Looking for 18mm Birch ply and cutting service.

su_dios

Hi, I'm putting together some furniture for my studio and I'm looking to get some 2400x1200mm sheets of 18mm birch ply of good quality.
I'm getting quotes of around 64eur but I need roughly 9sheets so it would be handy if I could get this for a bit less.

The main problem is the cutting service charge. I need someone who can cut these pieces accurately. There are 86cuts in total, so I need it to be around 1eur a cut.

Can someone recommend somewhere in the Dublin region that can help with this?

Thanks

galwayrush

You should be able to get the cutting done for €50 or less.:cool:

oraiste

Try www.woodworkers.ie

The sheet size you require is €57.48

The provide a cutting service, but their costs don't seem to be on their website.

su_dios

Thanks I'll try get onto them tomorrow. I was being quoted 2eur per cut elsewhere.
What quality is WBP birch ply? Most places I've come across chinese and finnish with the later being a lot more expensive. This will be exposed timber so the quality needs to be decent. The chinese is prone to having plugs on one side. I can work around this though. I need something much better than shuttering quality ply.

oraiste

The specification does not seem to be on woodworkers website, but I've attached some pictures of some shelves I made which should give you an idea on of the finish quality (there are plugs).

The cost of cutting was €1.50 + VAT about 6 months ago.

su_dios

oraiste wrote: »

The specification does not seem to be on woodworkers website, but I've attached some pictures of some shelves I made which should give you an idea on of the finish quality (there are plugs).

The cost of cutting was €1.50 + VAT about 6 months ago.

The quality looks pretty good there. Were the plugs on one side only then? Out of interest what fixings did you use? I was hoping to use socket fixings with allen key heads but it looks like they would need to be too close to the edge and therefore wouldn't work.

This is what I'm putting together for college. It will have a lino worktop and a lightbox built in too. There will also be some wall shelves too for my library.

Btw, some nice books their in your collection.

oraiste

su_dios wrote: »

The quality looks pretty good there. Were the plugs on one side only then?

I would say there is evidence of plugs on 2 sides, but as you have said before, you can work around them generally.

Out of interest what fixings did you use? I was hoping to use socket fixings with allen key heads but it looks like they would need to be too close to the edge and therefore wouldn't work.

I used pocket hole fixings, check out Kreg Pocket Hole Tool. You can generally position the pocket holes so they are out of sight, so there is no obvious fixings visable.

See more pics:

IMGP8430a.JPG

IMGP8432a.JPG

IMGP8433a.JPG

This is what I'm putting together for college. It will have a lino worktop and a lightbox built in too.

Best of look with the desk - it looks great! The detail proposal to put on a lino top will be tricky. Have you thought about using a stainless steel strip on the desktop side to conceal the lino edge? I personally would prefer a hard top on a desk, as it is more suitable for drawing / sketching on paper. This could be achieved by using phenolic / film faced plywood.

plywood_phenolic.jpg

Btw, some nice books their in your collection.

Cheers!

ennisa

su_dios,
that is a nice looking project. It's a pretty big span from the left to the right however. Have you tested that with anything to see what the bounce will be like, or do you have a couple of stretchers underneath supporting it?
I started using pocket holes while making some radiator cabinets at the weekend and I am pretty happy with them. I found a couple of different jig sets.
I found the mini kregg for about €19.99
http://www.kregtool.com/products/pht/product.php?PRODUCT_ID=30

and the next one up was about €35
http://www.kregtool.com/products/pht/product.php?PRODUCT_ID=32

and the next one up, the full system was about €130
http://www.kregtool.com/products/pht/product.php?PRODUCT_ID=10

a box of 100 screws is €4.99, they come in boxes of 500 too, there is a little guide on the side of the screw box ( and also in the jig instructions) to tell you which screw to get depending on the thickness of the material you are working with.

You will get a lifetime's worrth of projects out of the jigs though so if you are planning on doing more work then they are worth the investment. The amount of joints you will need will probably determine which kit you go for. I bought the mini kregg as there are only about 20 joints in each of the cabinets i was building and also because I'm a little strapped for cash :rolleyes:. I built a jig like the one in the master system though to hold pieces while drilling the hole etc.. also those vice grips with the pads are about €40-50 for the name brand vice-grip versions. The grips only come with the master system. They sometime do come into aldi/lidl in kits so look out for them. Or you may know somebody that is a welder though would have some spare ones. You don't have to use them but they are handier then using an F-clamp or even a one handed quick release to keep everything flush. The pieces will move when the screws start to pull the parts together as it is all being pulled at an angle.
The cabinets I was building are in 3/4" mdf and the odd screw would not grip well and would strip out the mdf and just spin in the socket. This is probably less of a problem is plywood due to the fact that there is grain to a certain degree. I clued all the joints as well as there will be no need to knock the cabinets down. If you will need to knock the desk down and move it then you may not want to glue them but also remember that a desk is going to see a lot more traffic than a radiator cabinet and the screws are more likely to work loose. Your milage may vary with regard to that though.

I like using timber over sheet material like plywood/mdf as you can cut joints to make sure everything will last. This is not so much an option in mdf/plywood and after using pocket holes all weekend I would recommend them in situations where you can't cut traditional joints.

Hope this help and good luck with your project. What is the course that you are doing?
I presume it is something do with photography/graphic design. You looking for the lino top so that you can use it as a replaceable cutting matt?

su_dios

I used pocket hole fixings, check out Kreg Pocket Hole Tool. You can generally position the pocket holes so they are out of sight, so there is no obvious fixings visable.

