Save nature, go for plywood
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The advantages of using plywood are many
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THE DEMAND for plywood and allied products in India is estimated to be about Rs. 35 billion and is growing. Today, plywood has emerged as a major as well as affordable wood material for home and commercial furnishing. If you are a "friend of nature" and love your forests, you are advised to use plywood and allied products. Plywood, a form of composite wood, is made from timber grown in plantations.
According to experts, the advantages are many compared to solid wood. Plywood is available in large sizes and requires least joining. It is less affected by atmospheric changes as compared to timber. As surfaces are plain, no machining is needed. Pasting of veneers or laminates is easier and more durable. Plywood is stronger than solid wood as it has uniform grains all over. The thinner sheets are flexible and their storing, stacking and transporting is easier. Above all, plywood is more economical compared to solid wood. You also save on labour costs.
C. N. Pandey, Director, Indian Plywood Industries Research and Training Institute (IPIRTI), says that plywood scores over solid wood in many ways. He says that plywood has a high uniform strength and explains that solid wood exhibits negligible shrinkage or swelling only in a longitudinal plain where as the balanced construction of plywood panel makes it free from shrinkage, swelling and warping.
Plywood has non-splitting qualities. Mr. Pandey says, "Solid wood splits fairly readily along the grain. Plywood, by virtue of the crossed laminations, can be nailed or screwed near the edges without damage from splitting."
He explains the "figured wood". He says, "Twenty sheets of veneer can be sliced from one inch of solid wood. They are glued to a core of cheaper material to produce a high-grade panel. Thus, you get attractive and matching designs or a symmetry of design."
Mr. Pandey says that dense wood logs can be sliced and boned into plywood panels for use in furniture construction whereas furniture fabricated from solid timber would be far too heavy.
The plywood panels are also available in large sizes. "Sawn timber can be obtained in fairly long lengths but only in relatively narrow widths.
A.B. SUDHINDRA
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