Wasn't sure where to post..

[hairymick]

Heya Jack,

My thoughts on thecheap stuff are this.

My skills as yet are not up up to a standard to justify spending over $100.00 per sheet on 'A' grade gaboon or hoop marine ply simply to turn it into a heap of sawdust.

As they improve however, and as I work towards aquiring those skills, so is the quality (and price) of my ply increasing. I hope to be to a standard fairly soon where I will be able to confidently take to a sheet of the good stuff and turn it into a thing of beauty but till then, I will persevere with the cheap stuff.

The only ply I have found with voids so far, has been the stuff labeled "okuome" at the local Bunnings hardware store. It was hideously expensive and compared to my cheap $13.00 per sheet blonde ply, the 'okuome' is utter rubbish. I bought a small piece for the decks of my pirogue and there is as much resin filling the voids in it as there is in covering it.

I am somewhat cynical whether this rubbish is the same okuome that you guys are talking about.

[Oldsparkey]

Heya Jack,
The only ply I have found with voids so far, has been the stuff labeled "okuome" at the local Bunnings hardware store. It was hideously expensive and compared to my cheap $13.00 per sheet blonde ply

Mick... Like you said ... My skills are not that good and this is why I spend $9.95 per sheet for the 4 X 8 1/8th inch plywood, plus I really enjoy the light weight boats I can make from it.
So far nothing over 40 pounds and normally around 32 pounds for a boat at 16 feet.

Give me some time and I will do a better job and have a lighter weight boat...........

Chuck.

[Kayak Jack]

Hi, Mick. Sounds like what they call Okoume there has little to no relationship to what is called Okoume here. Ours is AA grade, and solid all the way through. Costs about $35/ sheet two years ago, undoubtedly more now.

I use the good stuff because my skills aren't good enough to use the cheaper, wounded plywood. So, being the Ten Thumb Klutz that I am, I need all the help I can get.

Looks like we all have to do market research and use the most applicable wood we can get.

[buckeye]

From what I understand ......what we call Gaboon is Okoume in USA. However, it does seem that the quality varies greatly. I've heard people swear BY Okoume/Gaboon, while others swear at IT because most of the stuff they dealt with was crap. But, those that swear AT it do say that once they find a good batch it is good stuff to build out of. Americans it seems, always have a fairly good batch since I don't hear much bad-talk about the wood.

As far as Hoop goes , I've heard that it is heavier but is more likely to be consistantly good. Listening to you guys and from other sources I've bounced from Gaboon/Okoume to Hoop to Pacific Maple/Meranti and back. I guess I'll have to just get on with it and get whatever and form my own opinions on each. I do hope to make more than 1 boat in my lifetime. But what Mick said makes a lot of sense to me about spending lots of money on Gaboon/Okoume only to have it end up as sawdust. The vote still hasn't cast for yet, but I'm leaning towards getting the cheaper stuff for my 1st project.

Cheers. Chuck

[Kayak Jack]

Mick and Dave wallace have some experience in the Aussie Market; I have none.