making plywood

[hackberry jake]

I would like to build a house in the coming years. Probably post and beam. I think one of the biggest expenses will be plywood and I just hate giving box stores my money. I keep pondering in my head how I can make plywood myself. Everything from cutting thin sheets on my mill, drying them, planing them, and glueing them. To glueing shavings from a hand plane together into sheets. Maybe build a homemade veneer slicer or something?  It all seems too labor intensive and time consuming. Anybody ever have the same thoughts?

[123maxbars]

I was actually talking with my father about it last weekend, sounds like a good project and I wonder if it's possible.

[Dan_Shade]

why bother with plywood?

if you have a mill, why not use boards nailed down at a 45 degree angle like the carpenters did prior to the plywood?

[POSTONLT40HD]

It's possible or we wouldn't have plywood.

Great idea, hope your thoughts come together. I'd like to see what you come up with.

[Magicman]

The one very important thing that you left out of your plywood ingredients was pressure.

Dan's suggestion was spot on if you want to go back to the "old days".

[tyb525]

I agree with dan, skip the plywood and use real lumber, it can't delaminate

[WDH]

I agree with MM, Dan, and Ty.  If you try to make it yourself, you will need a whackmongus press unless you want to use every cement block in your county!

However, when you consider the cost of the boards and the time and cost to put them down, plywood is a bargain.

[paul case]

why bother with plywood?

if you have a mill, why not use boards nailed down at a 45 degree angle like the carpenters did prior to the plywood?

Thats what I did when we built my house 3 years ago. Time was no issue, but it didn't seem like it took long to me. PC

[jueston]

after all the effort you put into trying to make plywood i think your much better off cutting 4/4 for sheathing and subfloors....

[POSTONLT40HD]

.... unless you want to use every cement block in your county!   

[pnyberg]

I'm not up to date on techniques for sheathing and insulating a post and beam structures.  Last I knew, stress-skin panels were the way to go.  I don't think you want to be trying to make those in your workshop either. 

--Peter

[tomsteve]

i've built about 100 houses and out of all of them i was able to build one the old school way, with 3/4" ash for the sub floor and on the walls in place of the plywood, ran at a 45 to the floor joists and to the wall studs. it was a lot of extra work, but the most solid house i ever built.

[captain_crunch]

Plywood is made with special glue heat and pressure so not back yard project. Sheathing at 45 deg makes triangles with studs and anytine you make triangle stronger structure becomes

[terrifictimbersllc]

What about a vacuum press?

[Todd]

then, with all the sawdust we can make particle board!  Sounds like alot of work for enough to sheet the house..I agree going with solid wood, or just buying the plywood.

[Hilltop366]

There is also the method of putting braces in the corners and running the boards horizontal, Braces can be nailed in between the studs, or use strapping let in to studs or you can buy "T" shaped metal braces that fit in a saw kerf, Braces can also be added to interior walls that connect to the exterior walls. Might try the Timber Framing/Log construction section.

[ely]

i am building my entire house without one piece of plywood or sheetrock in it. oops i lied, there is one piece of plywood laying the floor about 14 inches square. i used it to cover the stovepipe hole in the wall last summer... i think my dad shoved it into the stove last week though.

[Magicman]

There were many construction methods that went by the wayside when plywood/OSB became the building material of choice.  Many steel straps, etc. are no longer available.

Addressing the OP's original question, I think that 4/4 lumber and 45° construction is the best and cheapest option.  At least that is what I would do.

[Kansas]

I think the 45 degree would be the way to go as well. But I have wondered about having plywood custom made. Years ago a logger I know of had some specialty plywood made out of a figured log, elm, I believe for his own use. He also put logs in and got paid on how they yielded. Is it possible that there is a veneer mill in your area that would custom make plywood for you? I'm thinking more for interior use. There could be some darned interesting possibilities if you have plenty of high quality logs. I don't know what is possible, or if there are any mills in the country that would do it on a custom basis. I doubt you would save any money for just regular plywood. But still, imagine some birds eye maple plywood, or quilted curly oak. Obviously you wouldn't use that for outside sheathing. But inside, you could have a lot of fun.

[DouginUtah]

I guess there are places in the country that still use plywood. Around here 99% of the houses built use OSB.

OSB is so cheap (7/16 is under $7) that you would be money ahead to sell the lumber you could get from your logs and buy four times as much OSB.

Plywood and OSB have become successful replacements for boards because they are superior in most applications. If they weren't they would not be so widely used.