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Thread: Plywood for outdoor chairs

  1. #1

    Plywood for outdoor chairs

    I have a design I am working on for a outdoor chair that utilizes plywood for the sides (hard to explain..just trust me it needs to be plywood)

    I don't want to use construction grade plywood...but I don't know if something like baltic birch will just delaminate when exposed to the elements.

    BTW....I plan on coating the sides with dye and then Poly.

    Any body have $0.02 to add?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Belleville, IL
    Posts
    489
    Check your local suppliers for marine-grade plywood. Boat builders us it all the time. It's made to be outdoors. It's not cheap, though.

  3. #3
    Guy's right. Marine grade. I mentioned on a previous post that I made a second workbench and topped it with 2 1/2" marine grade plywood. A friend of mine gave it to me. He said it had lain outside from autumn till spring. It's indestructable. Great stuff.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
    Posts
    65,688
    MDO plywood is an option. It's often used for sign work and has a smooth surface due to the "paper" coating that's applied to it. It's rated for outdoor use but like any wood product, you still need to take care of moisture through good priming (especially on the edges) and appropriate finishes.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Chappell Hill, Texas
    Posts
    4,741
    A Poly finish will look great for about 6 months (assuming you coat it well). After that, forget it.

    You need a marine quality spar varnish, and a regime following that will keep it up.

    If you want a no-maintenance chair, find a no-maintenance wood and don't film-finish it.

    Todd

  6. #6
    Thanks everybody.....very helpful

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