Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I finally started building sections of the interior cabinets that need to be replaced and found another way to mess up the project. I started with the panel that would be behind your feet when sitting at the dining area. It is a 1/8 ply panel framed with 5/8 square wood. I couldn't identify the original framing wood but I used Poplar.

So far I had gotten my Birch plywood for the side panels at a local wood workers supply. When I went back for more they only had some with no coloring personality and one damaged piece of 4 X 8. They did have Baltic in 4 X 4 but the section of bench seat is about 5' long.

I tried Home Depot and found some with beautiful coloring for about the same price. It wasn't until I got it home did I notice the Birch ply was paper thin but I decided to try it anyway. I got the replacement panel mostly made before I noticed the Bitch ply was starting to peal off! After deciding the almost complete panel would likely not last long even if I could fill all the pieces falling off I found I could grab a loose end and peal off a 2 to 3 foot strip. Besides being very thin the glue wasn't holding.

I went back to the wood workers supply and bought the damaged piece. Now the second build for the one piece is done, with many more to go. I measured the Birch ply from the Home Depot wood at .006 inch. I am impressed that their supplier could shave a piece that thin but it would help it if the glueing was any good. It took a bit of work with a sharp blade to get a very small piece of Birch ply off the replacement but it measured in at .031 inch. I couldn't get anything bigger then 1/8 square due to the glue actually holding.

I took one sheet I didn't cut back to Home Depot and let them know my displeasure. It sounded like if I brought the remainder of the sheet I cut they would have given my money back on that one too. I figured it was my own fault buying wood there and I was more bothered by the waisted time then the money. I can see where wood like that would give Birch ply a bad name over Finnish Birch, Russian Birch and Baltic Birch but the Birch ply from the wood workers supply has been working good for me.

Jerry

And still one more way I found to mess up this weekend. I ment to post in my thread on the Puck repairs but guess I hit new topic.

The cabinet rebuilding in question is for the Puck.



Jerry

the veneer was not sliced that thin. once the face veneer is glued to the core, the panel is run through a wide belt sander (a 52" wide abrasive thickness planer). how thick the core is and what the thickness it is sanded to determines how thick the face veneer ends up to be.. I've even seen face veneers so thin you could see the core through it.. this is a matter of quality control and does not mean that all of the material from a supplier is like that. what you ended up with is a defective sheet and they should give you a refund.

I suggest you contact a local cabinet or millwork shop and ask them who their supplier is and get your material from them rather than Home Depot or other places like that. a lot of cabinet shops will sell to you from their own stock too if they have it on hand, some even have presses and can layup custom veneer for you.. it's more $$$ than H-Depot but cheaper that you think and a much better product. also there will be a millwork company in your area that does work for the school board and they buy Birch ply by the lift. they always get good material as cost to school board is not a problem.. they are likely the best place to look for Birch

FACT.. all the sheet goods sold at Home Depots and local lumber yards is the stuff that does not meet quality requirements for professional cabinet and millwork shops. it's the leftovers. #2 quality at best.. I know this because custom millwork is my business..

The local woodworkers supply house is still out of anything usable. They finally told me here won't be anymore in until the 5 sheets on the shelf are gone. The last few are mostly light with dark round knots. Even I won't settle for those. That made me look around for another source. I found one that is only open on weekdays but yesterday I took of early from work for a look.
They had what I needed with the patterns I was looking for. I only skipped three sheets when picking out five great looking ones. They even helped load them in my truck and they cost 2/3 of the price at Home Depot or Woodworkers Supply!
I'm glad the poor availability forced me to find a great supply house.
Jerry