Questions and Answers for Swaner Hardwood 3/4 in. x 4 ft. x 8 ft. Prefinished Birch Plywood (Actual: 0.703 in. x 48 in. x 96 in.)

A:  Hi Benperk, Thank you for your inquiry. Technically this is not formaldehyde free as is the case with all hardwood plywood...there are trace amounts of formaldehyde in the natural wood itself. However, this plywood complies with CARB Phase II TOSCA Title VI, the most stringent of standards in regards to formaldehyde. if you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us directly at 818-953-5350. Thank you.

A:  No, it is not void-free.

A:  Hi KingOfKustom, Thanks for the inquiry if there is any they will be small voids.

A:  Hi Ajay, This is not recommended as you would have to first sand off the UV finish. Thanks for the inquiry.

A:  This panel weighs 60 lbs. Thanks for the inquiry

A:  Hi KW, This panel is an import. Thanks for the inquiry.

A:  Yes, this wood can be painted.

A:  With proper surface preparation it can be painted. Sand the surface to prepare it for painting. There are also some surface preparation solutions can can be used.

A:  If you use a top-line primer like BIN, you should be OK. But if there is a plywood wholesaler in your area, you may be able to get prefinished one side.

A:  Hi Chelsea, It is not made for fire retardant treatment. Thanks for the inquiry.

A:  The quick answer is no. Depending on your application a fire-rated assembly is an "assembly" that has been tested and approved. http://www.usg.com/content/dam/USG_Marketing_Communications/united_states/product_promotional_materials/finished_assets/usg-fire-resistant-assemblies-catalog-en-SA100.pdf) https://industries.ul.com/blog/use-of-plywood-panels-in-ul-fire-resistance-rated-wall-assemblies. Certain occupancies require all finishes to be fire-resistant or fire rated-wall paper, curtains, furniture, etc. it depends on the classified occupancy. Discuss the application of this material with your Architect and local building authority for your specific application

A:  No. The material is assembled with interior rated glue. The finish is not designed for exterior applications. Contact the manufacturer for your specific application.

A:  I wouldn’t.

A:  This plywood is not recommended for external projects. If you do decide to use it for an external project, ensure that the surfaces, especially the edges are properly sealed and painted or coated with a good outdoor finish.

A:  Use pre-finish wood edge banding...that is the quickest and easiest method to finish the edges (http://www.edgemate.com/products/edgeprefin.htm) If you want to expose the laminations (popular these days) block sand with 220, mask the face and back, shoot 2 coat of sanding sealer or clear vinyl sealer, block sand with 220, shoot 2 or 3 coats of nitro lacquer or polyurethane. if you want a polished edge then wet sand with 320, 600, 1200 & 2000...like I said; the pre-finished edge banding is easiest. good luck.

A:  Fastcap makes a wide variety of pre-finished, unfinished natural wood and PVC edge banding tapes. Their tapes use a super strong adhesive and don't require heat (iron-on). Their tapes are much thicker. Glue-on edge banding is by far the fastest solution but there are lots of alternatives to manufactured tapes. YT has lots of videos for alternative edge banding. If you are looking to apply finish to the exposed edge, I would mask the finished face, apply a sanding sealer, a grain filler like Aqua Coat (clear water base grain filler) 2 or 3 coats, sand with 320 then top coat with clear lacquer or polyurethane, 2 or 3 coats.

A:  Use pre-finished edge banding.

A:  Another choice for finishing the edge, would be screen molding. It comes in 3/4" x 1/4" with a nice radius on both edges. Simply glue and nail to the edge. The molding can be finished with a clear finish, or you can scuff the entire panel to paint.

A:  Any clear finish will work: lacquer, polyurethane, etc. The factory finish is probably some sort of catalyzed lacquer, and practically bulletproof.

A:  Hello Woody, If you are looking to apply a clear I would suggest using a matte finish. I hope this helps. Cheers, Chris

A:  Use matching hardwood type adhesive-backed edge tape (wood) for finishing the edges.

A:  The ANSI/HPVA HP-1-2000 standard in section 3.13 Dimensions and Tolerances states "Thickness: sanded or unsanded, ...plus 0, minus 3/64 inch is allowed for panels having a nominal thickness of 1/4 inch or more." .709 inch is only .006 inch thicker than .703, or about one-tenth of 1/16th of an inch. I can't imagine many situations where measuring with this degree of precision would be necessary (if even possible) in carpentry .703 is only about 1/64th thicker than 11/16, but it is 3/64ths thinner than 3/4, so these sheets are much closer to 11/16 than 3/4 inch. Take your calipers with you if you need to know the exact thickness of the plywood you are purchasing.

A:  Historically, lumber had the actual dimension. Nominal dimensions were introduced only because lumber companies could get more production out of a tree. It is total corporate greed. I remodeled a home built in 1940, and the boards were actual dimension, not nominal dimension. However, now that you know boards are smaller than specified, you can take that into consideration when you design. Doesn't make it any better, but hopefully you will be less frustrated.

A:  3/4" is a nominal dimension used in the industry. Laminated sheet goods will vary on the actual thickness depending on the manufacturer. There are some sheet goods that are manufactured to 3/4". If you need a sheet good product that is actual 3/4" look into MDF or MDO ( MDO can be used for exterior applications-sign boards, etc.)

A:  The answer about a 2x4 being dried and gets smaller is incorrect. 2x lumber is rough cut to 2x4 for example, and finish machined to 3-1/2 x 1-1/2. A 2x6 is really 1-1/2 by 5-1/2. But when you get to a 2x10, it's 1-1/2 x 9 (not 9-1/2). Seems like fraud to me. You can get 2x4s -- they're rough cut and usually located with the fencing material.

A:  I found it to be about 11/16" thick.

A:  All wood products manufactured outside of the USA are made to metric dimensions. .709 is actually 18mm

A:  3/4" plywood actually measures 23/32" thick. 23/32" for 3/4" plywood, 31/64" for 1/2" plywood, and 15/64" for 1/4" plywood.

A:  They measure thickness before it dries. Same with other wood products a 2 x 4 is smaller than 2 x 4.

A:  I found that the product is roughly 11/16" thick.

A:  I'm not sure but I think the .709 is a typo. I checked the dimensions on a couple of other 3/4" plywood sheets listed here and they show .703 as the actual thickness.