hello (and plywood search)

[duncanh]

Hi all,

I've just joined and this is my first post.

My woodworking is restricted to making boomerangs (at the moment) and for this I need aviation grade plywood (that's 2 plys per mm of finnish birch) in thicknesses of 3 - 6mm.
Right now I'm getting it from a boomerang website in Germany but there must be somewhere in the UK that stocks it. I've tried a couple of timber merchants in Newcastle but no-one's even come across it, let alone stocks it.

I could use marine ply but it's a little too light, and the plans I have are easier to follow if you use the plys as contour guides when you file wood away.

Thanks for any info

Duncan

 

[Anonymous]

Try http://www.timberworld.co.uk, go to the plywood section and then choose THIN FINNISH BIRCH PLYWOOD MAHOGANY OY.

Only problem is, if you're in Newcastle I think Leeds would be your nearest branch.

 

[duncanh]

Thanks, but the site only lists 2mm thickness. I'll try contacting them though.

Travelling down to Leeds isn't a problem as I'm often in York anyway.

 

[Charley]

Hi Duncanh - Welcome to the forums

I've found this website: http://www.lazo.freeserve.co.uk/materials.htm

Which says you can buy Aviation grade ply from Sky Sport Engineering in Bedfordshire -

Aviation grade ply can be got from Sky Sport Engineering in Sandy, Bedfordshire - phone Pete on 01767-627-375, and he’ll sort you out, and even get it delivered by courier. It cost about £70 for a 4’ x 4’ ( = 40 boomerangs if you fit them right) sheet of 4mm to be delivered, in November, so judge it from that.

Sounds expensive though :?

Hope this helps,

 

[bobthejoiner]

Hello Duncanh,
There is a beech plywood called Delignit made in Germany and used in the areospace industry it is a "fine" ply ie laminates are .50mm each and range in thickness of the finished board from 1/16" to 1" Sorry I do not know of a stockist but I do know it Costs MORE than an arm and a leg :roll: If you know any aircraft woodworkers in your neck of the woods then they may be able to help. I also know that the type of woodworker aforementioned are rarer than hens teeth I was one myself for 30 years Yes I built tail fins for the Canberra Bomber they are all made in wood. But alas no longer hope you have some luck in locating your ply.
Cheers BTJ

 

[bobthejoiner]

oops missed off this link for Delignit


http://www.delignit.de/canada/delignit/ ... torie.html

 

[llangatwgnedd]

Bob, was the rest of the Bomber plywood?

 

[bobthejoiner]

hello SP,
No just the tail fin this was because when it was originally designed the Radar aerials went in the fin and wood being no reflective to radar etc.
As the years rolled by they put the V.O.R I.L.S. areials in the wooden fin . Bye the way the Canberra is still in service with the RAF 54 years after its first flight . Some aircraft then. Also I think I am one of the only people to have worked on the Canberra aircraft and the Canberra ship.

Cheers BTJ

 

[duncanh]

Thanks for the help. I'd seen the link on the lazo website a while back but forgotten about it. The price quoted on there isn't much different from what I pay to get it sent from Germany.

I don't need any at the moment anyway as I'm about to start experimenting with strip laminated boomerangs.

Thanks again

Duncan

 

[bobthejoiner]

hello duncan
Take a look at this link may be of intrest to you


Cheers BTJ



http://www.woodworkersworkshop.com/dcd/ ... /Boomerang

 

[duncanh]

Thanks

I have a lot of those links already.

This one http://www.tyler.net/psteigman/Stripgallery.htm shows some lovely strip laminated boomerangs - something I want to try next. No doubt I'll be posting to request glue advice at a later date. So far I've ordered the wood strips and looked into making a wood steamer for bending them.

The frustrating thing at the moment is that I can build whenever I want but am really dependent on good weather at the weekends for testing

Duncan

(hmmm. - just noticed that the link ends in stripgallery - it's all just boomerang related, honest!!)