Thin Plywood 101: 4 Types Of Material You Can Work With

Thin plywood sheets are designed for applications that require high-quality, lightweight sheets and are often used in curved designs to provide strength and stability. The following are the most popular thin plywood.

4 Types of Thin plywood

Aircraft Grade Plywood

The highest quality and most durable plywood is known as aircraft grade plywood. The aircraft grade plywood was first used to construct aircraft during World War II.

Aircraft-grade plywood can be made from thin birch plywood or hardwood. The thinnest type of plywood is typically 1.8mm thick. However, plywood for aviation can be 1mm thin.

Although it shares certain similarities with conventional plywood, aircraft-grade plywood has characteristics that place performance over appearance. The wood species it needs for the best function gives it a naturally attractive appearance.

Aircraft plywood is also useful for non-aeroplane applications. Plywood has some unique qualities that make it an ideal material for kitchen cabinets. It’s strong, resistant to moisture, and retains its structural integrity even after exposure to extreme temperatures. If you live in an environment with high humidity levels, this type of plywood could be used as a structural material for walls and flooring because it resists moisture. While not the cheapest option, plywood would be an excellent choice for any project.

Flexible Plywood

Flexible plywood, sometimes called Bendy plywood or Flexi plywood, is non-structural plywood that is lightweight, bends, and curves around a small radius while staying stable and manageable.

Flexible plywoods are available in different bend radii. You may find ply sheets of the same thickness but have different bend radii. Therefore you need to know the thickness you need and the radii you intend to bend the plywood. This panel is only bendable in one direction. The panel is pushed in the other direction and tends to be rigid.

You can accomplish various projects with flexible plywood, particularly architectural applications and furniture construction requiring curved wood panels.

Decorative Plywood

Decorative plywood is also known as fancy plywood, is made of beautiful hardwood veneers. Thin plywood is usually decorated with red oak, oak, maple, birch, ash, whiteteak, and Sapele. Most of these plywoods are thin and lightweight.

Decorative plywood is used for places where appearance matter most. In applications that involve dyeing or drawing on wood, decorative plywood is often bonded with fabric or resin–impregnated paper to provide the best appearance. Fancy plywood, made from high-quality wood, is much more expensive than the commercial-grade plywood used in home construction. However, the final result will reflect what you spent on the project.

Marine

To qualify as marine plywood, the panel must meet specific specifications. This includes being completely void-free and using moisture-resistant adhesives. As the name implies, these plywoods are used in the boat building industry since they are highly water resistant.

Summary

Thin plywood is stronger than most standard plywood types, making it ideal for applications in which strength is a must. It’s easy to work with and can be applied to various projects. However, the thin plywood chosen will largely depend on the desired outcome.