Full Version: Lauan plywood? Halex?
From: ab_laserart [#8]
5 Apr 2007
To: Stunt Engraver (DGL) [#7] 5 Apr 2007
David,
Yep, plain ol' Homey D lauan. I don't need the service, but they will cut them down to smaller sizes to fit your bed as well.
I consider it a staple around my shop. I don't have a picture yet, but I engraved a nice mermaid on it to inlay in a fish tank stand I'm making for my daughter -- it's going to be painted, so it didn't need to be made of anything special, I just wanted something cheap to use.
Ron
From: JW (LGL) [#9]
5 Apr 2007
To: ALL
From: Holly (GRIZGIRLS) [#10]
5 Apr 2007
To: ALL
I read something about the lauan...said don't get it wet. (Not that you'd want to get wood wet....) Turns out it's a tropical wood that is very common to have some type of bacteria in it. I read something in a woodworkers site that had this carpenter who built a commercial bar site with it. After the bar openned, they complained to him about a foul smell eminating from the bar. They checked it out and found the vomit-smelling odor was a result of the wood getting wet and essentially re-activating the bacteria.
How's THAT for useless information on a Thursday afternoon??
From: Mikey (MIKE2449) [#11]
5 Apr 2007
To: Holly (GRIZGIRLS) [#10] 5 Apr 2007
Holly:
In the floor covering industry, no manufacturer of sheet goods (vinyl etc.) will warrant a floor that is underlayed with luan. Home Depot continues to sell and recommend and the failures continue to keep legitimate flooring people busy. That being said--they also sell a 1/4" underlay called Halex. The 7mm Halex board is 5 ply, the two finished sides are birch. One side has all kinds of green cross marks to tell people how many crown staples have to be put in to secure the sheet properly to a floor. I am new to the biz of engraving, but I have etched a photo on to this Halex, and it is very, very nice. I attach an image here, but it might show blobs, it's not fully dried out. I clean the image after I laser it with Goo Gone. Pat it on with terry cloth, not rub it in, and it cleans up rather nice. Luan is still much cheaper but if you have a quality image thing in wood, I think Halex is the way to go. Hope this helps.
Mike
From: UncleSteve [#12]
5 Apr 2007
To: Holly (GRIZGIRLS) [#10] 5 Apr 2007
Just between you and me, I begin to smell the same way when I've had too much alcohol poured on/in me at a bar! 8-O
From: Larry B (PALMETTO) [#13]
6 Apr 2007
To: UncleSteve [#12] 6 Apr 2007
From: dun_it (OREGON) [#14]
17 Apr 2007
To: ALL