" material locally.

Are their any other products out there someone can suggest that should be available in the Atlanta area? Maybe something other than ACX?

Please don't refer me to Dixieply, they are not an option with their Atlanta rules. Irony is, I found 1/2" ACX for $22/sheet at Dixieply in Florida, Atlanta refuses to sell it to me and refers me to dealers, the dealers do not stock the product and either do not wish to order it or want me to buy an entire unit through them. All and all Dixieply Atlanta has been the most rude and unhelpful company with which I have dealt.

Robert

[terryd]

Robert,
Just weighed a sheet in my shop and the 1/2" came in at 38 lbs. on a bathrrom scale. I dont know how accurate it is?. The thing I would be concerned about is the bacteriacide chemicals that they have in Extira to prevent mold and fungus. The first time I got a good dose of Extira dust while cleaning out the dust collector cyclone made me ill for a bit...and I have about a 1000x more bodymass than a bat..

TerryD

[harryball]

Terry, thanks for going to the trouble. That would make a kit weigh about or less than 10 lbs which would be tollerable. But you are right, I'd have to research the material content and if it leaches out. That part might not be so good for the bats.

You got sick from it! Wow... better be careful if I cut any of that stuff here. My shop stays fairly clean and I have a good dust control program going but dust does escape. My biggest ongoing health issue for me in the shop is hearing. I have an inner ear condition and if I am exposed to loud noise (over 80dB) for more than 30 minutes or so I get vertigo. The louder the quicker the more intense and longer the vertigo lasts. I always have hearing protection on if anything is running.

Back to the bat topic at hand... I'm not pleasant this morning, I've spent hours working with carppy material, it ain't worth it. I currently get $30/kit and can get 4 kits per sheet with about 45 minutes machine time and 15 minutes handling. That's the theory anyway. It works great with good material. I'm still tweaking my running times and see about another 5 minutes I can pull out. Handling on a good sheet actually runs about 10 minutes.

This product is well received, since I created it a little over a month ago I've sold more than 50 of them. I want them in the bat catalog for Christmas but am running out of time. My fear is not being able to find good material, what I'm using now is just carp... carp, carp, carp.

My only options seem to be BCX (carp grade for 13/sheet), marine grade (58/sheet), Extera (42/sheet).

I need exterior glue, about 1/2" thick, sanded one side, FLAT material.

I'd REALLY like to find something quick to get in the Christmas BCI catalog... it could mean an extra 100 kit sales for December... maybe more! Woudln't that be nice?

Robert

[handh]

Robert,

Have you tried Atlanta Hardwoods, I think that this is their name, I know that their sister company Charlotte Hardwoods can get the 1/2" fir from their other sister company in Virginia. They don't stock the item at the indiviual companies but they have their own trucks making a weekly run back and forth. You can usually get it in about a week. They don't charge me any extra but we purchase alot of product from them don't know if this makes a difference or not but worth a try. Here is their contact info
They are all part of The Wurth Group
http://www.hardwoodgroup.com/ and below is the address for the Atlanta Location.

5400 Riverview Road
Mableton, GA 30126
800 964-7804
(ph) 404 792-0910
(fax) 404 799-2079
awpc@hardwoodweb.com

Also another choice might be Baultic Birch you can get it in exterior grade. Here is a web address for information on it.
http://alliedveneer.com/baltic-birch.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=adword s&utm_term=baltic+birch&utm_campaign=b altic+birch+nationa

[harryball]

Jeff, What price are you getting the 1/2" fir at? Quotes I've been getting are about $40/sheet. I can get 3/4" for less than that. Seems like they are quoting me up high to avoid selling it... seems that way anyway.

Robert

[handh]

Robert,

I haven't purchased any in a while. I will ask the next time we order and let you know if I don't forget.

[beacon14]

Have you tried 1/2" Baltic Birch? My understanding is that it is made with exterior glue - it was originally developed for flooring for shipping containers and truck bodies...may be too expensive but fairly consistent in quality - I've only been able to get it locally in 5' x 5' sheets.

BTW Atlanta Hardwoods (old name) is the same place as Atlanta Wood Products Center.

[harryball]

I can't believe it's this hard to buy decent plywood. I'm just discouraged today... I'm going to miss my window to get into the catalog for Christmas because no one in Atlanta will sell me ACX plywood which DOES EXISTS and has been quoted at $22/sheet in Florida.

Maybe I should take the trailer and head to FL... or take the loader, dig a big hole and push everthing into it then go to the Bahamas and live on the beach with Betty the pig on Hog Island just north of Staniel Cay.

Long discouraging day today complete with a funeral about 10 minutes after which I got the call where a supplier would be glad to sell me 1/2" AC fir for 37.48/sheet with a 66 sheet minimum. ummm... a distributor told me wholesale is about 25/sheet FOB Atlanta with a one unit (66 sheet) minimum... and what's wrong with this picture? What's the extra $850 for?

Sigh... I quit... for today.

Robert

[blaz_in_az]

I use baltic birch, but be careful, as far as I know, baltic birch has interior glue, and "finnish" (Finland) has exterior glue, but is harder to find.

Tim

[harryball]

Can someone help me out here with some knowledge? I found a 12mm sheet product sanded ply that is "Type - Grade MR - B/C"

Can someone tell me what Type MR is? I found several references online as:
"Type - MR, Glue"
"Type MR"
"Glue Type - MR"
"Glue, MR"

Do I venture to guess, can I possibly confirm that MR means.... Moisture Resistant? :-o

If it is indeed Moisture Resistant glue then I may have found a sheet good for about $25.00 and I can get all I want!

Robert