That looks like a great bit of kit. Can it be bought in Ireland? If not..how long did it take to deliver?

Best of look with the desk - it looks great! The detail proposal to put on a lino top will be tricky. Have you thought about using a stainless steel strip on the desktop side to conceal the lino edge? I personally would prefer a hard top on a desk, as it is more suitable for drawing / sketching on paper. This could be achieved by using phenolic / film faced plywood.

Ye I've been worried about the lino top, but I'm going to go for the thinnest I can source. I Wasn't going to put a lip on the edge as I want all my ply edges exposed. Provided I get the lino cut and stuck on accurately I think it should be ok. The edge might not be the prettiest!

Hope this help and good luck with your project. What is the course that you are doing?
I presume it is something do with photography/graphic design. You looking for the lino top so that you can use it as a replaceable cutting matt?

I'm an architecture student and I've finally got the finger out and sorted out a studio at home to work in. It will also be a piece that I can disassemble and take with me where ever I move on. The units are all separate because of this.

I've gone with the lino top for drawing on something softer and also so I don't need to be using mouse mats with both computers. It was originally intended to use it as a cutting mat yes but its cheaper and easier for me to use an a1 cutting mat. I may not go for the lino top in the end though. Depends on how it turns out. It will be one of the last things to be done.

It's a pretty big span from the left to the right however. Have you tested that with anything to see what the bounce will be like, or do you have a couple of stretchers underneath supporting it?

The span of the desk unit is 1700 between supports, with the supports being 300 wide. With an 18mm thickness I don't think it should pose a problem as long as I don't sit or stand on it. If a support is needed when I assemble it, I will have leftovers to fix this.


What sort of fixings are available? Do they have to be Kreg fixings only? Also what thickness is needed for 18mm?

Thanks for all the help. Hopefully I can get the cost down. Currently its looking at 750eur for materials and cuts inc the shelves not shown, but not inc glass, lights for lightbox or lino.

su_dios

http://cgi.ebay.ie/BRAND-NEW-KREG-K3-Master-System-Pocket-Hole-Jig_W0QQitemZ250438382801QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_BOI_Building_Materials_Supplies_Carpentry_Woodwork_ET?hash=item3a4f4a74d1&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14#ht_4220wt_941

Found it on ebay from the UK at a good price. However they only sell the screws in a variety box. Where can I get the box of screws for 5eur?

Is there anywhere I can buy this in the shops to save time?

Thanks

ennisa

I got mine in Mcquillans in blanchardstown, they had the master system in there too, they might have them in the one on Capel street as well. Give them a ring to check capel street before you go in to be sure. In blanchardstown they were on the left hand wall at ankle level almost directly in front of you when you walk in. Or alternately just ask one of the guys where the kreg screws are, thats what I did 18mm material needs the 1-1/4" screws. There are other companies that do pocket hole systems. Kreg are the only ones that I have used though so I'm not qualified to talk about any of the others.

By the way just because you don't plan to sit on it does not mean that somebody else won't when you're not watching. So then you have to replace the top plus your monitors that fell when it cracked in half, it also has to support it's own weight.
There is an online tool called the sagulator (one of the best names ever) for calculating the amount of sag in a shelf. It gives you options for materials, dimensions and load on the shelf etc... put your details into that and see what it says. I think it mentions on that site that the human eye can see a sag of 1/32 of an inch along the run of a shelf or board. It would ruin the whole thing having it look like it is sagging. Not to mention all your pens/pencils rolling into the middle.
http://www.woodbin.com/calcs/sagulator.htm
if that comes back with a good result then you should be OK.

€750 seems a bit steep for the materials, would span board be cheaper (veneered chipboard) ? or veneered MDF? I look at your design, which I like, and think nearly €1000 for building materials. It seems a lot. I know that you are getting good plywood and exactly what you want in terms of dimensions and the cuts done for you but it just seems like a lot.

Hope all this helps su_dios. I always wanted to be an architect. I love the drawings and playing with space.

su_dios

Thanks for the great reply. I'll try out the sagulator now
I wanted to go for birch ply as I want it to feel like a piece of furniture and I like the profile of an 18mm ply board, otherwise I would be going for something much cheaper. The 750 includes the cost of cutting which amounts to 170eur and all the materials. I will also have a good few offcuts which I've tried my best to cut down on. If all goes well I may end up making some more furniture in the near future!

Here is my assembly diagram. I'll make sure to put up some photos when I'm done too!

oraiste

The span of the desk unit is 1700 between supports, with the supports being 300 wide. With an 18mm thickness I don't think it should pose a problem as long as I don't sit or stand on it. If a support is needed when I assemble it, I will have leftovers to fix this.

It might be worth going for 24mm birch plywood top to improve stability over the span. I had previously used 18mm mdf as a temporary desk, spanning less than 1700mm, and it did sag over time (although the old school computer monitor was quite heavy). At €750, I think it's well worth the money and you'll have a great piece of kit

ennisa

Oraiste,
MDF will actually sag under it's own weight over time, as far as I know plywood has better strength than that due to the way that grain in each layer is 90 degrees to the one above and below it.So 18mm ply should be able to stand up better than 18mm MDF. Whether or not it is enough in this case I am not sure. Only.....THE SAGULATOR.... can tell us that! :eek: ooohh lordy he's so handsome.... and manly too, ....he's a dreamboat... step back Ma'm this could be dangerous....!