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Unread 19-10-2015, 18:45
philso philso is offline
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Re: How to build good bumpers

Quote:
Originally Posted by MrBasse View Post
Why used sanded material when the other material works just as well and you'll be covering it up? That's like using high polished material when you plan on painting it anyway. Price difference is small ($19.18 vs $26.58) but I just don't see the point, does smooth plywood hold staples better than rough plywood?
Aesthetics is not the issue. The plywood that is sanded on both sides is generally made from a larger number of thinner and better quality wood than the lower grade, un-sanded, rougher plywood. The cheaper, rougher plywood tends to have more voids in it. Often, these voids, especially those on inner layers, are discovered to be in critical locations after the pieces are cut.

My personal (empirical) experience is that the better grades of plywood do hold fasteners (staples, nails, screws) better. I also find it nicer to work with since it splinters much less when cut. For the ultimate, use Baltic birch like MrRoboSteve.