3 ply? - Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts Message Board

hkrobb · 05-14-2009, 03:57 PM

Does anyone use 3 ply for puzzles... why or why not? and Carter, where do you get your poplar? Is is plywood? Thanks!

Scrolling Days · 05-14-2009, 04:12 PM

I've been using mainly 1/4" cherry and oak ply, which both have external veneers on both sides with a central core. Wildwooddesigns advertises their oak ply as having a mahagoney core, but I question whether it really is, as the core looks much lighter than mahagoney. In any regard, for what it's worth, those have been working nicely for me. I have also used Carter's poplar (from Wildwooddesigns) which cuts very nicely.

As far as appearance goes, the 3-ply woods don't give as nice of a "ribbon" appearance to the cut surfaces as the 5-ply baltic birch does, but the nice external grain more than makes up for that, IMO. The poplar from WWD is a 5-ply also, but if you are looking for the ribbon effect, just beware that the poplar ply's (and the glue) are all light and similar in color, and they don't show up well. Still a very nice wood, though.

Carter-Johnson · 05-14-2009, 05:03 PM

When I first started, I used Baltic Birch, primarily because it was available free from a friend. When that source dried up, I began looking elsewhere and liked the five-ply poplar I found, especially at Wildwood. It's by far the best for me. I can get about 150 pieces out of a blade. I also use 3-ply oak and some times cherry (I've also tried cedar plywood), also from Wildwood. But I bet 65% of my puzzles are made from the poplar.

Have phun..... Carter

PeteB · 05-15-2009, 10:55 AM

When I started cutting puzzles, I used a 3-ply 3/16" birch, because that was how some antique puzzles I have were made. I switched to 5-ply 1/4" because it is generally more widely available and therefore cheaper, and makes for a more impressive finished product. 5-ply is also less prone to warping. The downside of 5-ply is that it does not cut quite as easily.

sawdustus · 05-15-2009, 12:46 PM

Like Carter, I cut my jigsaw puzzles from WWD 1/4" 5ply Italian poplar. It cuts cleanly with few if any fuzzies on either side. For my tray puzzles, I use either 1/4" 5ply or 3 ply bb from WWD or the1/4" bb or oak ply with a core from Sloan's and an inexpensive backer of 1/4" oak ply from the BORG.

george

05-14-2009, 03:57 PM	#1
hkrobb Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 8	3 ply? Does anyone use 3 ply for puzzles... why or why not? and Carter, where do you get your poplar? Is is plywood? Thanks!

05-14-2009, 04:12 PM	#2
Scrolling Days Jigsaw Puzzle Maker Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Along the Lower Niagara River Posts: 1,562 Blog Entries: 5	I've been using mainly 1/4" cherry and oak ply, which both have external veneers on both sides with a central core. Wildwooddesigns advertises their oak ply as having a mahagoney core, but I question whether it really is, as the core looks much lighter than mahagoney. In any regard, for what it's worth, those have been working nicely for me. I have also used Carter's poplar (from Wildwooddesigns) which cuts very nicely. As far as appearance goes, the 3-ply woods don't give as nice of a "ribbon" appearance to the cut surfaces as the 5-ply baltic birch does, but the nice external grain more than makes up for that, IMO. The poplar from WWD is a 5-ply also, but if you are looking for the ribbon effect, just beware that the poplar ply's (and the glue) are all light and similar in color, and they don't show up well. Still a very nice wood, though. __________________ Shawn Ferguson Come visit at The Ferguson Puzzle Company ! Last edited by Scrolling Days; 05-14-2009 at 04:17 PM.

05-15-2009, 12:46 PM	#5
sawdustus Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: New Jersey Posts: 2,255	Like Carter, I cut my jigsaw puzzles from WWD 1/4" 5ply Italian poplar. It cuts cleanly with few if any fuzzies on either side. For my tray puzzles, I use either 1/4" 5ply or 3 ply bb from WWD or the1/4" bb or oak ply with a core from Sloan's and an inexpensive backer of 1/4" oak ply from the BORG. george __________________ A day without sawdust is a day without sunshine. George delta 650, hawk G426

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05-14-2009, 05:03 PM	#3
Carter-Johnson Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 896	When I first started, I used Baltic Birch, primarily because it was available free from a friend. When that source dried up, I began looking elsewhere and liked the five-ply poplar I found, especially at Wildwood. It's by far the best for me. I can get about 150 pieces out of a blade. I also use 3-ply oak and some times cherry (I've also tried cedar plywood), also from Wildwood. But I bet 65% of my puzzles are made from the poplar. Have phun..... Carter

05-15-2009, 10:55 AM	#4
PeteB Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Ohio Posts: 422	When I started cutting puzzles, I used a 3-ply 3/16" birch, because that was how some antique puzzles I have were made. I switched to 5-ply 1/4" because it is generally more widely available and therefore cheaper, and makes for a more impressive finished product. 5-ply is also less prone to warping. The downside of 5-ply is that it does not cut quite as easily.